Series:
Lyon's Den (Book 89)
He has never forgotten how he failed her!
Gavin King has been with the Bow Street Runners for
years, with twenty men who report directly to him—a handful of whom he trusts
implicitly to handle any issues that come up regarding the Duke of Wyndmere and
his family. King has investigated crimes that still keep him up nights. One of
those crimes involved the gruesome sight of Lord Hughes's body stuffed into a
sea chest. Though he solved Hughes's murder, and the killer was brought to
trial, he will never forget the anguished look, nor the tears that followed,
when he delivered the news to Lady Lucretia Montfort as he promised. God help
him, he felt helpless bearing witness to her pain.
She has no choice but to enter the Lyon's Den!
Widowed for a decade, Lady Montfort hoped to find
contentment when Lord Hughes proposed a marriage of convenience. His brutal
murder was the catalyst for the recent salacious rumors, and the wager in White's
betting book that threaten the widow's reputation.
King vows to keep another promise, one that he made to
himself—that he would place Lady Montfort under his broad wing of protection.
The rumors escalate and turn ugly. King receives an urgent missive from one of
his longtime contacts, Mrs. Bessie Dove-Lyon, advising that Lucretia has asked
for her help finding a husband. King demands Bessie sever the contract. She
refuses. Little does he know Mrs. Dove-Lyon has a plan of her own!
Gavin King is one of the secondary characters in the
Duke's Guard series. His stellar reputation as a Bow Street Runner and the trust
he's earned from the Duke of Wyndmere made me want to know more about him. I
loved getting to know him better and seeing him join the ranks of the happily
married men. Gavin has been drawn to Lucretia since the day he informed her of
her fiancé's death. He hasn't been able to forget her and has kept a watchful
eye on her from a distance. When he learned of the nasty rumors about her, he
vowed to protect her.
Lucretia's abusive husband died a decade earlier,
leaving her a widow. Her most recent attempt at happiness ended in disaster,
and the rumors swirling around her fuel her fears that she'll never find a
husband. Desperation sends her to Bessie Dove-Lyon at the Lyon's Den.
When Gavin hears of her plans, he tries to get Mrs.
Dove-Lyon to cancel the contract. When that doesn't work, he demands to become
one of the men vying for her hand. The challenge scene was typical of her
devious nature, and I was glued to the pages to see how it would unfold. I knew
Gavin would win, but the process was daunting. The second challenge was
particularly vile!
I enjoyed the development of Gavin and Lucretia's
relationship. Lucretia spent ten years being manipulated and dismissed by those
around her, but under his watch, she finds her strength. Gavin is accustomed to
being in charge, so it is fun to see the new Lucretia push back when he gets a
little overzealous. At the same time, the always-in-control Gavin loses some of
that control whenever he's around her. Lucretia has a few fears to overcome,
but her trust in Gavin makes that easier than expected. The ending was
fantastic, and I laughed out loud at the pre-dinner party scene. Gavin's actions
at the cemetery in the epilogue made me grin.
There were some suspenseful moments as Gavin searched for
the truth about Lucretia's inheritance. The more he learned, the worse it was.
The confrontation with the culprits was intense, and the resolution quite
satisfying. Lucretia's acceptance of her treatment by some of her staff members
frustrated me a bit, though her late husband's treatment contributed to her
lack of confidence. With Gavin there as backup, I liked seeing her take charge.
The kidnapping incident was intense, but Lucretia's actions made me cheer for
her. I always love seeing Gavin in action, and this was no exception.
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