Читать онлайн книгу "The Courtesan’s Book of Secrets"
The Courtesan's Book of Secrets
Georgie Lee
UNCOVERED: A LIST OF NOBLEMEN’S NAMES – EACH ONE GUILTY OF TREASONTo save his family legacy Rafe Densmore must seize a courtesan’s infamous register. No one can ever know how his father betrayed his country! One person stands in Rafe’s way – the beautiful Cornelia, Comtesse de Vane.In the card rooms of Paris, Rafe and Cornelia once made an unbeatable… intimate team. Until, convinced of Rafe’s desertion, desperate Cornelia married an elderly comte. Now, returning to London an impoverished widow, she’ll do anything to possess the register. Even if that means becoming Rafe’s partner once again…
�I don't need your help.’
Her tongue slid over the fullness of her bottom lip, sweeping through him as her crisp verbena perfume swept over his senses.
�Oh, I think you do.’ He held steady as he leaned in, matching her enticing look with one of his own, refusing to let the student best the master, no matter how tight his dark breeches grew. �Why else would you invent such a dramatic reason to call on me?’
�You flatter yourself.’ Her fingers swept her chest, the little half-moons of her fingernails matching the high curve of her breasts.
�And you can't recover the register without me.’ He shifted closer, the wood beneath him creaking and almost covering the slight hitch in her breathing. He laid one hand on top of her knee, the curve of it filling his palm. �You need me.’
AUTHOR NOTE (#ulink_1c761acf-133d-525e-8765-6c8250a72573)
I read a lot of historical non-fiction—for fun and for inspiration. My inspiration for THE COURTESAN'S BOOK OF SECRETS came from a biography of Nell Gwyn, mistress of King Charles II of England. In the biography, the author mentioned a book kept by a servant of Charles II that listed all the women who had slept with the King at Whitehall Palace. The book was destroyed, and with it a number of secrets.
Reading about this book, I began to wonder what might happen if a book of secrets everyone had thought was lost suddenly reappeared, and the secrets in it had the power to destroy titled families. My wondering eventually became Rafe and Cornelia's story. To craft their tale I had to dip into the darker underworld of Regency England. It was a treat to see a slightly seedier side of London, and to help my characters rise above the temptation of cards and blackmail to overcome the threat of the book and find love and success.
I hope you enjoy THE COURTESAN'S BOOK OF SECRETS. It is my fourth Regency story with Mills & BoonВ® including ENGAGEMENT OF CONVENIENCE, RESCUED FROM RUIN and HERO'S REDEMPTION from Carina Press.
Please check out my website www.georgie-lee.com (http://www.georgie-lee.com) for more information about me and my novels. I love to hear from readers and you can e-mail me at georgie.lee@yahoo.com (mailto:georgie.lee@yahoo.com). You can also find me on Twitter @georgieleebooks (https://twitter.com/GeorgieLeeBooks) and Facebook www.facebook.com/georgieleebooks (http://www.facebook.com/georgieleebooks)
The Courtesan’s Book of Secrets
Georgie Lee
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Thanks to Tami and Melissa for giving the cougar
her bite and helping me get this story to the end.
A dedicated history and film buff, GEORGIE LEE loves combining her passion for Hollywood, history and storytelling through romantic fiction. She began writing professionally at a small TV station in San Diego, before moving to Hollywood to work in the interesting but strange world of the entertainment industry. During her years in La-La Land she never lost her love for romance novels and decided to try writing one herself. To her surprise, a new career was born. When not crafting tales of love and happily-ever-after, Georgie enjoys reading non-fiction history and watching any movie with a costume and an accent.
Please visit www.georgie-lee.com (http://www.georgie-lee.com) to learn more about Georgie and her books. She also loves to hear from readers, and you can e-mail her at georgie.lee@yahoo.com (mailto:georgie.lee@yahoo.com)
Contents
Cover (#u840ceece-ada5-59de-a30c-05d5b7fad4d4)
Excerpt (#u1164e031-eb2a-5590-803d-6f1aa21c1519)
Author Note (#ulink_70fee569-3d77-5d39-8d5b-a533fd1e6513)
Title Page (#ue538b28d-119f-515d-a236-24754f600532)
Dedication (#u8a011b17-770d-52b5-8848-9e45bedc7b72)
About the Author (#u5d3d5c00-b48a-5010-85ad-ab530e0cbb0b)
Chapter One (#ulink_ac7ee6be-8f11-50c9-8684-3bbed7200676)
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Copyright (#u51437110-0980-5117-a90d-2d2c379dc165)
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию (https://www.litres.ru/georgie-lee/the-courtesan-s-book-of-secrets/) на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
Если текст книги отсутствует, перейдите по ссылке
Возможные причины отсутствия книги:
1. Книга снята с продаж по просьбе правообладателя
2. Книга ещё не поступила в продажу и пока недоступна для чтения