Copyright Julia Templeton, 2003. All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.
Chapter One
Rochford Manor, 1810
Arlie sat in an uncomfortable settee shivering from both fear and cold. It had been a long ride from her home in Wales to this manor, and now as she sat awaiting her introduction to her guardian, she wished to be anywhere else.
Just days ago she'd been living in her small cottage by the Irish Sea. A home she had shared with her father, until his death. Now her father was gone, her house was gone, and her fate lay in a stranger's hands?Dominic Santrell, the Earl of Rochford. Though she knew little of the man, what she'd heard from others was not exactly flattering. Apparently, he was a womanizer of the worse sorts. A rakehell so sinfully handsome, women had fainted at his feet.
Arlie rolled her eyes. How utterly dramatic the stories were. His appeal most likely came from his title and vast wealth made obvious by the grandeur of his home. From the moment ...
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