A Lady Never Tells by Lynn Winchester
Publication Date: September 23, 2019
Entangled Publishing
eBook, 368 pages
Series: Women of Daring, Book One
Genre: Historical Romance/Regency
Richard Downing may be a viscount of impeccable character, but he's bored beyond belief of dancing at balls, faking smiles, and making dull conversation. So when he stumbles upon a house maid with defiance in her striking blue eyes and a dagger hidden in her skirts...well, color him intrigued.
Raised with a rather...peculiar upbringing, Lady Victoria Daring is full of secrets and surprises. As part of His Majesty's personal homeland spy network and as a master of disguises, Vic is charged with infiltrating high society to uncover the enemies hiding in plain sight.
But Richard is the first man to see through her disguises--and infiltrate deep into her heart. Too bad his family is at the top of her list of suspects...
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Excerpt
He had no idea what to expect when he’d taken the risk in calling Victoria out, but what he hadn’t expected was the woman standing before him. Fierce, armed, and with black paint around her eyes. It made her look deadly, stunning, all the more alluring. It was utterly disconcerting, this attraction to her, even after all that had occurred since meeting her.Victoria pouted, her sapphire eyes snapping with fire, a flash of guilt pinking her cheeks.
She cleared her throat and dipped her chin, hiding her face from him.
“What I am doing…I have my reasons,” she said, before lifting her chin to meet his gaze again.
“And what reasons are those? It is obvious you think I have nefarious connections and that I am planning something.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “And what am I supposed to be planning?”
Gritting her teeth until the muscle in her cheek jumped, Victoria seemed to hold her breath. He could tell she was thinking hard, and he wondered if she were conjuring up an excuse.
“I cannot tell you. Not now,” she offered.
He opened his mouth to argue, but she stayed his words with a finger to his lips. A thrill of something hot and silky moved through him.
“Meet me at my home tomorrow. I will expect you after the luncheon hour.” She picked up her mask from where she’d dropped it during the reveal and slapped it against her thigh to remove the dirt. Rather than slip it back on her head, covering the strange stocking cap she must have used to hold her hair, she slipped it into her waistband instead. Once again, his gaze flicked to the glimmering blade of her sword. He’d never seen the like.
Perhaps he’d ask her about it tomorrow.
“I will be there,” he replied. “And be prepared, Victoria.”
She arched a finely shaped eyebrow. “For what?”
For what, indeed? He watched her, standing there, clothed in black, as she watched him.
“Now you aren’t going to answer?” she asked, a sneer on her lips—lips that looked lush even when downturned. He wanted to gather her into his arms and kiss that sneer from her lips, and then keep kissing her until they were both breathless.
“I will answer in good time.”
She sniffed, then muttered so quietly, he hardly heard her. “What am I to do with you?”
Instead of responding to her, he moved around her, her lithe body tense, and gazed out into the night.
What to do with me, indeed… What was he to do with her? She wasn’t the typical London debutante, that much was plain, but she was still a lady, still tied to the dictates of society—whether she liked it or not.
Beyond the lamp overhead, it was dark as pitch. Suddenly, the reality of his situation dawned. He was alone in an alley with an unmarried lady, who was dressed in trousers, brandishing an exotic blade—and she’d just saved his life. If there wasn’t cause to think of her before, there certainly was now. He would never forget this night, not for as long as he lived.
Deciding it was best to see her to safety, he turned to demand she allow him to take her home.
But she was gone. She’d slipped away as silently as a ghost.
A laugh burst from his chest—a mirthless chuckle born of exhaustion and confusion and frustration.
“Of course she had to have the last word.”
About the Author
Lynn Winchester is the pseudonym of a hardworking California-born conservative, now living in the wilds of Northeast Pennsylvania. Lynn has been writing fiction since the 5th grade, and enjoys creating worlds, characters, and stories for her readers.When Lynn isn't writing she is running a successful editing business, reading whatever she can get her hands on, raising her four children, making sure her husband is happy, and binge-watching shows on Netflix.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | BookBub
Blog Tour Schedule
Tuesday, September 24Excerpt at Passages to the Past
Wednesday, September 25
Feature at What Is That Book About
Thursday, September 26
Review at WTF Are You Reading?
Friday, September 27
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Monday, September 30
Feature at The Lit Bitch
Wednesday, October 2
Review at Gwendalyn's Books
Sunday, October 6
Review at Passages to the Past
Wednesday, October 9
Interview at Jorie Loves a Story
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit
Thursday, October 10
Review at Coffee and Ink
Friday, October 11
Review at Spooky's Maze Of Books
Giveaway
During the Blog Tour, we are giving away an eBook of A Lady Never Tells by Lynn Winchester! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.Giveaway Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on October 11th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to the US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.
A Lady Never Tells
Love the cover too.
ReplyDelete