The Devil's Protection

Stunning, violet-eyed country lass Geneva Hartwell is living through a tumultuous 20th year in this Regency romance. A meeting with the arrogant, devilishly handsome Lord Vance has left her confused but breathless with excitement; the death of an uncle has made her an heiress; and now her beloved clergyman father has died. Moreover, until she reaches her majority in six months, she will be saddled with the presence of an unwanted guardian: her disinherited stepcousin, Leonard Boeman, who whisks her off as a virtual prisoner to his mansion. There, a kind stranger warns Geneva of Boeman's plan to wed her by force for her fortune. The young woman escapes, joining up on the road with another woman whose plight resembles her own--and who turns out to be the sister of Lord Vance, who must resort to murder to save his sibling from a scoundrel's unwanted advances. The nobleman extends his protection to Geneva, inviting her to accompany him, under the guise of being his fiancee, as he flees to Vienna. Will Geneva pass muster during her whirlwind introduction to European society? Will Lord Vance overcome his misogyny and give in to love? Will the murdered man's brother and Lord Vance's jilted former intended succeed in thwarting the protagonists' hopes for happiness? A sprightly plot, smart pacing and a set of gallant lead characters shine in a sparkling first novel from Clitheroe. (Dec.)