Paying the Virgin's Price

Paying the Virgin's Price
Christine Merrill

Chaperone Diana Price knew she was teetering on the edge of ruin. Her father had staked his fortune, and her virginity, at the card table – and lost! To the most notorious gamester in town. . .Nathan Wardale had money – plenty of it – but it was a long time since he’d been considered a gentleman. Still, he never intended to pursue this debt. Until he met Diana Price in the flesh and began to wonder just how long his honour would hold.

London, 1814

A season of secrets, scandal and seduction in high society!

A darkly dangerous stranger is out for revenge, delivering a silken rope as his calling card. Through him, a long-forgotten past is stirred to life. The notorious events of 1794 which saw one man murdered and another hanged for the crime are brought into question. Was the culprit brought to justice or is there still a treacherous murderer at large?

As the murky waters of the past are disturbed, so is the Ton! Milliners and servants find love with rakish lords and proper ladies fall for rebellious outcasts, until finally the true murderer and spy is revealed.

REGENCYSilk & Scandal

From glittering ballrooms to a smuggler’s cove in Cornwall, from the wilds of Scotland to a Romany camp and from the highest society to the lowest…

Don’t miss all eight books in this thrilling new series!

Paying the Virgin’s Price

Regency Silk & Scandal

by

Christine Merrill

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

CHRISTINE MERRILL lives on a farm in Wisconsin, USA, with her husband, two sons and too many pets – all of whom would like her to get off the computer so they can check their e-mail. She has worked by turns in theatre costuming, where she was paid to play with period ballgowns, and as a librarian, where she spent the day surrounded by books. Writing historical romance combines her love of good stories and fancy dress with her ability to stare out of the window and make stuff up.

REGENCY Silk & Scandal

COLLECT ALL EIGHT BOOKS IN THIS WONDERFUL NEW SERIES

The Lord and the Wayward Lady

Louise Allen

Paying the Virgin’s Price

Christine Merrill

The Smuggler and the Society Bride

Julia Justiss

Claiming the Forbidden Bride

Gayle Wilson

The Viscount and the Virgin

Annie Burrows

Unlacing the Innocent Miss

Margaret McPhee

The Officer and the Proper Lady

Louise Allen

Taken by the Wicked Rake

Christine Merrill

To Annie, Gayle, Julia, Louise and Margaret. It’s been amazing, working with you, and I love you all.

Chapter One

February, 1814. London

The air of the Fourth Circle gaming hell was thick with the usual miasma of tobacco smoke and whisky, blended with the tang of sweat that Nathan Wardale had come to associate with failure. Another’s failure, fortunately for him. Nate stared over the cards in his hand at the nervous man on the other side of the green baize table. He was hardly more than a boy. And he was about to learn the first of manhood’s lessons.

The manchild cleared his throat. ‘If you could see your way clear…’

‘I could not,’ Nate responded without emotion, shuffling the cards. ‘If your purse is empty, then you had best leave the table.’

His opponent bristled. ‘Are you implying that my word is not good?’

‘I am implying nothing of the kind. Experience has taught me never to accept an IOU. If you have nothing of value upon your person, then play is done.’

‘It is most unfair of you to stop when I am losing.’ Though he had just come of age, the young man was also a marquis. He was used to getting his own way, especially from one so obviously common as Nate.

Nate shrugged in response. ‘On the contrary. It is most unfair of you to expect me to treat a promise of payment as a stake in the game. While I do not doubt that you would make good, I have found that gentlemen behave rashly when their backs are to the wall. Later, they regret what they have promised in the heat of play.’

The boy sneered as though what other men might do meant nothing to him. ‘And what do you expect of me, then? Bet my signet against the next hand?’

‘If you wish.’

‘It is entailed.’

‘Then you are finished playing.’

The other’s chin jutted out in defiance. ‘I will say when I am finished.’He pulled the ring from his finger and tossed it onto the table. ‘This is easily worth all that you have in front of you. One more hand.’

‘Very well.’ Nate yawned and dealt the cards. And a short time later, when the play had gone the way he knew it would, he scooped the ring forward and into his purse, along with the rest of his winnings.

‘But, you cannot,’ the young noble stammered. ‘It is not mine.’