Series:
Duke's Guard (Book 12)
"Who in the world would marry me, just to ensure
that I stayed at Wyndmere Hall?"
"That would be me, lass."
The winsome, ebony-haired lass with the violet faery-eyes
captures O'Malley's heart when she steps down from the carriage, but it is the
ugly dark bruise on her cheek that has his protective instincts offering his
strength and the protection of his name.
O'Malley's stubborn pride takes a hit when the lass
thanks him, but refuses his offer.
Helen Langley accompanied her mistress, the Duke's ward
Emily, to Wyndmere Hall after a perilous journey from London. The
broad-shouldered, green-eyed, handsome giant barely knows her, yet offers her
marriage.
Helen cannot accept O'Malley's offer, her past could ruin
their future!
O'Malley is willing to wait when she leaves for the
Borderlands intent on securing a position as a companion. But the man who
murdered Emily's father has Helen in his sights and follows her. When she is
abducted -- twice -- Helen must decide whether to trust O'Malley and accept his
offer, or keep her past hidden and live with the pain of her broken heart for
the rest of her life.
Danger stalks in the night, but it will have to get past
The Duke's Lance before he will let harm come to those he has sworn to protect
with his strength, his honor, and his heart.
This book picks up shortly after
The Duke's Defender. In
that book, Aiden Garahan escorts the Duke's ward, Emily, and her companion, Helen,
to Wyndmere Hall. Aiden fell in love with Emily and married her, and they now
live in a cottage at Wyndmere Hall. Helen is no longer needed as Emily's
companion and has been helping the staff in order to feel useful. Helen stated
her intention to take a companion position to an elderly woman. Her friends
attempt to dissuade her, telling her to marry someone there. She's stunned to
hear Eamon O'Malley's answer to her question of who on earth would marry her.
"That would be me, lass." Eamon, willingly
following in his brothers' and cousins' footsteps, fell for Helen the moment he
saw her. The sight of her injuries aroused his protective instincts. Unfortunately,
convincing the stubborn and independent Helen is a challenge, and Eamon resigns
himself to wait for her to fulfill her companion duties. When word reaches
Wyndmere Hall of trouble at Helen's destination, Eamon rushes to her rescue. The
Duke's reaction when he found out was fantastic - you don't mess with the
people the Duke considers his! He also comes through in a big way for Eamon.
I ached for Helen and everything she experienced. The
elderly employer was a bitter, vicious woman whose actions were inexcusable. Helen's
situation worsened after the dowager ejected her from the house, alone and on
foot. Helen couldn't catch a break at all. Past trouble catches up with her,
threatening her life. The action kept me glued to the pages as I awaited the
outcome. It definitely lived up to my expectations.
I loved seeing Eamon and Helen's relationship develop. His
feelings for her run bone deep as he knows she is the one for him. He is loyal
and protective and determined to marry her. Helen loves him too but believes he
would turn away if he knew her past. I loved Eamon's steadfast determination to
win his lady and how his patience pays off. I loved seeing Helen finally accept
that her past is just another part of her that makes her who she is and that
Eamon loves all of her. The epilogue was fantastic. I loved the peek at their
future, and Eamon's conversations with God made me laugh out loud.
As always, I loved the interactions among the members of
the Duke's Guard. Eamon endures a fair amount of teasing from the others
because of his focus on Helen. The morning after the wedding was hilarious. I
also love the relationships between the noble ladies and the women who work for
them. The warmth and caring erase the class distinctions. I loved the scene
where the married ladies gave Helen "the talk," especially when they
sent for the brandy and the Irish whiskey. In this book, Eamon and his cousin,
Dillon Flaherty, interact a lot. With his vocal insistence that he won't be
falling for any woman, I suspect he is the next one to eat his words.
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