Deck The Halls With Love: Lost Lords Of Pembrook Novella by Lorraine Heath Page A

would not have had a moment’s hesitation in professing it. It is therefore my belief that you do not love her but are marrying her simply out of obligation.”
    Why the blazes he was having this harebrained conversation with a woman he barely even knew, much less liked, was beyond him. But the beginnings of a smile that now played upon her lips did nothing short of make him catch his breath. With a sigh of resignation, he slowly nodded his head. “Well done, Miss Blackwell. You have indeed found me out.”
    Her smile broadened. “Then it really doesn’t matter whom you marry, as long as you marry. Is that not so?”
    He frowned, immediately on guard at her sudden enthusiasm. “Not exactly, no. The woman I marry must be one of breeding, of a gentle nature and graceful bearing. Lady Annabelle fits all of those criteria rather nicely, and, in time, I am more than confident that we shall become quite fond of one another.”
    The impossible woman had the audacity to roll her eyes. “All I really wanted to know was whether or not anyone’s heart might be jeopardized if you were persuaded to marry somebody else. That is all.”
    “Miss Blackwell, I can assure you that I have no intention of marrying anyone other than Lady Annabelle. She and I have a mutual agreement. We are both honorable people. Neither one of us would ever consider going back on his word.”
    “I didn’t think as much,” she mused, and before William had any time to consider what she might be about to do, she’d thrown her arms around his neck, pulled him toward her, and placed her lips against his.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
    Excerpt from Lord of Wicked Intentions copyright © 2013 by Jan Nowasky.
    Excerpt from Nights of Steel copyright © 2012 by Nico Rosso.
    Excerpt from Alice’s Wonderland copyright © 2012 by Allison Dobell.
    Excerpt from One Fine Fireman copyright © 2012 by Jennifer Bernard.
    Excerpt from There’s Something About Lady Mary copyright © 2012 by Sophie Barnes.
    Excerpt from The Secret Life of Lady Lucinda copyright © 2012 by Sophie Barnes.
    DECK THE HALLS WITH LOVE . Copyright © 2012 by Jan Nowasky. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
    EPub Edition DECEMBER 2012 ISBN: 9780062219336
    Print Edition ISBN: 9780062219343
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