Tarnished Rose of the Court,Used

Product Description A dangerous mission at Queen Elizabeth's bidding is Celia Sutton's chance to erase the taint of her brother's treason. Her life is at risk if she's discoveredand so is her heart when she learns her coconspirator is also her onetime seducer: brooding and mysterious John Brandon!John can't believe the change in Celiawhat's happened to the carefree English rose she once was? Leaving Celia was the only thing to do, but now guilt tears at his soul.He has to heal the sadness in her past, and he's not above using anythingfrom expert seduction to royal favorsto achieve his goal. From Booklist Finally free from an unwanted marriage with a man who made her miserable, Celia Sutton arrives at court to petition Queen Elizabeth to grant her title to a family estate. Unfortunately, the estate has already been willed to a distant relative of Celias, but Elizabeth does have a counterproposal. Celia will travel to Scotland, take up her post as ladyinwaiting to Queen Mary, and report back on the success of Elizabeths plan to match up her cousin Mary with Lord Darnley. Once Celias mission is completed, Elizabeth will arrange a suitable marriage for her back in England. The only problem is that Celia must travel to Scotland with John Brandon, the very same rogue whose seduction and abandonment of Celia forced her into her illfated marriage. Whats even worse is Johns intent to resume their romance. In her latest lusciously sensual romance, RITA Awardwinning McCabe mixes and matches historical and fictional characters with exceptional aplomb, and her bold, vividly detailed writing perfectly captures the flavor and feel of the rival queens courts. John Charles About the Author Amanda McCabe wrote her first romance at sixteen an historical epic starring her friends as the characters, written secretly during algebra class! She's never since used algebra, but her books have been nominated for many awards, including the RITA Award, Booksellers Best, National Readers Choice Award and the Holt Medallion. In her spare time she loves taking dance classes and collecting travel souvenirs. Amanda lives in New Mexco. Email her at: amanda@ammandamccabe.com Excerpt. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Whitehall Palace, December 1564It was him.Suddenly dizzy, Celia Sutton reached out to steady herself against the panelled wall of Queen Elizabeth's presence chamber. The thick crowd had pressed in around her again, obscuring her view with a sea of jewelled velvet and embroidered satin. The nervous laughter and highpitched chatter as they waited anxiously to petition the Queen sounded like a flock of birds in her ears, buzzing and formless.She rubbed her hand over her eyes and looked again, standing on tiptoe to try and peer over the crowd. She could no longer see him. Not even that tiny glimpse of his tall figure by the door. The flash of his careless grin. He was gone.Or maybe he had never been there at all. Maybe it had just been her imagination playing tricks on her. She had not been sleeping wellhad spent too many late nights here at Queen Elizabeth's Christmas revels. She had too many worries, and it was wearing on her. That was all.And yethe had looked so real."It was not him," she whispered. John Brandon was gone. She had not seen him for over three yearsthree very long, hard yearsand she would never see him again. What was more, she did not want to see him. It would only remind her of the foolish girl she'd once been, of her old weakness for his handsome face, and right now she needed all her strength.She pushed herself away from the wall and took a deep breath, trying to stand perfectly still, to keep herself calm. The Queen would call for her soon, and she had to have all her wits about her when they met. Her entire life depended on it. She should look only to the future now, not to the past. Not to John Brandon.But still that fleeting image lingered in her mind, that