A Rogue of My Own

Book excerpt: Lady Rebecca Marshall fulfills her mother's fondest wish when she becomes a maid of honor at the court of Queen Victoria. Having been disappointed two years ago when their neighbor the Duke of Norford's heir Raphael Locke married another woman (as related in THE DEVIL WHO TAMED HER), Rebecca's mother sees this court appointment as a golden opportunity for Rebecca to make a good match. She will be meeting royalty from across the continent and the most important people in England. At court, Rebecca innocently steps into the rivalry between the Queen's spymaster and the noblewoman in charge of the maids of honor who is using Rebecca to spy on her enemies, one of whom is the charming marquis Rupert St. John. Rebecca knows Rupert as the devastatingly handsome n'er-do-well cousin of Raphael Locke, the man she was once infatuated with. What Rebecca doesn't know is that Rupert is a secret agent of the crown who leads a double life.Rebecca strikes up a lively flirtation with Rupert in order to keep an eye on him, but when Rupert realizes she's spying on him he seduces her. He hardly suspects that she's an innocent and he's horrified when she reveals she is pregnant! Forced to the altar by their families, Rupert, who knows of Rebecca's fondness for his cousin Rafe, believes that Rebecca has set a trap of the worst sort in order to marry into the powerful Locke family. But he exacts some sweet revenge by vowing that theirs willnotbe a marriage in name only; he plans to enjoy many passionate nights with his beautiful, scheming wife.