Obsession Wears Opals
Publisher Description
"Sensuality fairly steams from Bernard's writing." -- Sabrina Jeffries, New York Times bestselling author
Darius Thorne has learned to use his wit and intelligence to strategize a better life for himself. He is the White Knight amidst the small secret circle of gentlemen known only as the Jaded. The handsome scholar shields his heart by keeping a studied distance from the world...until he rescues a beautiful woman.
Isabel Netherton isn't merely a damsel in distress. A highborn lady of quality unwilling to be a pawn, she is defiantly escaping an abusive husband. But under Darius's protection she discovers an unexpected champion--a man who teaches her the power of true desire and what it means to be treated like a queen.
However, the law of the land supports her husband's cruel claims. It will take all of Darius's cunning to keep one step ahead of their enemies and protect Isabel. In a deadly game of chess, Darius must defeat the Black Knight and sacrifice himself for his Ivory Queen or forfeit all.
This is an emotionally stunning romance and action-packed as the threat to the Jaded takes a gripping turn.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bernard's fourth Jaded Gentlemen romance (after Passion Wears Pearls) begins in 1860 Edinburgh, as Isabel Netherton makes a desperate escape from her sadistic husband, Richard, and collapses in scholarly Darius Thorne's garden. With kindness and chess, Darius wins Isabel's wounded heart and tries to free her from her cruel marriage despite draconian Victorian law. Isabel, meanwhile, helps Darius realize he's not condemned to repeat his father's brutality. He simultaneously tries to uncover the mysterious threat facing his friends in the Jaded Gentlemen, a London secret society first formed during the Indian Rebellion. Darius's relationship with Isabel provides the needed sensuality and also proves more compelling than the other plot line, which may confuse readers new to the series. In a gripping conclusion, Darius uses a scholar's weapons and makes a nightmarish odyssey through London brothels to find the key to Isabel's freedom.