0425272095 (R)
Authors: Jessica Peterson
PRAISE FOR THE HOPE DIAMOND TRILOGY
The Millionaire Rogue
“The quest to find the elusive French Blue diamond in Regency England is fraught with danger in the clever second installment of Peterson’s Hope Diamond Trilogy . . . The romance is enticing, with a strong mystery propelling the story forward, and the characters are witty and real.”
—
Publishers Weekly
“Romance and intrigue make an irresistible combination in Peterson’s latest, in which an intrepid woman and an enigmatic man find true love, despite the dictates of society.”
—
Booklist
“The Hope Diamond Trilogy continues with a wildly exciting and steamy adventure that captivates and intrigues, luring readers into the mystery surrounding the infamous jewel. Peterson keeps the romance and the danger moving forward at a rapid pace, and with all the surprising twists, readers will be left breathless and highly satisfied.”
—
RT Book Reviews
The Gentleman Jewel Thief
“Overflows with adventure, suspense, and fast-paced action . . . A fresh new voice in historical romance.”
—Shana Galen, author of
The Spy Wore Blue
“Deliciously fun! What a lovely, witty book—I can’t wait to see what Jessica Peterson does next!”
—Kate Noble, author of
If I Fall
“The fabled Hope Diamond is the centerpiece of Peterson’s charming trilogy, where she mixes one very bad-boy gentleman with a headstrong heroine, a stolen gem, a duel, a band of acrobats, and an exiled French king. If that isn’t enough, she peppers the Hope Diamond series starter with steamy love scenes, wild escapades, and a laugh or two. Peterson keeps the pace flying and readers hanging on to their utter joy.”
—
RT Book Reviews
Berkley Sensation titles by Jessica Peterson
THE GENTLEMAN JEWEL THIEF
THE MILLIONAIRE ROGUE
THE UNDERCOVER SCOUNDREL
Published by the Berkley Publishing Group
An imprint of Penguin Random House
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014
THE UNDERCOVER SCOUNDREL
A Berkley Sensation Book / published by arrangement with Peterson Paperbacks, LLC
Copyright © 2015 by Jessica Peterson.
Excerpt from
The Gentleman Jewel Thief
by Jessica Peterson copyright © 2014 by Jessica Peterson.
Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.
BERKLEY SENSATION® and the “B” design are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.
For more information about Penguin Group, visit
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.
eBook ISBN:978-0-698-14162-9
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Berkley Sensation mass-market edition / June 2015
Cover art by Aleta Rafton.
Cover design by George Long.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Version_1
To my friends, who’ve been there for me when boys—and hope, and sanity, and opportunity—disappeared over the years. Thanks for helping me keep the faith, ladies—I love you!
Contents
Praise for the Hope Diamond Trilogy
Berkley Sensation titles by Jessica Peterson
Preview of
The Gentleman Jewel Thief
Prologue
Oxfordshire
Summer 1800
T
heir vows echoed off the chapel’s mottled ceiling, rising and swooping like birds to surround the couple in soft whispers of faith and hope and love.
“Rings?” the vicar said, arching a brow.
For a moment the groom’s eyes went wide, and then, plucking the pale green ribbon from his queue, he released a curtain of red hair about his shoulders. He used his teeth to cut the ribbon in two. Tying one length into a small circlet, he slid it onto the bride’s fourth finger.
A sea of flickering candles held the darkness at bay as Lady Caroline Townshend was kissed for the first time by her husband. Joy welled up inside her and she smiled against the warm press of Henry Beaton Lake’s lips.
He kissed her far less chastely than was proper at a wedding, even a secret one. He kissed her as if every stroke, every pull, every move of their lips roused, rather than satiated, a growing need inside him.
Henry held her face in his hands, guiding her toward him as he pressed a kiss to one corner of her mouth, then the other. Breathless, Caroline stood on the tips of her toes to meet his caresses, streaks of light and bursts of color illuminating the backs of her closed eyelids.
The vicar, a rather less romantic fellow than Romeo and Juliet’s priest, shut his ancient Bible with a censorial
thwunk
.
Blushing, Caroline fell back from Henry, their hands entwining between them.
Lips pursed, eyes wide, the vicar glared at them. “God. Sees.
Everything
.”
In a whirl of black he turned and stalked down the aisle, shaking his head at young people these days and their carnal proclivities. Caroline’s lady’s maid, Nicks—the one and only witness—hurried after him.
Beside Caroline, Henry shook with repressed laughter.
“How much did you pay him?” she whispered.
“Clearly not enough.”
“Will he tell our parents?”
Henry ran his thumb across the back of her hand. “I should hope not. Though he doesn’t seem to like us very much.”
“Then we haven’t much time.”
“Do you mean to ravish me, Mrs. Lake?”
“I do indeed.”
“Let’s get on with it, then,” he said, and swung her into his arms.
* * *
C
aroline grasped the windowsill and, as Henry gave her a boost from below, somersaulted into his bedchamber. Inside the room it was quiet and dark, save for a single lit taper on the bedside table.
“Really,” she panted, wiping her hands on her skirts. “Why not use the kitchen door? Your parents are still at my house for the ball.”