Be Daring, Duke (A Very Fine Muddle)

One Incautious Lady and One Incredulous Lord

Lady Rosalind Bennington, second daughter to the Earl of Westmont, has put a great deal of confidence in the fates. She is certain they will deliver her a man of the utmost courageous spirit, as she considers herself unusually courageous. Quite naturally, that gentleman's courage and daring will be employed to prove his devotion by way of rescuing her from...something or other.

Her dear aunt, Miss Eloise Mayton, is a helpful sort of lady. As such, she schemes with Rosalind to provide opportunities for a certain gentleman to demonstrate his valor and devotion. After all, there are no lengths she will not travel to see her girls happily settled and her judgment is entirely unreliable-a combination that results in very little being out of bounds.

Balthazar Reardon, Duke of Conbatten, has no intention of marrying anytime soon. He is far too taken up with his service to the queen. As a member of the Queen's Knights, he is often striding into dangerous situations between the balls and parties of the season. So far, he's had no trouble eluding the various flutterings of eyelashes and winsome smiles from the ladies of the ton. Though, he is finding it more difficult when the interesting Lady Rosalind comes into his sphere.

As one incredible circumstance after another befalls Lady Rosalind, it slowly dawns on him that she is the author of them all. He is in some way charmed by it, but her latest escapade has gone terribly wrong and might spell the end of the lady.

Lady Rosalind requires courage from her gentleman, and the duke will need all the courage he's got to keep this impulsive lady in the land of the living.

A Very Fine Muddle

Romance Me, Viscount

Be Daring, Duke

Stand With Me, Earl

Sweep Me Up, Baron

Write for Me, Marquess

Convince Me, Viscount

By the time I was eleven, my Irish Nana and I had formed a book club of sorts. On a timetable only known to herself, Nana would grab her blackthorn walking stick and steam down to the local Woolworth's. There, she would buy the latest Barbara Cartland romance, hurry home to read it accompanied by viciously strong wine, (Wild Irish Rose, if you're wondering) and then pass the book on to me. Though I was not particularly interested in real boys yet, I was very interested in the gentlemen in those stories-daring, bold, and often enraging and unaccountable. After my Barbara Cartland phase, I went on to Georgette Heyer, Jane Austen and so many other gifted authors blessed with the ability to bring the Georgian and Regency eras to life.I would like nothing more than to time travel back to the Regency (and time travel back to my twenties as long as we're going somewhere) to take my chances at a ball. Who would take the first? Who would escort me into supper? What sort of meaningful looks would be exchanged? I would hope, having made the trip, to encounter a gentleman who would give me a very hard time. He ought to be vexatious in the extreme, and worth every vexation, to make the journey worthwhile.I most likely won't be able to work out the time travel gambit, so I will content myself with writing stories of adventure and romance in my beloved time period. There are lives to be created, marvelous gowns to wear, jewels to don, instant attractions that inevitably come with a difficulty, and hearts to break before putting them back together again. In traditional Regency fashion, the action happens in a drawing room, rather than a bedroom.As I muse over what will happen next to my H and h, and wish I were there with them, I will occasionally remind myself that it's also nice to have a microwave, Netflix, cheese popcorn, and steaming hot showers.