Jo Beverley - [Malloren]

BOOK: Jo Beverley - [Malloren]
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Praise for the novels of
Jo Beverley

Secrets of the Night

“Beverley does not disappoint as she weaves a poignant tale of forbidden love. This sparkling talent is a joy to read.”


Romantic Times

“Jo Beverley is up to her usual magic…. She sprinkles a bit of intrigue, a dash of passion and a dollop of lust, a pinch of poison, and a woman’s need to protect all those she loves.”


Affaire de Coeur

“Ms. Beverley’s work is superb, as always…. Brand’s story is a precious treat to be savored.”


Old Book Barn Gazette*

“A lovely step-by-step journey through a year or so of the lives of some ordinary and extraordinary people who won’t easily be forgotten…. Another winner.”

—CompuServe Romance Reviews

“A haunting romance of extraordinary passion and perception…. The story Jo Beverley weaves will astonish you. You’ll remember
Secrets of the Night
, with all of its power, emotion, and passion, for a very long time.”

—Bookbug on the Web

“Incredibly sensual … sexy and funny…. These characters [are] wonderfully real.”

—All About Romance

Forbidden Magic

“Wickedly delicious! Jo Beverley weaves a spell of sensual delight with her usual grace and flair.”

—Teresa Medeiros

“A gem of a book—a little bawdy, a little magical, and written with a twinkling sense of humor that only Ms. Beverley is capable of. A keeper!”


Romantic Times

“Delightful … thrilling … with a generous touch of magic…. An enchanting read.”


Booklist

“An excellent read—definitely for dreamers!”


Rendezvous

“Jo Beverley’s style is flawless … a wild ride filled with humor, suspense, love, passion, and much more.”


Gothic Journal

Lord of Midnight

“Beverley weaves a stunning medieval romance of loss and redemption…. Sizzling.”


Publishers Weekly
(starred review)

“Noted for her fast-paced, wonderfully inventive stories, excellent use of humor and language, and vividly rendered characters and situations, Beverley has created another gem that will not disappoint.”


Library Journal

“Jo Beverley brings the twelfth century to life in a vivid portrayal of a highly romantic story that captures the era with all its nuances, pageantry, and great passion…. A real treat!”


Romantic Times

“Extremely enjoyable … intriguing … Jo Beverley is clearly one of the leading writers lighting up the Dark Ages.”

—Harriet Klausner for
Painted Rock Reviews

“There can be no doubt that Jo Beverley is in the very forefront of romance writers today. Each new book is a beautifully crafted, emotionally involving, totally delightful treasure…. Witty, slightly bawdy, gently emotional without being overly sentimental,
Lord of Midnight
is wonderful!”

—Genie Romance and Women’s Fiction Exchange

Something Wicked

“A fast-paced adventure with strong, vividly portrayed characters … wickedly, wonderfully sensual and gloriously romantic.”

—Mary Balogh

“Intrigue, suspense, and passion fill the pages of this high-powered, explosive drama…. Thrilling!”


Rendezvous


Something Wicked
will delight.”


Lake Worth Herald

“Jo Beverley is a talented storyteller, creating characters who come alive.”


Under the Covers Book Review

“A fantastic, fast-paced Georgian romance that is a masterpiece of writing, as all of Jo Beverley’s novels are … action-packed and loaded with intrigue … classy and fabulous!”

—Genie Romance and Women’s Fiction Exchange

Additional praise for Jo Beverley
and her romances

“Jo Beverley is a born storyteller!”

—Mary Jo Putney

“Romance fiction at its best.”


Publishers Weekly

“One of the Regency genre’s brightest and dazzling stars.”


Affaire de Coeur

“Fascinating, lively, wonderful…. Brimming with sensual adventure and daring wit.”


Romantic Times

ALSO BY JO BEVERLEY

Secrets of the Night

Forbidden Magic

Lord of Midnight

Something Wicked

Devilish

Jo Beverley

A SIGNET BOOK

SIGNET

Published by New American Library, a division of

Penguin Putnam Inc., 375 Hudson Street,

New York, New York 10014, U.S.A.

Penguin Books Ltd, 27 Wrights Lane,

London W8 5TZ, England

Penguin Books Australia Ltd, Ringwood,

Victoria, Australia

Penguin Books Canada Ltd, 10 Alcorn Avenue,

Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4V 3B2

Penguin Books (N.Z.) Ltd, 182–190 Wairau Road,

Auckland 10, New Zealand

Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices:

Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England

First published by Signet, an imprint of New American Library,

a division of Penguin Putnam Inc.

First Printing, April 2000

10   9   8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1

Copyright © Jo Beverley Publications, Inc., 2000

All rights reserved

ISBN: 978-1-101-57981-7

REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA

Printed in the United States of America

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE AT QUANTITY DISCOUNTS WHEN USED TO PROMOTE PRODUCTS OR SERVICES. FOR INFORMATION PLEASE WRITE TO PREMIUM MARKETING DIVISION, PENGUIN PUTNAM INC., 375 HUDSON STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10014.

If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

This book has to be dedicated to the three important men in my life—Ken, Jonathan, and Philip. You’ve all made being an author possible and pleasurable. The gods are exceedingly kind.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First, I want to acknowledge the years of support and wisdom of my agent, Alice Orr, who is moving into a more leisurely lifestyle. I wish her much joy.

Mixing with other authors is fruitful, and my critique group has been a great help in steering this tricky beast: Jane Wallace, Solveig McLaren, Karel Loganhume, Marjorie Daniels, and Anita Birt.

The Genie romance exchange is my on-line home and constant support, but one magical night in a realtime conference, my fellow authors there helped me find the true heart of this book.

Thanks also to Andrew Sigel of Genie, who managed to find what still exists of the libretto of Bach’s opera
Orione
so I could be sure what it was actually about. (Not, of course, what I had first thought.) Also to Bibiana Behrendt, who knows
all
about port, and to the
[email protected]
group who checked my foreign languages.

And, of course, thanks to the Marquess of Rothgar, who strolled into an orgy eight years ago and uttered the prophetic words, “Your fate has arrived.”

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Author’s Note

Chapter 1

London, June 1763

T
he doors of the Savoir Faire club opened, throwing a path of light into the midnight street, and causing a flurry among the idling servants. Linkboys ran forward, torches streaming, to offer the gentlemen light on their way home. A hovering footman blew a whistle, however, and a response shrilled back from one of the coaches lined up in the street. The coach’s lamps sprang to light, and a groom could be seen removing nose bags from the two horses.

The liveried footman turned back to be sure the pesky linkboys didn’t bother his master, the great Marquess of Rothgar, and his lordship’s half-brother, Lord Bryght Malloren. With a few cheeky comments, the lads drifted back to an abandoned dice game in the shadows.

Despite precious lace gleaming pale at throat and wrist, and the flash of fire in jewels, the marquess and his brother didn’t need protection. Both wore small swords, and gilded scabbards and ornamental ribbons did not make them any less lethal, especially in their hands.

They chatted as they waited for the coach to pull up in front of them. Then the doors of the fashionable club opened again, and a new group emerged laughing, one man singing badly out of tune.

BOOK: Jo Beverley - [Malloren]
2.64Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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