Rules of Engagement: The Reasons for Marriage

Rules of Engagement: The Reasons for Marriage
Stephanie Laurens

Delilah Marvelle

Kasey Michaels

A lady shall never be caught unchaperoned with a stranger.A gentleman shall never flirt with a lady below his social standing. A lady shall never waltz with a man to whom she is not promised. And, above all, an engagement shall not be consummated before the marriage ceremony!Everyone loves a wedding. The quiet country girl. The sophisticated member of the ton. The graceful duchess. Follow these ladies and their handsome suitors on their journeys towards the aisle as they break society’s most sacred rules.

Praise for New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens

‘All I need is her name on the cover to make

me pick up the book.’

—New York Times bestselling author Linda Howard

‘Laurens’s writing shines.’

—Publishers Weekly

‘Superbly sensual … elegantly written … splendidly entertaining.’

—Booklist

Praise for USA TODAY bestselling author Kasey Michaels

‘Kasey Michaels aims for the heart and never misses.’

—New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts

‘The historical elements … imbue the novel with powerful

realism that will keep readers coming back.’

—Publishers Weekly on A Midsummer Night’s Sin

‘One of the finest Regency writers does it again … Wit,

humour and cleverness combine to create an utterly

delicious romance, just the kind readers relish.’

—RT Book Reviews on The Taming of the Rake

Praise for award-winning author Delilah Marvelle

‘A quintessential romance’

—Booklist on Prelude to a Scandal

‘A highly sensual and complex love story with masterfully

created characters … this is a thought-provoking novel.’

—RT Book Reviews on Prelude to a Scandal

‘Showcases Marvelle’s ability to heat up the pages while

creating a tender love story that touches the heart.’

—RT Book Reviews on Once Upon a Scandal

Rules of Engagement

The Reasons For Marriage

Stephanie Laurens

The Wedding Party

Kasey Michaels

Unlaced

Delilah Marvelle

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

The Reasons For Marriage

Stephanie Laurens

About the Author

STEPHANIE LAURENS lives in a suburb of Melbourne, Australia, with her husband and two daughters. To learn more about Stephanie’s books, visit her website at www.stephanielaurens.com. Stephanie also chats with her readers on Facebook (https:// www.facebook.com/authorstephanielaurens).

CHAPTER ONE

THE DOOR OF THE Duke of Eversleigh’s library clicked shut. From his chair behind the huge mahogany desk, Jason Montgomery, fifth Duke of Eversleigh, eyed the oak panels with marked disfavour.

“Impossible!” he muttered, the word heavy with contemptuous disdain laced with an odd reluctance. As the sound of his cousin Hector’s retreating footsteps dwindled, Jason’s gaze left the door, travelling across the laden bookcases to the large canvas mounted on a nearby wall.

Expression bleak, he studied the features of the young man depicted there, the impudent, devil-may-care smile and mischievous grey eyes topped by wind-tousled dark brown hair. Broad shoulders were clad in the scarlet of regimentals, a lance stood to one side, all evidence of the subject’s occupation. A muscle twitched at the corner of Jason’s mouth. He quelled it, his austere, chiselled features hardening into a mask of chilly reserve.

The door opened to admit a gentleman, elegantly garbed and smiling amiably. He paused with his hand on the knob and raised a brow enquiringly.

“I saw your cousin depart. Are you safe?”

With the confidence of one sure of his welcome, Frederick Marshall did not wait for an answer but, shutting the door, strolled towards the desk between the long windows.