Beth Henderson - Reckless

Cover Page

Excerpt Wyn regained her senses first “We can’t do this. Must forget it ever happened,” she insisted, her breathing still labored. “Forget it? The bloody hell I can forget it.” Garrett took one long stride and reached for her. Wyn slipped away. “We have to,” she said. “Have to make sure it never happens again.” “Wyn!” She evaded him, taking running steps back into the glow of lantern light. She turned as she pulled open the hatch, looking back at him over her shoulder, sorrow and regret clear in her eyes. “It can’t,” she said. “It can’t.” Before he could stop her or ask for an explanation, Wyn was gone, slipping through the hatch, headed back to the safety of the stateroom she shared with her widowed friend, leaving him alone with the increasing whine of the wind and the echo of longing he’d heard in her voice….

Dear Reader Dear Reader, This month, we are very pleased to be able to introduce Silhouette Yours Truly and Special Edition author Beth Henderson to our readers with her first historical for Harlequin, Reckless, the story of a young woman, accused of being a jewel thief, who is rescued by a mysterious baron intent on clearing her name. The Literary Times calls Beth Henderson’s writing “fresh and creative,” and we hope you’ll agree. Rae Muir, whose first book, The Pearl Stallion, made Affaire de Coeur’s Top Ten List for 1996, is back with All But the Queen of Hearts, a lively Western set in Nevada Territory with an unsinkable heroine whose determination and skill in the kitchen finally win the heart of her reluctant hero. Also keep an eye out for Laurie Grant’s new Western, Lawman, th e fast-paced sequel to her 1996 release. Devil’s Dare, about a lonely lawman who rediscovers love in the arms of his childhood sweetheart. And for those of you who enjoy the Regency era, Taylor Ryan’s The Essential Wife is the delightful story of a dashing nobleman who suddenly finds himself in love with the penniless heiress whom he has arranged to marry out of pity. We hope you’ll look for all four of these wonderful books, wherever Harlequin Historicals are sold. Sincerely, Tracy Farren 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 Reckless Beth Henderson www.millsandboon.co.uk

About the Author BETH HENDERSON began writing when she was in the seventh grade and ran out of Nancy Drew books to read. It took another couple of decades, and a lot of distractions and pro-crastination, before her first book appeared in print. That happened in May of 1990, and since that time she has written romantic-suspense, historical, young adult and contemporary romance under a variety of names for a variety of publishers. Although a native of Ohio, Beth spent twenty years in the West, living in Tucson, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada. During that time she sampled a number of professions and has been a copywriter and traffic director in radio, done print display advertising and been a retail department manager. Now returned to her hometown, she is thrilled to be a full-time writer and loves to hear from readers. Her address is P.O. Box 262, Englewood, Ohio 45322, U.S.A.

Dedication To my aunts, Catherine Hemme Ocskasy and Marjorie Daniels Schemmel

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

Epilogue

Copyright

“We can’t do this. Must forget it ever happened,” she insisted, her breathing still labored.

“Forget it? The bloody hell I can forget it.” Garrett took one long stride and reached for her.

Wyn slipped away. “We have to,” she said. “Have to make sure it never happens again.”

“Wyn!”

She evaded him, taking running steps back into the glow of lantern light. She turned as she pulled open the hatch, looking back at him over her shoulder, sorrow and regret clear in her eyes. “It can’t,” she said. “It can’t.”

Before he could stop her or ask for an explanation, Wyn was gone, slipping through the hatch, headed back to the safety of the stateroom she shared with her widowed friend, leaving him alone with the increasing whine of the wind and the echo of longing he’d heard in her voice….

This month, we are very pleased to be able to introduce Silhouette Yours Truly and Special Edition author Beth Henderson to our readers with her first historical for Harlequin, Reckless, the story of a young woman, accused of being a jewel thief, who is rescued by a mysterious baron intent on clearing her name. The Literary Times calls Beth Henderson’s writing “fresh and creative,” and we hope you’ll agree.

Rae Muir, whose first book, The Pearl Stallion, made Affaire de Coeur’s Top Ten List for 1996, is back with All But the Queen of Hearts, a lively Western set in Nevada Territory with an unsinkable heroine whose determination and skill in the kitchen finally win the heart of her reluctant hero. Also keep an eye out for Laurie Grant’s new Western, Lawman, th e fast-paced sequel to her 1996 release. Devil’s Dare, about a lonely lawman who rediscovers love in the arms of his childhood sweetheart.

And for those of you who enjoy the Regency era, Taylor Ryan’s The Essential Wife is the delightful story of a dashing nobleman who suddenly finds himself in love with the penniless heiress whom he has arranged to marry out of pity.

We hope you’ll look for all four of these wonderful books, wherever Harlequin Historicals are sold.

Sincerely,

Tracy Farren

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

began writing when she was in the seventh grade and ran out of Nancy Drew books to read. It took another couple of decades, and a lot of distractions and pro-crastination, before her first book appeared in print.

That happened in May of 1990, and since that time she has written romantic-suspense, historical, young adult and contemporary romance under a variety of names for a variety of publishers.

Although a native of Ohio, Beth spent twenty years in the West, living in Tucson, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada. During that time she sampled a number of professions and has been a copywriter and traffic director in radio, done print display advertising and been a retail department manager. Now returned to her hometown, she is thrilled to be a full-time writer and loves to hear from readers. Her address is P.O. Box 262, Englewood, Ohio 45322, U.S.A.

To my aunts, Catherine Hemme Ocskasy and Marjorie Daniels Schemmel

San Francisco, 1879