Product Description

Kate Bergeron is the beautiful and mysterious former mistress of a cloth merchant...and the latest beauty to capture the interest of the Prince of Wales. Mired in a disastrous divorce, the Prince attempts to distract attention from his next amorous pursuit by ordering Grayson Christopher, the eligible Duke of Darlington, to pretend to London society that he is having an affair with Kate. When Grayson reluctantly agrees to his Prince's demand, he finds the lady no more willing than he is. Kate will grudgingly act the part in public, but her favors are not for sale to any man. As Grayson and Kate mimic ardor for the world to see, they find what started as a deception becoming all too real. And when passion flames into love, their predicament becomes extreme. For while marriage between a duke and a courtesan could never happen, Kate knows in her heart that she is willing to accept nothing less....

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #51062 in Books
• Published on: 2009-10-20
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 384 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781416547129
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

About the Author
Julia London is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of  fifteen historical romance novels, two of which were nominated for the Romance Writers of America's prestigious RITA Award. She is also the author of the contemporary romantic novel SUMMER OF TWO WISHES and GUIDING LIGHT: JONATHAN'S STORY, the New York Times bestselling novel based on the Emmy Award-winning daytime drama Guiding Light. Her novels have been translated into six foreign languages. A native Texan, London lives in Austin. 

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

On a snowy Christmas Eve, as the most elite ranks of the haut ton gathered at Darlington House in London's Mayfair district to usher in the twelve days of Christmas, an annoyed Duke of Darlington was across town, striding purposefully down King Street through a light dusting of snow, studying the light fans above town-house doors in search of the intertwined letters G and K.

He passed a group of revelers who called out "Happy Christmas!" That annoyed the duke, as they blocked the walkway and forced him to tip his hat and step around them before he continued his examination of every fan above every door in the line of tidy, respectable town homes.

He found the G and K on the last town house, a large red brick building. Quite nice, actually; the duke could not help but wonder what salacious little act the resident had performed to earn a house of this quality.

He stepped up to the door, lifted the brass knocker, rapped three times, and waited impatiently. He was in a very cross mood to be sure. He'd never been so exploited, so ill-used --

The door swung open and a gentleman of average height with a flat nose, a shock of ginger hair, and wearing a rumpled suit of clothing stood before him. He looked the duke directly in the eye and offered no greeting.

"The Duke of Darlington," the duke announced gruffly as he reached into his coat pocket and withdrew a calling card. "I have come to call on Miss Bergeron. She is expecting me."

The man held out a silver tray. Darlington tossed his card onto it. "I'll tell her," the man said, and moved to shut the door.

But Darlington had been vexed beyond all civility; he quickly threw up a hand and blocked the door. "I'll wait inside, if you please."

The man's impassive expression didn't change. He shoved the door shut, leaving Darlington standing on the stoop.

"Bloody outrageous," Darlington muttered, and glanced up the street. In spite of the snow, people had set out to various holiday gatherings. He himself was expected a half hour ago on the other side of Green Park to preside over the annual soiree held for one hundred and fifty of his family's closest friends.

The door abruptly opened, startling Darlington. The man said, "Come."

Darlington swept inside and removed his beaver hat, which he thrust at the man. "What is your name?" he demanded.

"Butler."

"I do not mean your occupation," he said shortly, "but your name."

"Butler," the man responded just as shortly. "This way," he added, and carelessly tossed the duke's hat onto a console. The hat slid off the edge of the table and landed on its crown on the floor, but Butler walked on, lifting a candelabrum high to light the way.

He led Darlington up a flight of stairs, then down a corridor that was lined with paintings and expensive china vases stuffed full of hothouse flowers. The floor covering, Darlington noted, was a fine Belgian carpet.

Miss Bergeron had done very well for herself.

Butler paused before a pair of red pocket doors and knocked. A muffled woman's voice bid him enter. He looked at Darlington. "Wait," he said before entering the room, and left the doors slightly ajar.

Darlington sighed impatiently and glanced at his pocket watch again.

"Here now, darling," he heard a feminine voice say. "Tell me, how do you like this?"

"Mmm," a male voice answered.

Darlington jerked his gaze to the pair of doors and stared in disbelief.

"And this?" she asked with a bit of a chuckle. "Do you like it?"

The response, from what the duke could gather, was a sigh of pleasure.

"Ah, but wait, for you've not lived until you've -- "

"Caller," Butler said.

"Not now, Kate," the male voice objected. "Please! You leave me with such a hunger for more!"

"Digby! Keep your hands away!" There was a slight pause, and then the woman said, "Oh. It's him. Please show him in, Aldous."

Darlington started when Butler pulled the doors wide open. He quickly glanced down, his sense of propriety making him avert his gaze from whatever lewd act he was sure he was interrupting.

"Your Grace?"

Darlington looked up. Whatever he might have expected, it was not the sight that greeted him. Yes, the room looked a bit like a French boudoir, with peachcolored walls, silken draperies, and overstuffed furnishings upholstered in floral chintz. There were gazettes, hats, and a cloak carelessly draped over a chair. But the woman inside was not lying on a daybed with a man on top of her as he'd suspected.

He was surprised to see her standing at a table piled high with pastries and sweetmeats. Moreover, there were Christmas boughs and hollies adorning the walls and the mantel, a dozen candles lit the room, and a fire was blazing in the hearth.

Her male companion, a portly fellow with thinning hair who easily weighed thirteen or fourteen stone, held nothing more lurid than a teacup. The sugary remnants of a pastry dusted his upper lip.

Darlington was stunned, first and foremost because he had supposed something entirely different was occurring in this room. But perhaps even more so because the woman, Miss Katharine Bergeron, was breathtaking.

Darlington had known this woman was unusually beautiful. He'd heard it from more than one quarter and he'd seen it with his own eyes not two nights past at the King's Opera House, when he'd attended the first London performance of Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito at the behest of his friend George, the Prince of Wales. He'd sat with George in the royal box, and it was George who had pointed out Katharine Bergeron. Seated two boxes away, she was in the company of Mr. Cousineau, a Frenchman who had made a respectable fortune selling luxurious fabrics to wealthy London society. Miss Bergeron was infamously his model and his mistress.

As Darlington observed her that evening, she'd leaned slightly forward in her seat, enraptured by the music. She'd worn a white silk gown trimmed in pink velvet that seemed to shimmer in the low light of the opera house. Pearls had dripped from her ears, her wrists, and more notably, her throat. Her hair, pale blond, was bound up with yet another string of pearls. She did not wear a plume, as so many ladies seemed to prefer, but instead allowed wisps of curls to drape the nape of her long, slender neck.

She'd turned her head slightly and discovered him observing her. She did not glance away shyly, but calmly returned his gaze a long moment before turning her attention to the stage once more.

Darlington had found her boldness mildly interesting. Nevertheless, he had not anticipated seeing her again...until George had summoned him. Now, he was standing in her private salon.

But she looked nothing like she had the night at the opera. She was beautiful, astonishingly so, but now, free of cosmetic, her beauty was simpler and natural. She wore a rather plain blue gown, an apron, and a shawl wrapped demurely around her shoulders. Her hair was not dressed, but hung long and full down her back.

"Your Grace," she said again, smiling warmly. She picked up a plate of muffins. "May I entice you with a Christmas treat? I just made them," she added proudly.

"They are divine, Your Grace," the portly man said, coming to his feet and bowing his head.

"No," Darlington said incredulously. Did they think he'd come for tea? "A word, madam?"

"Of course," she said, and handed the plate of muffins to her companion. "Please do go with Aldous, Digby, and mind you don't eat them all."

"I shall endeavor to be good," he said jovially, "but you know how wretched I can be." He patted his large belly, gave the duke another curt bow, and followed Butler out.

When they had left the room, Darlington frowned. "I regret that we've not had the courtesy of a proper introduction, but it would seem the situation does not lend itself to that."

"Yes," she said, eyeing the rest of the food on the table, "I had not expected you so soon."

"Your patron was rather insistent."

She gave him a wry look and gestured to a chair near the table. "Please do be seated. Are you certain I cannot tempt you to taste a muffin? I confess, I am learning the art of baking and I am not certain of the quality."

"No. You cannot."

"Please," she said again, gesturing to the chair. "I hope you will be at ease here."

"Miss Bergeron, I do not find the circumstances the least bit easy."

"Oh, I see," she said, lifting a fine brow.

He rather doubted she did. She was a courtesan, hardly accustomed to the pressures of propriety that he faced every day. "I have come as the prince has demanded to make your acquaintance and to mutually agree on a public appearance or two that will serve his...purpose," he said with distaste.

"Very well." She smiled then, and Darlington knew in that moment how she had captivated the prince.

But if she thought that he could be so easily seduced, she was very much mistaken. And pray tell, what was that just above the dimple on her cheek? A bit of flour? "There is the Carlton House Twelfth Night Ball," he said, a bit distracted by the flour.

"That would do. Shall I meet you there?"

"I will come for you."

Her smile seemed to grow even more enticing.

"There is an opera scheduled shortly thereafter. Will that suit?"

"I adore opera," she said smoothly.

"Very well," Darlington said. "That should suffice for the time being. Furthermore, may I remind you that in the course of this ruse," he said with an angry flick of his wrist, "I expect you to defer to me as one would defer to a peer. We are merely to be seen in public together and rely on the usual wagging tongues to do the rest. Therefore, I see no reason to touch or otherwise engage in any behavior that might be remarked upon by my esteemed family or close acquaintances. When these public events have concluded, I will ensure that you are escorted safely home, but I see no point in prolonging our contact any more than is required. Are we are agreed?"

She smiled curiously. "Are you always so of...

Customer Reviews

O.K. romance, unrealistic plot.
There are way too many historical romances in recent years with dukes as the heroes. I do realize that this book probably did require a duke as the stand-in lover of the would-be courtesan to the Prince Regent. I guess a baron or viscount wouldn't do. And the love grows pleasantly and predictably between the duke and the courtesan-to-be (who happens to like cooking and baking, BTW, for some reason. Maybe because it's a cute idea?). So if you like romance for romance's sake, this book will do fine. However, recent books with all these dukes running around nineteenth century England and marrying lower-class women is just too improbable for words. We have been inundated lately with this plotline. It just wouldn't happen and that's why I'm needing less dukes in my historical romance novels or maybe more upper-class heroines to match them with.

just ok....
Did not really like this book. i love most all of julia londons books and was so excited for this one. for some reason i thought that this was not going to be about a true courtesan (maybe just a disguise), but it was. i dont really like reading books were the girl has been such a victim of her circumstances. i do like feisty female heriones but she was just a little to experienced for me and did not seem bothered at all of what she was(maybe i overlooked something). the book is not all bad. the hero is a desent sort of guy, but i was not totally crazy about him. the love seens were so so too. ok book would not recommend it. it seems the last few julia london books have not been all that great.

2 1/2 Stars...
The plot of this story is pretty similar to The Duke by Gaelen Foley . A tormented heroine, becomes a courtesan, pretends to be the mistress of some Duke, ends up falling for the straight laced hero, the Duke...Except The Duke by Foley is SOO much better than this. I'm sorry, I honestly wanted to like this book.

The first half was engrossing, mainly because the heroine was just so lively, sunny and enchanting. You just couldn't help liking her and cheering for her. But all of sudden, her and the book just goes down hill, and she becomes this whiny, clingy, pitiful heroine so common in a romance novel. After much eye rolling, and sighing over the gag worthy sweet scenes, I had to put the book aside 5 pages from the end. I just didn't believe in their love. Yes, I didn't read the last 5 pages. It was that riveting.

Absolutely loved the fact the heroine was a courtesan, a real one at that. And I adored the bright and sunny disposition of her in the beginning. After everything she's gone through, she tries to view life in such positive light....That was the best part of the book.