The Mistress And The Merchant

The Mistress And The Merchant
Juliet Landon

Temptation in the Italian’s arms…The new mistress of her late uncle’s estate, Aphra Betterton, longs to hide away and forget the man that betrayed her. So when handsome Santo Datini arrives – to make amends for his brother’s duplicity – he’s the last person Aphra wants to host!Italian merchant Santo is on a secret mission that no beautiful, proud maiden will disrupt. But with their temptingly close quarters generating scandal, can Santo win Aphra’s trust – and her heart! – in to the bargain?

Temptation in the Italian’s arms...

The new mistress of her late uncle’s estate, Aphra Betterton, longs to hide away and forget the man who betrayed her. So when handsome Santo Datini arrives—to make amends for his brother’s duplicity—he’s the last person Aphra wants to host!

Italian merchant Santo is on a secret mission that no beautiful, proud maiden will disrupt. But with their temptingly close quarters generating scandal, can Santo win Aphra’s trust—and her heart into the bargain?

Thoughts of resistance were swept away on the tide of Santo’s kisses.

While it lasted, Aphra was almost convinced that his hunger was genuine—that this great handsome creature had been waiting for an excuse to take her in his arms and make her forget what she had lost, what had never been hers. Santo Datini was a mature male who knew well how to make a woman like her, fighting her confused emotions, confront the desires which in these last few days had been twisting her heart into knots. After this she knew that any more talk about being broken-hearted would—to her shame—be seen as a sham.

Santo’s kisses softened, and the pressure of his arms allowed her to move within their embrace. ‘You see?’ he whispered. ‘That broken heart of yours is bruised, that’s all. And your pride. There’s nothing here that cannot be mended.’

Author Note

The Mistress and the Merchant is the third in a trilogy, the first of which was Betrayed, Betrothed and Bedded, the story of Etta’s parentage and the lust of Henry VIII.

The second, called Taming the Tempestuous Tudor, is about how Etta came to love and marry Lord Somerville—Nic—in the first year of the reign of Elizabeth I.

Aphra appears in both these stories, first as a young child, then as a young gentlewoman who accompanies Etta to the royal court.

The Mistress and the Merchant

Juliet Landon

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

JULIET LANDON has a keen interest in art and history—both of which she used to teach. She particularly enjoys researching the early medieval, Tudor and Regency periods, and the problems encountered by women in a man’s world. Born in North Yorkshire, she now lives in a Hampshire village close to her family. Her first books, which were on embroidery and design, were published under her own name of Jan Messent.

Books by Juliet Landon

Mills & Boon Historical Romance

Mills & Boon Historical Romance

The Widow’s Bargain

The Bought Bride

His Duty, Her Destiny

The Warlord’s Mistress

A Scandalous Mistress

Dishonour and Desire

The Rake’s Unconventional Mistress

Marrying the Mistress

Slave Princess

Mistress Masquerade

Captive of the Viking

At the Tudor Court

Betrayed, Betrothed and Bedded

Taming the Tempestuous Tudor

The Mistress and the Merchant

Collaboration with the National Trust

Scandalous Innocent

Visit the Author Profile page at millsandboon.co.uk (http://millsandboon.co.uk).

For my family—

Andrew, Danny, Aoife and Maeve, with love.

And for my friends, Bryan and Beryl,

for loyalty and love through good times and bad.

Contents

Cover (#u81d8595e-2735-5091-be33-f42654de2e76)

Back Cover Text (#ube849d99-0cf1-5669-84dc-1c97f3ecf24a)

Introduction (#u83f9cfdd-0776-5ea4-975b-52890fac1e3a)

Author Note (#u94f84866-979e-5db0-a77f-54e281d2efaf)

Title Page (#ucefa032e-5586-5e87-9954-c7b1016682b4)

About the Author (#ufea18db9-f3f7-549d-9643-472293d18b27)

Dedication (#uddaf6fdb-053a-5bb7-b9ed-25815a61fdd1)

Chapter One (#uff6dac37-bdc1-55bb-830e-69a281967095)