The Irish Rake

Innocence and Evil

Miss Gillian Edwards was barely more than a schoolgirl, and certainly as innocent as one--but she knew how shockingly evil the Marquess of Clare was. He did not even try to hide a history of illicit loves that ran the gamut from London lighskirts to highborn ladies. Nor did he conceal his scorn for marriage and morality and his devotion to the pleasures of the flesh. Thus Gillian was forwarned and should have been forearmed when she found herself face-to-face with this man whose dazzling good looks were clearly lascivious lures. All she had to do was remind herself that she was engaged to wed the wealthy, handsome, and aristocratic Lord Lionel Rockingham, the ideal partner for a perfect marriage. All she had to do was say no to the maddeningly mocking Marquess, who would never stoop to seduce an unwilling woman. But strangely enough, what Gillian did was something else...