Lady Delphinia's Deception — Karen Frisch

Lady Delphinia Marlowe is dismayed when a carriage accident turns Captain Nicholas Hainsworth, the Earl of Greymore, into an unexpected guest forced to recuperate at her country house on the Devon coast. The ruggedly handsome Earl's ability to navigate his way across Exmoor's harsh and unfamiliar terrain makes him precisely the kind of man England needs in her military-and the last kind Delphinia wants under her roof. If he learns what she's up to, it will not only destroy her family's reputation but land her in prison. Nicholas wonders why the beautiful but reclusive mistress of Briarcombe prefers the starlight of Exmoor to the gaslights of London. While he suspects Delphinia does not like him overmuch, his fascination with her grows despite her mysterious behavior. Her midnight wanderings on the moors suggest she is involved with smuggling, a crime that conflicts with his duty as a former naval captain. Threatened by Nicholas's presence, Delphinia struggles to hide the secret life forced upon her by her past. But her greatest fear is that her unwelcome guest could be not only be her soulmate, but an agent of the Crown who will place duty above matters of the heart.