extremely comfortable, home.
Isobel and Rafe were arguing about something in a corner. And Viola was surrounded by a chattering crowd of the Duke of Westbury’s sisters.
Lady Henrietta Prince was talking to the society’s newest recruit, Lady Philippa Bramble, who had revealed some surprising ambitions when she attended her first meeting.
Even though they’d christened the society with a new name, Beatrice and her friends still weren’t at liberty to fully divulge the extent of their activities. Isobel, in particular, would never be allowed to graduate from law school if her sex were revealed.
Mrs. Kettle, who had decided to stay on as housekeeper to the club, couldn’t possibly make enough tea for everyone, but she was very happy to try. And Mr. Coggins, who hadn’t yet agreed to retirement, was seen to smile by Viola, though no one would quite believe it.
Ford’s grandfather attended, but only briefly. He complained loudly about all the profit wasted, but privately, she knew he was pleased with his grandson for marrying into the nobility. Beatrice was still certain that Foxton’s business practices were less than humane, but she and Ford, and Ford’s mother and aunt, were wearing him down, little by little, and he would come round to their way of thinking eventually.
Beatrice smiled happily as she walked around the room, making sure a good time was had by all. Who would have thought that she’d be living in London, hosting large social gatherings, one year earlier when she was cloistered in the library at Thornhill?
After the festivities ended, she and Ford walked back, arm in arm, to their adjacent home.
“Come and see what I’ve been working on while you’ve been writing your dictionary these past weeks, my love.” He took her downstairs to his basement workshop.
“A cradle? Ford, isn’t that putting the cart before the horse, so to speak?”
“It’s for Tiny,” he laughed. “I had a letter that his Eliza is expecting. I’ll send it back to Cornwall with my mother.”
His mother had been splitting her time between Cornwall and London now that she was reconciled with her father.
He winked at her. “Though it wouldn’t be the worst thing to have a young Ford running around. He’d be a handsome little devil.”
“Or a young Beatrice wearing spectacles and memorizing dictionaries.”
“Or one of each.”
“Perhaps. One day. We have time to try, my rogue.”
“Would you like to try right now? Down here on top of this pile of cedarwood shavings?”
“Malapert rapscallion. Scurrilous scoundrel.”
“You like scoundrels. We’re far more interesting than other men.”
She kissed him then, to show him just how much she loved scoundrels.
She kissed him with the fragrance of cedar around them, reminding her of his handiwork.
His large, capable hands shaping her waist.
She loved his work-roughened hands.
She loved him. More than she’d ever thought it was possible to love.
Their love was strong and solid and true.
Built to weather storms. Built to stand the test of time.
Acknowledgments
As always, I must heap gratitude upon my amazing agent, Alexandra Machinist, and my peerless editor, Carrie Feron. I’m so very thankful for the entire dynamic and dedicated team at Avon, especially Pam Jaffee, Asanté Simons, Jes Lyons, and Guido Caroti, who perfectly captured Beatrice and Ford for this dreamy cover. All of my love to my husband, Brian, and to my extended family in Alaska, Utah, and Wisconsin. The Bookish Belles Facebook group sustains me with cat memes and virtual hugs. Hope to meet more of you in person someday! This book is my love song to you, dear reader. This one is for the lifelong bookworms with out of control TBR piles. The readers suffering from book hangovers, and swooning over their latest book bf/gf. Thank you for believing in HEAs. Thank you for being you.
About the Author
LENORA BELL is a USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of historical romances. A teacher with an MFA in Creative Writing, Lenora has lived and worked on five continents. She currently lives in New Zealand with her carpenter husband and two tiger-striped rescue kitties. She loves hearing from readers! Sign up for her mailing list to hear about new books, sales, and giveaways.
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Also by Lenora Bell
School for Dukes series
One Fine Duke
For the Duke’s Eyes Only
What a Difference a Duke Makes
The Disgraceful Dukes series
Blame It on the Duke
If I Only Had a Duke
How the Duke Was Won
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
love is a rogue. Copyright © 2020 by Lenora Bell. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins Publishers. For information, address HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.
Digital Edition NOVEMBER 2020 ISBN: 978-0-06-299335-9
Print Edition ISBN: 978-0-06-299345-8
Cover illustration by Paul Stinson
Cover image © Stokkete/Shutterstock
Avon, Avon & logo, and Avon Books & logo are registered trademarks of HarperCollins Publishers in the United States of America and other countries.
HarperCollins is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Publishers in the United States of America and other countries.
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