Product Description

The future of Charlotte Harris's fi nishing school is in jeopardy when a charming Spaniard -- world-famous magician Diego Montalvo -- arrives to turn the bordering estate into a scandalous pleasure garden. Valiantly ignoring his wicked flirtations, outspoken Lucinda Seton vows to derail his plans and save the school, unaware that Diego's true mission is to spirit the long-lost heiress away to Spain for a handsome reward! But before long Diego's heart is playing tricks on him, and Lucy is falling under the illusionist's spell. How can the Master of Mystery go through with his devilish scheme when all he wants is to make the lovely heiress his own?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #26349 in Books
• Published on: 2009-05-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 384 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781416560814
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

About the Author
By the time Sabrina Jeffries was eighteen, she'd eaten chicken heads and jellyfish, been chased by a baby elephant, seen countless cobras and pythons, had the entire series of rabies shots, and visited rain forests and rubber plantations. But that wasn't enough excitement for her; to escape her mundane life as a missionary's daughter, she read romance novels.

Now she writes romance novels, and her bestselling, award-winning tales of strong women and sexy, dangerous men have been translated all over the world. Although she now lives in North Carolina with her husband and son, her colorful life has given her plenty of inspiration for more novels.

Visit her website at www.sabrinajeffries.com.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Dear Charlotte,

How thoughtless of your drawing instructor to quit just before the Easter term begins! At least you have Miss Seton to help you until you can replace the irresponsible woman. Though I do hope she has grown out of what you called "her inability to think before speaking."

Your friend and cousin,

Michael

Lucinda Seton needed an impressive suitor, and she needed one now.

A prince would be her first choice, but she'd settle for a duke or even a marquess, preferably one who was filthy rich.

Not that she cared about riches, oh no. Expensive phaetons tearing neck-or-nothing through town made her retch, and hothouse roses made her sneeze. Jewels were rather nice, but a lot of trouble to watch out for when strolling with one's maid in the parks.

No, she wanted an impressive suitor for one reason only: to make Peter Burnes eat his words.

Tears stinging her eyes, she paced the bedroom at Mrs. Harris's School for Young Ladies that would be hers for the next few weeks. Fie on that wretch! She jerked a shawl from her half-unpacked trunk. How could she still be crying over him? And how could that heartless blackguard choose some milk-and-water miss over her?

The memory of their humiliating exchange at last Saturday's ball made her cringe as she tucked her shawl into the chest of drawers. Bad enough that she'd foolishly asked him how they stood. But his answer...

Given my new position in society, Lucy, I require a more suitable wife. Someone of a settled and responsible disposition, not a hot-blooded hoyden who says the first thing that pops into her head.

Hunting through her trunk, she found her pencils and the sketch pad containing the drawing she'd done of him a year ago, back when he'd thought she might be a suitable wife. She stared at the tousled curls and beatific smile that always made her heart turn over, then drew a pair of vile-looking horns on his head. She wasn't an irresponsible hoyden. She wasn't!

All right, perhaps she was a trifle outspoken. But what was wrong with that? He'd enjoyed it well enough when they were children running about the regiment.

You're the kind of woman a man dallies with, not the kind he marries.

Dallies with! She gnawed on her pencil, remembering the first time Peter, a seventeen-year-old general's son three years older than she, had laughingly stolen a kiss from her. Had he been dallying even then? Had she assumed it meant something when it had meant nothing to him?

And after she'd waited months for him, too! She'd been so sure Peter would marry her. Before his departure on the Grand Tour, he'd even called her his "one true love." He'd kissed her again, so sweetly it had seemed a declaration, especially when he'd told her to wait for him.

But once he'd returned, that was all forgotten. Instead, he'd called on her dressed in costly splendor, sporting a fine gold watch and talking down to her.

You're too impassioned, too curious about things no lady should deign to notice. You can't help it -- it's in your blood.

Her foreign blood. Peter knew that Lucy had been adopted by Colonel Seton, the man she called Papa. Her real father had been an English soldier, her mother a Spanish woman of uncertain background. Not that Lucy could remember, since they'd died in the war when Lucy was only four.

But Peter didn't care about that, did he? Oh no, he only cared about the precious blood that her mother had passed on, which he seemed to think seethed with Spanish wildness and passion and fire.

Well, she'd show him wildness and passion and fire! With quick slashes of her pencil, she added a pointy tail that curved out from behind the modest frock coat he'd worn back when he was plain old Mr. Burnes, before he'd unexpectedly inherited the earldom of Hunforth.

That's when he'd become "too good" for her, too conscious of his precious lineage and important connections. That's when he'd become exactly like every other man in English society.

Although most people assumed Papa was a widower and Lucy his daughter, they soon learned otherwise from the gossips. Lady Kerr, her stepmother, had gently warned her that her odd parentage might prove an issue for high sticklers, especially since she wasn't a great heiress like her friends. And though men had shown her some interest during her first season, she'd had no offers. Not that she'd encouraged them -- she'd been waiting for Peter. But she would have thought one would have made an offer anyway.

Unless...Oh, Lord, what if Peter were right about her? What if everybody thought she was some hussy not good enough to become a respectable man's wife? Was that why men were always eyeing her bosom and trying to kiss her on balconies? They never seemed to do that to the other girls.

They certainly never did that to Lady Juliana. Rich, elegant, boring Lady Juliana, whom Peter had apparently chosen as sufficiently suitable to be his bride.

Fresh tears sprang to her eyes. How dared he spurn her? The other men didn't surprise her; half were sheep who did what their mamas said. But Peter was supposed to be...

Hers.

She'd make him rue the day he'd rejected her. She had started to sketch a knife protruding from his treacherous heart when a knock came at the door. Hastily, she thrust the sketch pad beneath a pillow and bade the person enter.

Her stepmother glided into the room with her usual grace, another trait Lucy lacked. "Your father has finished his discussion with Mrs. Harris." Lady Kerr, who'd been married to Papa for little more than a year, surveyed the harum-scarum pile of clothing on the bed. "So we're leaving. And he'd like to say good-bye."

"I'll be along shortly."

Lady Kerr glanced at the open trunk. "Shall I help you unpack first?"

"I don't need your help!" Lucy snapped, then regretted it when Lady Kerr flinched. Lucy softened her tone. "It's kind of you to offer, but I can handle it alone. There's no reason for you to alter your plans."

Lady Kerr's halfhearted smile pricked Lucy's conscience. The woman had tried hard to be her friend. Papa had even hinted at how much it would mean to Lady Kerr to have Lucy call her Mother, but Lucy couldn't bring herself to do it. She chafed at Lady Kerr's constant reminders to lower her voice and mind her tongue and not laugh at men's rough jokes. If all a mother did was chide, perhaps she was better off without one.

At least Lady Kerr improved Papa's life. Though she didn't always approve of his blustering, she did love him. And she was right for him, too, strong and calm to balance his impetuous nature, and never daunted by the addlebrained things he did when distracted. Lady Kerr would make certain he didn't forget his hat.

Of course, managing Papa had been Lucy's job until she'd left for school. She missed that -- and the dinners when he'd spun tales of India or the evenings when she'd practiced her sums for his approval. Life had been simple then.

A sigh escaped her.

As usual, Lady Kerr mistook it. "You don't have to stay. Your father and I would love to have you go with us to meet Venetia in Edinburgh. Surely another instructor can teach drawing until Mrs. Harris can replace the teacher who quit."

Lucy returned to unpacking. "Actually, I look forward to the teaching. Edinburgh is such a bore, and I should stay busy until the Season is in full swing."

And she needed to show Peter Burnes that she wasn't irresponsible. After she impressed him with her levelheaded behavior as a teacher, he would grovel at her feet, admitting he'd been wrong and begging her forgiveness.

She might forgive him. She might not. But she could do neither if she were stuck up north while he pranced about town with Lady Juliana.

Taking her stepmother's arm, Lucy guided her toward the door. "You should go. You know how Papa is about waiting." Besides, she wanted them both off so she could wallow in her misery.

They walked down in silence to find Papa pacing before the stairs. When he heard them and looked up, his irritation altered instantly to pleasure.

Most of it was for Lady Kerr. And the countess's blush further illustrated their bond.

A painful yearning pierced Lucy. Would a man ever look at her like that and make her blush? Even Peter hadn't managed that. She wasn't the blushing sort.

"There's my lassies!" Papa boomed. His manner of speaking was one thing Lady Kerr hadn't civilized out of him. "Come now, Maggie, no dawdling. We must make haste while the weather is fine, eh, Lucy?"

"No rain is our gain," Lucy parroted his oft-used remark, left over from her childhood in Spain and Portugal during the war, when long marches in bad weather meant pure misery.

"You're all settled, then?" he asked Lucy as Lady Kerr took his arm.

Papa and Lady Kerr were going off together. Without her. It was all she could do to manage a smile. "I'm fine."

With a frown, he looked her over. "You don't look fine to me. It's that idiot Peter Burnes, isn't it?"

She blinked. "How did you -- "

"I'm no fool, lass. I know ye had yer heart set on him, and I saw yer face when he and that snooty Lady Juliana danced together three times at Saturday's ball. I always thought him a bit of a fribble, but I never took him for a fool until now. Ye're better off without him, d'you hear?" He chucked her under the chin. "Don't be wasting another thought on that jackanapes."

The fact that her unobservant Papa had noticed what had gone on between her and Peter was so unexpectedly sweet she burst into tears.

He stood frozen in shock until Lady Kerr nudged him. Then he hastily drew Lucy into his arms. "There, now, lass, didn't mean to make you cry. It's not so bad as all that, is it? Sh, sh, hush now."

The familiar scent of Guard's Bouquet on his collar calmed her, reminding her that he was still her dear Papa, no matter whom he'd married.

Lady Kerr held out a ha...

Customer Reviews

Outspoken and friendly heroine + mysterious and charming hero = great historical romance!
DON'T BARGAIN WITH THE DEVIL is a wonderful read - I rushed out to buy it this afternoon and didn't put it down until I had finished! If you haven't read all (or any) of the other "School for Heiresses" books don't worry because this book can be read alone - though many of the characters from previous ones do reappear, so that's something to look forward to if you have. I myself only read the first book, Never Seduce a Scoundrel, yesterday and am looking forward to catching up on the other ones before the final one, Wed Him Before You Bed Him, which comes out June 23 and in which "Cousin" Michael is *finally* revealed. I've only read two books and I'm already dying to know - personally, I'm rooting for Mrs. Harris's anonymous benefactor to be the Marquess of Stoneville (Jeffries teases you at the end of this book with the possibilities - so cruel!).

BASICS:
Lucinda Seton (20), our heroine, is outspoken, energetic, trusting, loyal, smart and friendly; she's very caring and we see this throughout her interactions and exchanges with the other characters. Lucy is searching for her place and trying to find where she belongs. Diego Montalvo (28) is the delicious hero; he's mysterious, charming, seductive, clever, and tender. He's the type of hero who is haunted and driven by his past and aside for his mentor-turned-assistant, he's quite alone in the world - without home or family.

Sabrina Jeffries combines a strong and sympathetic hero and heroine, great sexual tension, several laugh-out-loud moments, wonderful secondary characters, some *very* confusing genealogy, family secrets, a kidnapping, and the backdrops of the English countryside, a ship, and the Spanish coast for a delightful historical romance.

SUMMARY:
Lucy has recently had her heart broken by a man whom she had hoped to - and been led to believe that she would - marry. As a graduate of Mrs. Harris's finishing school, she offers to help the headmistress when her drawing teacher quits without warning, thinking that the opportunity to put her drawing skills to use will be the perfect distraction from her pain. The post will only be temporary, after which she'll return to London for the Season with her father, Colonel Seton, and her stepmother, Lady Kerr. However, once rumors spread that a certain Man of Mystery magician, Diego Montalvo, has rented the property next to the school and is planning on buying it to convert it into a pleasure garden, Lucy finds herself with a cause to take up - and a school to defend! She's just that day met the sinfully handsome Spaniard in the orchards and she knows that he cannot be up to any good ...

Diego is an illusionist, but this time his goal of building a pleasure garden is the illusion - Diego is actually there searching for the long-lost granddaughter of a wealthy Spanish marqués. Don Carlos has promised Diego the return of his family's property, Arboleda, in exchange for the return of his grand-daughter and it is an offer that Diego cannot refuse. For many years he has been seeking to regain possession of the family estate that was lost due to debts, for as a young boy he promised his dying father that he would protect and restore the family lands that had been ravaged by war. Diego has no love for the English, but traveling around their country is what he's had to do to search for the don's long-lost heir and he thinks he finally may have found the young woman, but his success is bittersweet ...

The attraction between Lucy and Diego is immediate, but they are both suspicious. Lucy has already had her heart broken and doesn't know if she should trust the mysterious foreigner who seems intent on ruining her precious school by building a pleasure garden, while at the same time focusing his attention on her and even acting in ways that go against his supposed business interests. For his part, Diego knows that he dare not get involved with Lucy; he has promised the don to return the man's granddaughter untouched and he knows the old man's future plans for her do not include a penniless count with no estates or family. How can he threaten his dream of regaining Arboleda by letting his feelings for this young English chit get out of control?

COMMENTS:
Overall I thought this was a great book; the two main characters are easy to root for and Diego had me practically sighing out loud with some of the things he says to Lucy (and the Spanish endearments that he always uses - give me a Diego anytime!). There was no mystery or villain subplot thrown in, which was a nice change - one does start to wonder why it seems true love *always* has to happen amid some serial killing spree or old family murder scandal. Jeffries does still provide us with some unlikable and/or nasty characters, so all you readers out there who love them, don't despair.

One tool that is often employed in the genre is the "I'm going to lie to you and say ___ for your own good so that you go away or don't fall in love with me or whatever" and this was definitely used by BOTH main characters several times. It got to be kind of annoying, *however* I do have to say as someone who absolutely cannot stand those books that are dominated by big misunderstandings, this was NOT one of those and DON'T BARGAIN WITH THE DEVIL will definitely be put on my reread shelf.

The mystery about Lucy's past - who were her real parents and how did she get to be the Colonel's adopted daughter? - was very interesting and definitely kept me hooked. You don't really know who to believe and Jeffries does a very good job with this in that the players in that whole mystery are not either evil or pure-as-the-driven-snow - instead she gives us three-dimensional characters full of regret, doubt, love, and the feeling that they thought they were doing what was right.

"THE SCHOOL OF HEIRESSES SERIES":
(1) Never Seduce a Scoundrel - Lady Amelia Plume and Major Lucas Winter
(2) Only a Duke Will Do - Louisa North and Simon Tremaine, Duke of Foxmoor
(3) Beware a Scot's Revenge - Lady Venetia Campbell and Sir Lachlan Ross
(4) Let Sleeping Rogues Lie - Madeline Prescott and Anthony Dalton, Viscount Norcourt
(5) DON'T BARGAIN WITH THE DEVIL - Lucinda Seton and Diego Javier Montalvo, Conde de León
(6) Wed Him Before You Bed Him - Mrs. Charlotte Harris and _________ (alias: Cousin Michael)

Master of Mystery? Well, the Spanish devil is definitely the master of something! ;)
Magician Diego Javier Montalvo is causing havoc for Charlotte Harris's finishing school. Seems that the exotically handsome new neighbor has plans for the dilapidated estate next door. Shockingly they include a Vauxhall-like pleasure garden! Appalled by the very idea that such a scandalous place would be located next to her beloved school, and knowing full well the disastrous effects on enrollment it would cause, art teacher Lucinda Seton takes it upon herself to put a stop to it at once. But the illusionist has put up a smoke screen thus cloaking his true mission -to find, and return, a long-lost Spanish heiress. The reward is the return of Diego's family estate, thereby keeping a deathbed promise to his father. Soon a positive confirmation is made. Lucy is the one. The lovely Lucy, completely unaware of Diego's true intentions, is duped. And those smoldering glances, the passionate embraces, and the longing kisses have been a ruse. Or have they? For his part, Diego is finding it more and more difficult to let go of his carino, a woman he can see spending the rest of his life with while rebuildinig all that was lost from his family. But he can't have both. Or perhaps the Master of Mystery has one more trick up his sleeve?

A devilishly dashing and simply swoon-worthy Spanish hero make book five in The School for Heiresses series an absolute keeper! Diego Javier Montalvo (now doesn't that name just roll off your tongue?) is the perfect passionate hero whose driven by conflicting emotions -one towards his family and one towards Lucy. I loved how he struggled with his self worth and deep desire to have the one woman unattainable to him. Lucy, on the other hand, has to deal with all this new information, and possibly sinister developments, about her birth and later adoption.

A delightful romance sure to please any historical romance reader looking for adventure, passion and a bit of magic. Besides who can resist a hero who looks are modeled after Rodrigo Santoro? Feast your eyes on that man!

Order of The School Of Heiresses Series-
Never Seduce a Scoundrel
Only The Duke Will Do
The School Of Heiresses anthology Ten Reasons To Stay
Beware A Scot's Revenge
Let Sleeping Rogue's Lie
Snowy Night With A Stranger anthology When Sparks fly

My other Jeffries shelf keepers-
To Pleasure a Prince (The Royal Brotherhood) (v. 2)
The Forbidden Lord (Lord Trilogy, Book 2)
Beware a Scot's Revenge (The School for Heiresses)

Can't wait for the sixth and last of the series Wed Him Before You Bed Him (The School for Heiresses) -finally *cousin* Michael's identity will be revealed!

Great Addition
This title is a great addition to the series and a must if you have read the others in the "School for Heiresses" series.