A Brazen Bargain
Spies and Lovers, 2
Laura Trentham
Samhain Publishing
January 26, 2016
Blurb:
Love soothes the
deepest of scars.
Minerva Bellingham is at her wits’
end. Her younger brother, Simon, will have them penniless and on the streets if
his extravagant gambling habit isn’t curtailed. An enormous debt to Lord Rafe
Drummond is the final indignity.
Signing over her dowry is their only choice. Until Lord Drummond suggests something much more scandalous. She can keep her dowry—in exchange for the Bellinghams working three months as a housemaid and stable boy.
Scarred from his service to the Crown, Rafe recognizes the young Simon Bellingham has the makings of a good duke. Minerva is a different story. Her pure, delicate beauty only underscores Rafe’s tarnished, bleak soul.
Yet he delights in cracking Minerva’s icy reserve to reveal a fiery, stubborn woman. And Minerva discovers the gruff master of Wintermarsh has the heart of a poet. But before they can find a future safe in each other’s arms, a menace from Simon’s licentious past slithers back into their lives, forcing Rafe to plan the most important rescue mission of his life.
Warning: Contains a paragon of the beau monde who gets the hang of polishing silver, and a master of the house who’d like her to make his bed—preferably with him in it. Also passion unleashed with the mere touch of a finger. Readers are encouraged to swoon.
My Thoughts:
So, we see Simon and Minerva working off the debt. Yes, it was a little cruel how Rafe made Minerva work, but it also showed her more about other people's lives. She learn to appreciate the things she had taken for granted. Now her brother was a little harder to crack, and he doesn't learn the error of his ways until Rafe saves him again. By this point, we see Simon start to mature. Once Simon starts to mature, we see the relationship between Minerva and Rafe to bloom.
I enjoyed A Brazen Bargain, because you have Rafe teaching Simon responsibility. I liked how love developed slowly between Rafe and Minerva. She was like the rest of the ton and not seeing what a good guy Rafe was until they were outside the prying eyes of the ton. I had to warm up to Minerva, because automatically thought he was a villain in leading her brother away. I love Rafe, because he was a extremely decent guy, scars and all.
Overall, A Brazen Bargin a pretty good read. I like that it's different twist on Beauty and the Beast. They weren't held prisoners, but they had to pay the toll one way or another. It's a little easier to work a little than go into financial ruin.
Copy provided by author via PUYB
Excerpt from A Brazen Bargain:
Minerva dragged herself up the Drummond front steps as if on
the way to the gallows to deliver her final words. In a dream-like state, she
watched her disembodied hand pull the bell cord. In a blink, the butler
announced her into Lord Drummond’s study. The rustle of her blue silk skirts as
she stepped inside offered the only sound of greeting.
The warm, civilized, book-filled room surprised her. The
master of the study, on the other hand, shot ice into her veins from his large
armchair. Polished boots with dirt and grass embedded in the tread were propped
on the desk. Even in a slouch, tension radiated from his body.
She forced herself to stay rooted while he examined her from
head to toe. Her trembles would betray her sickening nerves, and she refused to
give him the satisfaction. She needed every ounce of courage she could
muster—even if it was all for show—but with each passing moment, his insolent
study raised her anxiety another notch.
Rafe Drummond was a fearsome sight. While some might think
the lined scar that ran from his brow into his beard imparted that impression,
for her, it was his eyes. The swirled blue and gray coronas reminded her of a
dangerous ocean, ready to pulverize dissenters.
Sleek, expressive brows overset his stormy eyes. A black
ribbon tied back wavy, dark brown hair, much too long for current fashion.
Although, she suspected he didn’t cow to society’s expectations in any way. An
escaped piece brushed a sharp cheekbone. A crook marred a blade of a nose, and
his mouth, the corners pulled down in displeasure, looked hard, unyielding.
Undisguisable by the beard, his chin jutted prominently, lending him a
stubborn, overly aggressive look.
Muscular and huge in every direction, he exuded a masculine
virility that ton dandies played at. She’d always felt…well, feminine around him. For a woman used to
bossing men hither and yon, his strength was strangely appealing.
His comportment, however, was abominable. A welcome
indignation rose at his blatant, seated perusal, steadying her quivering knees
and fluttery hands. Finally, so slowly it had to be deliberate, his boots
thudded to the floor. He rose and gestured her to the armchair across from the
desk.
She fussily arranged her skirts, not sure how to begin the
interview. Once reseated, he swung his boots back on the desk and trailed his
forefinger down his scar. The man was a foreign language. Was he angry?
Surprised? Pleased to see her? Probably not the latter. She stifled an
inappropriate, nervous giggle.
“I expected your brother, my lady. Is he behind your skirts,
perhaps?” His voice was rife with sarcasm.
Fisting her hands so tightly fingernails bit through her
thin, lace gloves to score her palm, she forced an even voice. “I am acting on
the duke’s behalf. I understand he was involved in a high-stakes game last
night whilst in his cups, and you fleeced him of a large sum of money.”
“Fleeced him, did I? Believe me, I tried to convince him to
stop playing, but the young whelp refused. And, let me tell you, he would have
lost even sober. He’s a horrendous player.” He weaved a surprising amount of
lazy amusement in his insult.
Off balance, she smoothed her hair. “What’s done is done, I
suppose. I’m here to discuss repayment.”
“Interesting. What are you proposing?” He arched his legs
gracefully to the floor and leaned over the desk. Lacing his fingers, he pinned
her with steely eyes.
The sudden intensity startled her. Weren’t his lashes
unusually long for a man? “Well…I…” Heat suffused her body, making her wish for
a fan.
“Did you bring a bank note?” Both his eyebrows rose while
his gaze coasted over her face.
“I…that is…no.” Jabbing a finger to emphasize her negative
response, she grabbed at the frayed threads of her rehearsed offer with
profound relief. “I hoped you would accept half the money now, and we would
repay the rest over the course of three years.”
“Are you telling me you don’t have the available funds? Is
the duke in the dun with others?” His eyebrows arched higher.
For pity’s sake, what if Simon had vowels all over town? The
grim possibility had her patting the prickly, hot skin of her forehead. “I
don’t think so.”
“If he isn’t yet, he soon will be.” The prediction was
delivered somberly.
All she could do was stay the course. “The money is tied up
in investments. If I withdraw now, I’ll take an enormous loss. Given time, I’ll
be able to pay you with the dividends.”
“I’ll take a loss,
I’ll pay. You’re doing the duke a
disservice if you constantly clean up his messes. If I agree, will your
brother turn a new leaf? If I were a betting man—” his lips quirked, “—my guess
is he could be in the same predicament tonight, but to someone not willing to
be as generous. Tell me, why didn’t he
come this morning?” He pressed steepled fingers to his mouth.
Her gaze drifted to his large hands—rough, callused, capable
hands. They reflected a man well acquainted with hard work. A few thin white
scars ran over the tanned backs dotted with dark hair. Her stomach spun as if
she were falling off a cliff, and her mind blanked once again.
He cleared his throat. The rumble tossed her back in the
moment. “I-I manage the estates and investments. Simon’s still young and
doesn’t know where our money has been allocated.”
“He’s twenty, isn’t he? You can’t be much older than that.
Two and twenty, perhaps?” His brow furrowed.
She nodded reluctantly.
“How long have you been handling the estate business?”
“I started learning the ins and outs when I was sixteen and
took it over entirely at nineteen with the help of my man of affairs.” Minerva
worried her bottom lip with her teeth, knowing the path his thoughts tread was
a dangerous one for her. His cold eyes sparked with a heat that sucked the
moisture from her mouth and forced her tongue out to run over her lips.
“My point is your brother is quite old enough to take on a
responsibility you have handled since you were nineteen. In fact, you should
have handed over the reins already.” His voice had dropped and roughened. “It’s
quite unseemly for a lady to be involved in business.”
His words pierced her cloud of befuddlement and released a
torrent of resentment. “Not seemly? Are women too emotional or are our brains
too small? Please tell me you don’t believe the drivel some of these scientists
purport?” Her voice was unsteady. “If I had handed things to Simon, we’d be on
the streets and penniless.”
“You’ve coddled and controlled him to the point of uselessness.
Do you enjoy having your brother under your thumb?” The corner of his mouth
drew back as if he took delight in the provocation.
Anger twisted her gut. She rose, placed her fists on his
desk and leaned forward. He mimicked her stance until they were face-to-face
across the desk.
“I hate constantly worrying about my brother. I’ve done my
best to guide him. For you to suggest this debacle is my fault is unmerited.
You would rather see me ruined than help. Don’t deny it. You’re heartless
and…and…an arse.” The word hung between them. Had she really cursed at him? She
was so close she could see his pupils dilate, darkening his eyes.
“And you are a
haughty, conceited shrew.” Irony, not horror, laced his voice.
She gasped, even though her insult had been more shocking.
“I have an alternate proposal. Either you pay me all the
money today, or you and your brother come to Wintermarsh and pay off his debt
by working for me.” His mouth clamped shut in a frown.
Is this what he’d been planning since luring Simon into the
high-stakes game? To what end? It was utterly beyond the pale. Her throat
closed to the size of a reed.
“I assure you, Lord Drummond, I am a lady and not
some…some…Covent Garden strumpet. I have an unbesmirched reputation.” Still
face-to-face with her over the desk, he dominated her, and her thoughts scattered
like dropped marbles.
“Never fear, I don’t require your services in that manner.”
His eyes warmed from ice to molten steel in an instant. He leaned even closer
to whisper a few inches from her ear, “I only invite willing women to my bed
and have no need to pay them.” His breath skittered across her neck like the
brush of gentle fingertips.
Gentlemen didn’t speak of such things to ladies. It was
disrespectful, despicable. She tried to summon the proper horror. Instead, she
angled toward him and took a deep breath. Heady warmth and an intoxicating
smell assailed her.
Soap, leather and a scent that belonged entirely to him. It
wafted over her, smothering her outrage. An irrational urge to bury her nose in
the nape of his neck right where an escaped lock of hair curled over his open
shirt had her creeping forward. No collar, no cravat impeded her body’s
single-minded goal. She jerked herself upright in the same instant he sprawled
back into his chair.
“What sort of work are you proposing then, my lord?”
Smoothing the wrinkles out of her dress, she focused on an ornate dagger acting
as a paperweight.
“Housework for you and outdoor work for your brother. I’ll
teach Simon about the day-to-day requirements of running an estate. He’ll be
kept busy with no time for trouble.”
Minerva wandered to a set of shelves that ran along the wall
of his study, putting much-needed space between them and buying herself time.
Obviously, his aim was her humiliation. She didn’t savor submitting herself to
his control.
But there was the no small matter of her dowry. If she paid
him today, it would all be gone. Every quid. She would be left to find an
inferior husband or left to rely on her intemperate brother for the rest of her
life. In truth, left with nothing.
If she paid Lord Drummond and released her brother from
responsibility, Simon might be back out tonight drinking, gambling, ruining
them. This impetuous, ill-advised bargain would force him out of London and fill
his days with hard work. Her choices ranged from bad to devastating.
“Why would you want me here as well if not to humiliate me?”
“Would you allow your brother to come and put himself under
my care with no oversight from you?” he asked in an amused voice. Her dismay
must have been apparent, because he didn’t wait for a reply. “Learning some
humility wouldn’t be amiss, Lady Minerva. If you want to watch over Simon, you
must work as well. That’s my bargain.”
She propped her hands on her hips, her usually impeccable
manners deserting her once again. “Humility? Me? That’s a kettle-and-pot
situation if ever I heard one. You’re the most arrogant—”
“Yes, yes, heartless and a complete arse. You’ve made your
opinion clear. But if I were indebted to you, you’d seize your pound of flesh
and probably negotiate for more.”
She rubbed her temple and cast about for any other option.
None presented itself. “How long would the arrangement last? There are certain
functions I’m obliged to attend, and Drake needs to be made aware of everything
that must be handled in my absence.”
“The beau monde will head out of town in a few weeks. Let’s
say the two of you plan to arrive at Wintermarsh the second week of September
and work for me at least…three months. Your debt would be paid by
Christmastime.” He twirled the dagger in his hands, his gaze on the ceiling.
Three months. A pittance compared to a lifetime indentured
in a loveless marriage. “If I agree to this, I would need everything in
writing. In three months, you’ll tear up the voucher and sign a paper absolving
the debt. There can be no physical mistreatment of either of us. You wouldn’t
be able to extend our time without due cause, and you can’t discuss our
arrangement. Is that understood?”
“Do you want me to involve my solicitor or is a gentleman’s agreement written and signed
by the two of us sufficient?” He sounded amused by her demands.
“No third parties. I can’t allow a word to get around
London. I would be ruined. What about your servants? Will they gossip?”
“If they did, who would believe them? It’s rather
far-fetched to think a duke and his sister would be working at a country
estate. You’re Lily’s friend. It’s not implausible I would invite you to stay
at Wintermarsh.” With a flick of his wrist, the knife’s tip embedded in the
wooden top of the desk.
Minerva’s couldn’t look away from the vibrating handle. His
ease and familiarity with the weapon planted another seed of worry and doubt.
What kind of man was Lord Drummond?
“I’ll send a contract for your perusal. You can revise and
amend to your heart’s content.
We both need to think the situation over at some length,
don’t you agree?” he asked.
“I do finally agree with you on something, my lord.” Relief
and fear warred internally while she walked to the door.
Finally, playing the gentleman, he rose to see her out.
“I shall wait for your proposal, Lord Drummond. I…I mean
your terms.” Yet another blush
bloomed across her face. Proposal indeed.
Quirking an eyebrow, he hummed in amusement, his lips
curling. The smile, if it even qualified as such, held her immobile. The flash
of humor in his blue-grey eyes was a wash of refreshing water, cooling the
tension and anxiety of the interview.
The study door closed gently in her face. The dignified
white-haired butler saw her out, and she glanced back at the imposing, black
front door. Had she made a bargain with the devil?
For More Information
About the Author
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About the Author
An award-winning author, Laura Trentham was born and raised in a small town in Tennessee. Although, she loved English and reading in high school, she was convinced an English degree equated to starvation. She chose the next most logical major—Chemical Engineering—and worked in a hard hat and steel toed boots for several years.
She writes sexy, small town contemporaries and smoking hot Regency historicals. The first two books of her Falcon Football series were named Top Picks by RT Book Reviews magazine. When not lost in a cozy Southern town or Regency England, she's shuttling kids to soccer, helping with homework, and avoiding the Mt. Everest-sized pile of laundry that is almost as large as the to-be-read pile of books on her nightstand.
Her latest book is the Regency historical romance, A Brazen Bargain.
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