Paula Marshall - The Devil And Drusilla

He resembled nothing so much as the statue of Apollo that Jeremy’s father had brought from Greece. His hair, cut short in the latest fashion, was golden and slightly curling. His eyes were as blue as the sunlit sea and his mouth was long and shapely. He gave off an aura of cold strength and assured masculinity, which was reflected in a voice so hard and measured that it shocked Drusilla into silence.

Giles struggled upright and said indignantly, “Who the devil are you, anyway?”

The stranger laughed and rose. “You might say the devil himself if you wished. But I would prefer you to call me Devenish.”

The Devil and Drusilla

Harlequin ®Historical

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Married with three children, Paula Marshall has had a varied life. She began her career in a large library and ended it as a senior academic in charge of history in a Polytechnic. She has traveled widely, has been a swimming coach and has appeared on British television in University Challenge and Mastermind. She has always wanted to write, and likes her novels to be full of adventure and humor.

TORONTO • NEW YORK • LONDON

AMSTERDAM • PARIS • SYDNEY • HAMBURG

STOCKHOLM • ATHENS • TOKYO • MILAN • MADRID

PRAGUE • WARSAW • BUDAPEST • AUCKLAND

Rinaldi’s Revenge #133

* An Unconventional Heiress #141

* Hester Waring’s Marriage #147

* A Strange Likeness #153

* An Innocent Masquerade #158

The Astrologer’s Daughter #172

* His One Woman #181

* The Dollar Prince’s Wife #185

* Prince of Secrets #189

** Maid of Honor #198

** The Black Sheep’s Bride #212

The Daring Duchess #215

Major Chancellor’s Mission #224

Lord Hadleigh’s Rebellion #228

The Devil and Drusilla #241

#907 THE OUTRAGEOUS LADY FELSHAM—Louise Allen

Her unhappy marriage over, Lady Belinda Felsham plans to enjoy herself. An outrageous affair with breathtakingly handsome Major Ashe Reynard is exactly what she needs!

FollowThose Scandalous Ravenhurstsin the second book of Louise Allen’s sensual miniseries.

#908 A LOVER’S KISS—Margaret Moore

A Frenchwoman in London, Juliette Bergerine is unexpectedly thrown together in hiding with Sir Douglas Drury after they are mysteriously attacked.

As desire gives way to a deeper emotion, what will become of Juliette’s reputation?

#909 THE BOUNTY HUNTER AND THE HEIRESS— Carol Finch

Evangeline Hallowell is determined to catch the dirty, rotten scoundrel who stole her sister’s money. But pretending to be a hard-bitten bounty hunter’s wife means things are bound to go awry….

Danger lurks and wild passions flare in the rugged canyons of Colorado.

#910 POSSESSED BY THE HIGHLANDER—Terri Brisbin

Peacemaker for the MacLerie clan, Duncan is manipulated into marrying the exiled “Robertson Harlot.” Despite shadows lurking over their union, Duncan discovers a love for Marian and will stop at nothing to protect her….

The third in Terri Brisbin’s Highlander miniseries. Honor, promises and dark secrets fuel this medieval tale of clan romance.

#242 A SCANDALOUS LADY—Francesca Shaw

Playboy bachelor the Earl of Ashby has become fascinated by the beautiful actress Lysette Davide, agreeing to a wager with his friends to make her his mistress! But Lysette, in actual fact, is also a highly respectable society lady….

Regency fun and games. When will our hero realize that the two women he is courting are one and the same?

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

‘It’s true what they say about you, you have no heart at all, Devenish. None. They rightly nickname you devilish. You fleeced that poor boy at Watier’s last night as cold-bloodedly as though you were shearing a sheep!’

The subject of this tirade, Henry Devenish, Fourth Earl of Devenish and Innescourt, raised his fine black brows and said in a voice indicating total indifference, ‘The boy of whom you speak is twenty-two years old. He was gambling with money which he does not possess and he needed to learn a quick lesson before he became a gambling wastrel for life.’

‘But did you need to ruin him? I had thought better of you, Devenish.’

‘Oh, never do that, George. Most unwise. You should know by now that I have no better self.’

George Hampden, who sometimes (wrongly) thought that he was Devenish’s only friend in the world, gazed at his distant cousin hoping to see some softening in his coldly handsome face. He found none. Devenish might have the golden good looks of an archangel in a Renaissance painting, but they were those of an avenging one, all mercy lacking.

‘So you intend to call in his IOUs. Including the last one when he bet the family home—and lost.’

‘He took that risk, not I.’ Devenish’s tone was almost indifferent.

‘And if you can ruin someone so easily, do you expect me still to remain your friend?’

‘I never expect anything of anyone, least of all one of my relatives. And the choice is, of course, yours, not mine.’

How to move him? George said impulsively, ‘I don’t believe that even you will do such a thing. You don’t need the lad’s money, he’s not your enemy—’

‘And it’s not your business what I do with my winnings—or how I gained them. Forgive me if I decline to pursue this matter further. I am due at the Lords this afternoon: they are debating this matter of the Midlands frame-breakers and I mean to put my oar in.’

George sank into the nearest chair. They were in the library at Innescourt House, off Piccadilly. It was a noble room, lined not only with books, but also with beautifully framed naval maps. An earlier Devenish had been a sailor before he had inherited the title.

His great-grandson was standing before a massive oak desk on which lay the pile of IOUs which young Jack Allinson had scrawled the night before.

‘I shall never understand you, Devenish, never. How you can be so heartless to that poor lad and in the next breath dash off to the Lords to speak on behalf of a pack of murdering Luddites is beyond me.’

‘Then don’t try, dear fellow. Much better not. You’ll only give yourself the megrims. Come to the Lords with me, instead, and enjoy the cut and thrust of debate.’

‘Sorry, Devenish, I’ve had my fill of cut and thrust with you today. I’ll see you at the Leominsters this evening, I suppose. They say that the Banbury beauty will be there. The on dit is that she’s about to accept young Orville. Everyone thought that you were ready to make her a Countess yourself.’