Why Earls Fall in Love (32 page)
“Do not be so melodramatic, Isabella,” Perdita said, waving off her sister’s words. “I am not proposing to simply place myself within target range of this person and wait for him to shoot. I had enough of that with Gervase, thank you. I only mean that I won’t run away from him. I cannot. It is not in my nature, but more importantly, it hasn’t done either of you any good.”
“What do you mean? That we are cowards?” Georgie demanded, her voice hurt.
“No, no,” Perdita rushed to assure her. “Of course I do not. I only mean that you both removed yourselves from the site of Gervase’s death, which was London, and this person still managed to find ways of getting to you. So, what good would it do me to go abroad or hide away in Scotland? He would simply find some way of getting his minions to wherever it was I chose to hide.
“No,” she continued, standing and beginning to pace before the fire. “What I intend to do is go about my day-to-day life behaving as if I expect nothing untoward to happen.”
“And what if it should?” Isabella asked, her brows raised in question. “What if you suddenly find yourself in the position of fighting for your life? Will you simply decide to stand your ground and fight alone?”
“Hardly,” Perdita said with calm assurance. “I shall be protected by you all. And do not forget Archer. He has made it quite clear that he has no intention of letting anything happen to me. Whether I wish him to or not.”
“I was about to ask what Archer thought of all this,” Georgie said with a grin. “He seems to take a great interest in your health and safety these days, does he not?”
Before Perdita could respond, Isabella spoke up, “Yes, indeed, our Perdita seems to have gained a champion there. I wonder if she returns the favor or if she simply thinks of him as yet another hapless suitor.”
“There is nothing hapless about Lord Archer,” Perdita snapped, tiring of being the butt of their jokes. “He is simply a good friend who has promised to look after me, despite the fact that I’ve tried heartily to dissuade him.”
“I do not doubt it,” Isabella said with a grin. “Those come-hither looks you give him definitely seem the most probable means of warning a man off.”
“Stop it, both of you!” Perdita said, her temper getting the best of her. “I tell you once and for all that there is nothing between us. We are friends. Now, I wish that you would stop haranguing me over a subject which you know makes me uncomfortable.”
Her words hung in the air for a few moments, as Georgie and Isabella exchanged looks, then turned back to look at Perdita.
Contrite, Georgie reached out to squeeze Perdita’s hand. “My dear, we had no idea this was such a sensitive subject for you. We were only teasing.”
Isabella also spoke up. “Perdita,” she said, “if I thought for one moment that our teasing could possibly have brought you pain, I would never have done so. I had hoped that there might be something between the two of you, that is all.”
“Well,” Perdita said, rising from her chair, pulling away from both ladies, “there is nothing between us. I wish you will not speak of it again.”
To Georgie and Isabella’s surprise, she stalked from the room and shut the door firmly behind her.
“What on earth was that about?” Isabella asked, staring at the now closed door.
“I’m not sure,” Georgie said with a shake of her head. “But I know one thing’s for sure.”
“What’s that?”
“She’s lying. There is definitely something going on between those two,” she said with certainty. “I don’t care what Perdita says.”
Coming soon …
Don’t miss the next novel of “emotion-packed, passionate historical romance” (
Romance Junkies
) from
M
ANDA
C
OLLINS
Why Lords Lose Their Hearts
Available in August 2014 from St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Also by Manda Collins
How to Dance with a Duke
How to Romance a Rake
How to Entice an Earl
Why Dukes Say I Do
Praise for Manda Collins’s delicious Regency novel …
HOW TO ROMANCE A RAKE
“With her trademark wit and charm, Manda Collins has penned a deeply romantic and emotionally satisfying story in
How to Romance a Rake.
Her heroine is plucky and tremendously appealing, and I cheered for her well-earned happily-ever-after.”
—Vanessa Kelly, award-winning author of
Sex and the Single Earl
“Collins’s second installment of the Ugly Duckling trilogy is both a lovely, sensitive romance and a taut thriller. Collins brings a dashing hero and a wounded wallflower together in the type of love story readers take to heart. With compassion and perception, she delves into the issues faced by those who survive physical and emotional trauma. Brava to Collins!”
—RT Book Reviews,
4 stars
“Absolutely delightful,
How to Romance a Rake
, the second book in talented author Manda Collins’s Ugly Duckling series, is an emotion-packed, passionate historical romance.”
—Romance Junkies
, 5 stars, Blue Ribbon Review
“
How to Romance a Rake
is a wonderfully moving story about two damaged people coming together to form a unique bond. Manda Collins is now on my auto-buy list, and I can’t wait for the final book in this series.”
—Rakehell, Where Regency Lives
“
How to Romance a Rake
is a wonderful story in which a quiet and shy heroine triumphs over adversity, overcoming obstacles to win the heart of one of London’s most eligible bachelors. It is the sort of story that warms the heart and reaffirms the notion that love conquers all. Books like
How to Romance a Rake
are why I read romance.”
—Romance Novel News
“The passion sizzles in this book, and while Collins delves into deeply emotional issues, she also infuses her stories with plenty of humor along with a terrific secondary cast … If you haven’t read Manda Collins yet, now’s the perfect time to start.
How to Romance a Rake
is going straight to my keeper shelf. I highly recommend it!”
—Romance Dish
“Manda Collins’s
How to Romance a Rake
is one of those rare books I enjoyed in pretty much every respect. There were too many exceptional elements to mention everything, but I was particularly blown away by the quality of the writing, the excellent humor, the integration of subplots, and the characters. I would not hesitate to recommend
How to Romance a Rake
to any reader of historical romance.”
—Historical Romance Critic
HOW TO DANCE WITH A DUKE
“Sexy, thrilling, and romantic—whether she’s writing of the mysteries of the heart or of the shady underworld of Egyptian relic smuggling, Manda Collins makes her Regency world a place any reader would want to dwell.”
—USA Today
bestselling author Kieran Kramer
“A fast-paced, adventurous love story that will enthrall readers. Her dynamic characters, a murder, and passion combine with the perfect amount of lively repartee.”
—RT Book Reviews
“If Manda Collins keeps writing novels like [this], she is sure to become a bestseller.”
—Romance Junkies,
Blue Ribbon Review
“A vivid reminder of why I love historical romances … an excellent debut by Manda Collins that has me desperate for the next book in this trilogy.”
—Night Owl Romance
, Top Pick
“Manda Collins is a sparkling new voice in romantic fiction. Her smart, witty storytelling will keep readers turning pages.”
—Toni Blake
“A splendid read, well written and fun.”
—Romance Reader
“Written with intelligence, wit, and compassion,
How to Dance with a Duke
is a book that should put Manda Collins on the radar of historical romance readers everywhere.”
—Romance Dish
“A refreshing and fun debut spiced with just the right amount of mystery.”
—Rakehell, Where Regency Lives
“Warmth, wit, and delicious chemistry shine through every page … With a heroine to root for and a hero to die for,
How to Dance with a Duke
is a romance to remember.”
—Bestselling author Julie Anne Long
About the Author
Manda Collins spent her teen years wishing she’d been born a couple of centuries earlier, preferably in the English countryside. Time travel being what it is, she resigned herself to life with electricity and indoor plumbing, and read lots of books. When she’s not writing, she’s helping other people use books, as an academic librarian.
Visit her website at:
www.mandacollins.com
.
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
WHY EARLS FALL IN LOVE
Copyright © 2013 by Manda Collins.
All rights reserved.
For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
eISBN: 9781466815377
St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / February 2014
St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
