Publisher Description
"This [is a] page-turning novel full of historical details and sensuous romance."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
He's noble. notorious. And takes no prisoners...
Strong as a Viking. Handsome as Adonis. Rich as Midas. Collin "Cole" Talmage, Duke of Trewyth, is the stuff that legends are made of. He's the English Empire's golden son--until fate has its way with him. Cole's family is killed and his closest comrade betrays him on the battlefield, leaving him gravely injured. But Cole is not one to dwell on misfortune. He is a man of duty, honor--and desire. And now he's ready for the fight of his lifetime...
Imogen Pritchard is a beautiful lass who works in a hospital by day and as a serving maid at night. Years ago, when she was young and penniless, she ended up spending a scandalous night with Cole, whose tormented soul was matched only by his earth-shattering passion. Imogen entered a marriage of convenience—one that left her a wealthy widow—but she never forgot Cole. Now that her long-lost lover has turned up in her hospital, injured and with no memory of her, Imogen is torn: Is it a blessing or a curse that their past remains a secret to Cole, even as his new passion for her leaves him wanting to protect and possess her...at all costs, in The Duke, the next Victorian Rebels novel by Kerrigan Byrne.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Byrne's fourth Victorian Rebels novel (after The Highlander), set in late 19th-century England, overflows with passion and mystery as one woman tries to keep her past hidden. Imogen Pritchard works as a nurse by day and a barmaid at night. Despite her protestations, the owner of the bar prostitutes her to the Duke of Trenwyth, Collin Talmage, for a large sum. When the battle-scarred duke is her patient a year later, he fails to recognize her; when Imogen marries an elderly peer and he leaves her a wealthy widow, the duke (who is now her neighbor) only sees the deplorable stream of poor and needy people she invites into her home. But when he learns that someone has threatened Imogen, Collin feels obligated to protect her. He is surprised by his increasing interest in her given his initial dislike. As his attraction and admiration grow, Imogen tries to keep him at arm's length, even though she has never forgotten the night they spent together and wishes there could be another. Byrne's complex characterizations make her characters believable and real in this page-turning novel full of historical details and sensuous romance.