Miss Noelle Winestead is in over her head. She’s overheard a Naval officer at a house party admit to seditious activity but never saw his face. Worse yet, he may be responsible for her mother’s death. She needs help to identify him, and the handsome Earl of Sutton, a childhood acquaintance with Naval connections, may be her only hope.
A former captain in the Royal Navy, Geoffrey Sterling, the Earl of Sutton, vows to find the officer responsible for his mentor’s murder. His search stalls until he learns Noelle has stumbled upon his quarry. As they investigate, passion sparks between them, and Geoffrey struggles to maintain his distance while keeping her from harm’s way.
When the conspirator learns he’s been overheard, Noelle becomes his target. Geoffrey’s guilt, fear, and sense of responsibility demand he protect her, so he plans a seduction followed by a hasty wedding. His new bride, however, resents her loss of independence and defies him at every turn. As the trouble mounts, Noelle must decide if she can trust her husband with her heart, and Geoffrey must find the traitor before harm comes to the wife he’s grown to love.
2011 Contest Awards
3rd Place, The Winter Rose (Yellow Rose RWA)