Taming a
Gentleman Spy
The Spies of
Mayfair
Book #2
by Maggi Andersen
Blurb:
John Haldane, Earl of
Strathairn, is on an urgent mission to find the killer of his fellow spy. After
visiting the young widow of one of his agents, Strathairn strengthens his
resolve. A spy should never marry, and most certainly not to Lady Sibella
Winborne, with her romantic ideas of love and marriage. Unable to give Sibella
up entirely, he has kept her close as a friend. Then, weak fool that he is, he
kissed her.
Lady Sibella Winborne has
refused several offers of marriage since she first set eyes on the handsome
Earl of Strathairn. Sibella’s many siblings always rush to her aid to
discourage an ardent suitor, but not this time. Her elder brother, Chaloner,
Marquess of Brandreth, has approved Lord Coombe’s suit. Sibella yearns to set up her own household.
She is known to be the sensible member of the family, but she doesn’t feel at
all sensible about Lord Strathairn. If only she could forget that kiss.
Excerpt:
Beneath glistening chandeliers,
the dancers spun to the strains of a Handel waltz. Strathairn smiled down at
his partner, her slim waist beneath his hand as they danced. Lady Sibella
Winborne looked like a delicate flower in a gauzy pale gown covered in amber
blossom. White ostrich feather plumes adorned her luxuriant dark locks. He
enjoyed looking at her. Her serene oval face lifted and she smiled at him, her
mouth wide and full. Too wide for beauty some might say, but made for kissing.
She had inherited her mother’s famous eyes, a delectable mix of blue and green,
but her nature was quieter, lacking the vivacity of her mother in her youth,
who was said to have had men falling at her feet. He admired Sibella’s calm
beauty, but she was oh, so much more: practical, poised and intelligent. Yet
still unmarried, which surprised him.
“You arrived late tonight. I
wasn’t sure you’d come,” she said.
“I was tied up with business.”
“Not parliament?”
“No.”
She tilted her head. “Your
horses, then?”
He grinned at her blatant
curiosity. “No.”
“You won’t tell me.”
“No.”
Sibella laughed with good
humor. “Very well. Might I find you riding in Hyde Park tomorrow?”
“I hope to.”
Her delicate brows rose. “If
business doesn’t keep you.”
He laughed. “Precisely.”
The music faded away.
Strathairn escorted her back to her chair where her mother, the Dowager
Marchioness of Brandreth, sat fanning herself among the other dowagers. He
bowed, planning to slip into the rooms set aside for gambling. As much as he
might wish to dance with Sibella again, it would place them under scrutiny, and
faro was an effective release from the tension he always carried with him.
“Don’t rush off, Strathairn,”
her sharp-eyed mother said. “We have seen little of you of late. You rarely
frequent these affairs.” She waved her fan in an arc to encompass the ballroom.
“Where have you been hiding?”
“Not hiding, my lady, merely
visiting my estates.”
Lady Brandreth adjusted the
silk shawl over her shoulders. “Did you include that pile of yours in
Yorkshire? I enjoyed the hunt ball, but it’s cold as charity in winter up in
those parts.”
“Not this time, but I miss it.
There’s a wild beauty to the dales in winter, quite unlike southern England.”
“I daresay.” Her purple turban
wobbled as she nodded. “You are a fine figure of a man, Strathairn. What are
you now? Six and thirty? You should marry. You should be setting up your
nursery.” She gestured toward her daughter sitting beside her. “Sibella will
bear you healthy children. The Brandreths come of good stock, and the Wederells
even better.”
“Mama, please!” He caught
Sibella’s apologetic gaze and suppressed a wry smile. Her plea would have
little effect; the marchioness was known to be one of the most colorful and
outspoken members of the ton.
The dowager batted her
daughter’s protest away with her fan. “I am merely speaking the truth,
Sibella.”
“Your daughter is a credit to
you, my lady,” he said with a smile. “She has inherited both your beauty and
intelligence.”
“Now you are toad eating.” A
roguish smile lit Lady Brandreth’s face. “You always were a charmer. Sibella is
intelligent. Walk with her on the terrace to discover it for yourself.”
“I should be delighted.”
About the Author:
Maggi Andersen fell in love
with the Georgian and Regency worlds after reading the books of Georgette
Heyer. Victoria Holt's Gothic Victorian novels were also great favorites.
She has raised three children
and gained a BA and an MA in Creative Writing. After husband David retired from
the law, they moved to the beautiful Southern Highlands of Australia.
Maggi's free time is spent
enjoying her garden and the local wildlife, reading, movies and the theatre.
She keeps fit swimming and visiting the gym.
Maggi is a multi-published
author, and writes mysteries and young adult novels as well as her Georgian,
Regency and Victorian romances.
Buy Links:
Giveaway:
Maggi will award a $50 Amazon
GC plus an e-book copy of A Baron in Her Bed – The Spies of Mayfair, Book #1 to
a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Follow the tour here.
Thanks for hosting!
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