Jacqueline Navin - A Rose At Midnight

Cover Page

Excerpt “Despite your opinion of me, I am not a barbarian.” “That is not my opinion,” Carolyn corrected. “Oh? Then I see I have been too tame.” Magnus came to her chair and, taking her hand, drew her to her feet. “I hope I have not left you with any misconceptions. Now, come and kiss me goodbye.” She started at his boldness. He chuckled. “In less than a week, we shall share more than that, Cara. Having second thoughts?” “No!” she declared a little too vehemently. He was close and she found it difficult to breathe. And his hand resting high on her waist, just under her breast, was giving off a scalding heat. There was some vague knowledge that he was toying with her, trying to shock.her. Despite his tender courtship today, she must remember Magnus was the infamous Earl of Rutherford, of whom she had heard so much ill.

Dear Reader Dear Reader, If you’ve never read a Harlequin Historical, you’re in for a treat. We offer compelling, richly developed stories that let you escape to the past-by some of the best writers in the field! We are delighted with the return of Jacqueline Navin, who is quickly becoming known for her wonderfully stormy Medieval tales with “to-die-for” heroes. Her first Regency, A Rose at Midnight, has the same passion and charm. When the powerful, roguish Earl of Rutherford thinks he is dying, he finds a wife to have his child. A penniless countess marries him because she secretly needs the money to care for her ailing brother. Neither realize that their fateful marriage of convenience will blossom into a profound love….. For Love of Anna by Sharon Harlow is the sweet, heartwarming story of a young widow with children who finds her happilyever-after in the arms of a cowboy who is running from his past. Elizabeth Mayne’s latest Medieval tale, The Highlander’s Maiden, features a fearless female mountain guide who, by royal decree, must join forces with a mapmaker from an enemy clan. And don’t miss Hawken’s Wife, book three of THE WEDDING TRAIL series by RITA Award finalist Rae Muir. Here, tomboy Meggie Maclntyre falls for an amnesiac mountain man whose past life threatens their future together. Whatever your tastes in reading, you’ll be sure to find a romantic journey back to the past between the covers of a Harlequin Historical® novel. Sincerely, Tracy Farrell, Senior Editor Please address questions and book requests to: Harlequin Reader Service U.S.: 3010 Walden Ave., P.O. Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269 Canadian: P.O. Box 609, Fort Erie, Ont. L2A 5X3

Title Page A Rose at Midnight Jacqueline Navin www.millsandboon.co.uk

About the Author JACQUELINE NAVIN lives in Maryland with her husband and three small children, where she works in private practice as a psychologist. Writing has been her hobby since the sixth grade, and she has boxes full of incomplete manuscripts to prove it. When asked, as she often is, how she finds time in her busy schedule to write, she replies that it is not a problem-thanks to the staunch support of her husband, who is not unused to doing the dinner dishes and tucking the kids into bed. However, finding time to do the laundry-that’s the problem. Jacqueline would love to hear from her readers. Please write to her at this address: P.O. Box 1611, Bel Air, MD 21014.

Dedication To family and friends who have held nothing back in their support of me— thanks for all of it.

Prologue

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

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Epilogue

Copyright

“That is not my opinion,” Carolyn corrected.

“Oh? Then I see I have been too tame.” Magnus came to her chair and, taking her hand, drew her to her feet. “I hope I have not left you with any misconceptions. Now, come and kiss me goodbye.”

She started at his boldness. He chuckled. “In less than a week, we shall share more than that, Cara. Having second thoughts?”

“No!” she declared a little too vehemently. He was close and she found it difficult to breathe. And his hand resting high on her waist, just under her breast, was giving off a scalding heat.

There was some vague knowledge that he was toying with her, trying to shock.her. Despite his tender courtship today, she must remember Magnus was the infamous Earl of Rutherford, of whom she had heard so much ill.

Dear Reader,

If you’ve never read a Harlequin Historical, you’re in for a treat. We offer compelling, richly developed stories that let you escape to the past-by some of the best writers in the field!

We are delighted with the return of Jacqueline Navin, who is quickly becoming known for her wonderfully stormy Medieval tales with “to-die-for” heroes. Her first Regency, A Rose at Midnight, has the same passion and charm. When the powerful, roguish Earl of Rutherford thinks he is dying, he finds a wife to have his child. A penniless countess marries him because she secretly needs the money to care for her ailing brother. Neither realize that their fateful marriage of convenience will blossom into a profound love…..

For Love of Anna by Sharon Harlow is the sweet, heartwarming story of a young widow with children who finds her happilyever-after in the arms of a cowboy who is running from his past. Elizabeth Mayne’s latest Medieval tale, The Highlander’s Maiden, features a fearless female mountain guide who, by royal decree, must join forces with a mapmaker from an enemy clan.

And don’t miss Hawken’s Wife, book three of THE WEDDING TRAIL series by RITA Award finalist Rae Muir. Here, tomboy Meggie Maclntyre falls for an amnesiac mountain man whose past life threatens their future together.

Whatever your tastes in reading, you’ll be sure to find a romantic journey back to the past between the covers of a Harlequin Historical® novel.

Sincerely,

Tracy Farrell, Senior Editor

Please address questions and book requests to:

Harlequin Reader Service

U.S.: 3010 Walden Ave., P.O. Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269

Canadian: P.O. Box 609, Fort Erie, Ont. L2A 5X3

www.millsandboon.co.uk

JACQUELINE NAVIN

lives in Maryland with her husband and three small children, where she works in private practice as a psychologist. Writing has been her hobby since the sixth grade, and she has boxes full of incomplete manuscripts to prove it.

When asked, as she often is, how she finds time in her busy schedule to write, she replies that it is not a problem-thanks to the staunch support of her husband, who is not unused to doing the dinner dishes and tucking the kids into bed. However, finding time to do the laundry-that’s the problem. Jacqueline would love to hear from her readers. Please write to her at this address: P.O. Box 1611, Bel Air, MD 21014.

To family and friends

who have held nothing back in their support of me—

thanks for all of it.

All actual heroes are essential men,and all men possible heroes.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Magnus Eddington, the sixth Earl of Rutherford, was not a nice man.