When a Duke Pursues a Lady
by Tabetha Waite
An innocent woman. A loyal agent to the Crown. A path of deception that
tests the bonds of love.
After three years
trapped in an abusive and loveless marriage, Lyra Coventry has been arrested
for the murder of her husband, the Earl of Weston. Although she’s innocent of
the crime, she has no one to turn to for help, until Alister Ayles, the Duke of
Albright, comes forward to offer his aid. The handsome duke takes her into his
custody, saving her from a jail cell. But Lyra doesn’t suspect Alister’s
ulterior motive – to prove her guilty of treason – as she slowly loses her
heart to a man who is far more than he seems…
Alister Ayles leads a
secret life. To the ton, he is a dullard, the subject of ridicule. But as a
highly respected agent for the Crown, he’s discovered a higher purpose by
protecting his country. Now he’s faced with his toughest investigation to date,
uncovering a plot against the Crown…and discovering whether or not Lyra, the
woman he let slip through his fingers years ago, is a traitor. Nothing is as it
seems, and as the plot unravels, the dangers to them increase. He struggles to
keep his feelings for her contained, but when it comes down to a test of
loyalty, will he stand strong, or fall prey to his desires?
Excerpt
Lyra
hadn’t heard the duke move, but suddenly, that husky voice brushed against the
nape of her exposed neck. His arm came into her peripheral view; his masculine
hand perilously close to touching hers on the shelf. “I meant no offense, Lady
Weston. In fact, I’m rather amazed by your accomplishments. This is the most
beautiful library I’ve seen in some time. It rather puts my own collection at
Thorn Hall to shame.”
Lyra
temporarily closed her eyes in an effort to gather her wits, not to
absorb his nearness or his warmth. To enjoy such a thing at a time like this
would be to question her sanity when her very existence was on the brink of
ruin.
Even
so, she couldn’t stop herself from whispering, “Why are you really here?”
His
hand tightened fractionally next to hers. She didn’t have to look to feel the
strength so very close. “I already told you. Your brother—”
She
cut him off. “Do you really expect me to believe that you have such a high
reverence for Roarke that you should volunteer for such an impossible task?”
“You’re
not impossible.” His breath fanned her cheek. “But it’s true that someone needs
to rescue you.”
She
stiffened slightly. “I don’t need rescuing.”
“Everyone
needs rescuing at some point,” he countered softly.
Tabetha
Waite
Tabetha
grew up in a small town in Missouri with big dreams of being a published author
after her fourth grade teacher said she liked reading her stories. She began
her journey by putting pen to paper writing anything from fantasy to mystery. It
wasn’t until she started high school that her grandmother introduced her to the
classic, Gothic novels. As her love of romance grew to encompass Harlequins, it
wasn’t until she read “Midnight Bride” by Kathleen Drymon did she develop a
fascination for historical England. After discovering the allure of Jane Austen
and the Bronte sisters, she was hooked!
It
wasn’t until 30 years and 63 rejections later that her debut novel, “Why the
Earl is After the Girl,” the first book in her Ways of Love series was picked
up for publication in July 2016 to critical acclaim, winning the 2017 Best
Indie Book Award in Romance and Second Place in the Feathered Quill Book Award
in Romance for 2018. It was initially released as an ebook and later in
paperback in February of 2017. Her second book, “Where the Viscount Met His
Match,” released on ebook in June 2017 and in paperback in March of 2018. Her
third novel, “When a Duke Pursues a Lady,” released on ebook in January 2018.
When
she’s not writing, Tabetha is reading as true bookworms do, checking out any
flea market, antique mall, or doll show she comes across, and working as a
lunch attendant at the local community college. She is a certified PAN member
of the RWA and is a proud supporter of Passionflix.
You
can find her on most any social media site and she encourages any fans of her
work to join her mailing list to learn more about upcoming novels or events. Website
Intriguing premise. Will look this one up :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous excerpt. Your book looked wonderful!
ReplyDeleteLovely post.
ReplyDeleteAnother book for my ever growing 'to-read' list! I love the cover by the way!!
ReplyDelete