One man wants her dead. Another may love her forever.
For over a year, Lord Richard Orson has been quietly captivated by the unconventional Lady Emma Donoghue. Headstrong, brilliant, and unapologetically involved in causes that rattle Society’s comfort, Emma is nothing like the debutantes he’s expected to court.
But when he finds her bruised, confused, and alone in Covent Garden after midnight, Richard is thrust into a far more dangerous game.
Someone wants Emma silenced. And now, Richard has only moments to uncover the truth, protect her from harm, and keep her out of scandal’s reach. But staying focused is harder than he imagined—especially when every glance, every accidental touch, reminds him how perfectly she fits in his arms.
Tropes you’ll love:
Protective hero / damsel in distress (with a twist) Bluestocking heroine Rescue & recovery romance Unlikely match / opposites attract Slow burn with rising suspense One bed (forced proximity) Hero falls first
As danger closes in and secrets are revealed, Richard must decide whether he’s willing to risk his life—and his heart—for a woman who’s always been worth the fight.
A suspenseful, slow-burn Regency romance where danger ignites desire, and love must outpace the clock.
Read in Kindle Unlimited!
Enjoy book one in a new series within The Lyon’s Den Connected world by Regina Jeffers.
Book 1 – Lyon in the Way
Book 2 – Lyon’s Obsession
Book 3 – Lyon in Disguise
Book 4 – Lost in the Lyon’s Garden
Book 5 – Lyon on the Inside
<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>
In this first book of the 5-book mystery/romantic suspense series, Lord Duncan and his “sons” are searching for a clue to who has made an attempt on Lord Macdonald Duncan’s life. In this scene, Titan, a valued member of Mrs. Bessie Dove-Lyon’s staff at the infamous Lyon’s Den, brings a clue to Duncan Place, one of the “true” clues any of them has had to the identity of the man who shot Lord Duncan when his lordship was departing the Lyon’s Den.
Enjoy this short excerpt …
“My lord,” Titan bowed respectfully. “Mrs. Dove-Lyon asked me to carry this package to Lord Duncan. It came into my mistress’s possession late last evening. Evidently, it had been stuffed in a niche near the privates and the entrance used by the musicians at the back of the Lyon’s Den. I identified it as being similar to the one worn by Lord Duncan’s shooter. Mrs. Dove-Lyon thought it could prove to be useful to those investigating his lordship’s attack. To the best of our knowledge no one but Mrs. Dove-Lyon and I have touched it, but since the attack was a month prior, we cannot speak with any confidence on the matter. Mrs. Dove-Lyon secured the item in her office in a safe for it was very late last evening when it was discovered. We waited until now for the night permits us some passage not available in this part of London, otherwise.”
“Do you believe the coat has been in this niche this entire time?” Richard asked. He knew Beaufort and Graham had conducted an extensive search throughout the night, with Hartley and Thompson having joined them. Had Duncan’s men overlooked the coat or had it been placed there after they left the area in the morning?
“I wish I could answer you with a response that would solve this mystery, but I can only speak to what I know. Mrs. Dove-Lyon wrapped the garment in silver paper before enclosing it in an old bed sheet, which had been laundered previously and meant to be torn into cleaning rags. Neither of us searched the pockets or examined the material for tears or tats.”
“Or extra bullets or a receipt?” Richard asked, not in accusation, but with a knowledge of how those at Whitehall would search every thread for information.
“No, my lord,” Titan said with a grin, “but such was quite tempting.”
“Thank your mistress and inform her Lord Duncan has made great progress in his recovery. Mr. Rheem praised how quickly you and the lady managed to stop the flow of blood. We look forward to another night at the Lyon’s Den. May I send you back to the club in my coach?”
So, what exactly was “silver paper” in the Regency era?
Okay, for those of you who know me as an Austenesque writer, here it goes? The term “silver paper’ was used in Jane Austen’s Emma (Volume III, Chapter IV), which is where I first learned something of it.
“Not the least in the world.—Did he ever give you any thing?”
“No—I cannot call them gifts; but they are things that I have valued very much.”
She held the parcel towards her, and Emma read the words Most precious treasures on the top. Her curiosity was greatly excited. Harriet unfolded the parcel, and she looked on with impatience. Within abundance of silver paper was a pretty little Tunbridge-ware box, which Harriet opened: it was well lined with the softest cotton; but, excepting the cotton, Emma saw only a small piece of court-plaister.
First, the silver paper of which book I speak and Jane Austen once spoke, it NOT some sort of paper one puts in a gift bag or a box. In fact, it was not actually silver in color. Not a silver foil paper or coated paper with a shining side on the top and a plain side on the bottom. It was not even silver in color, but, rather, it had a brightness to it and was white. [Please note by the reign of William IV, silver paper could be found in multiple colors.] If we were to compare it to any modern day paper, it was closer to what we now call tissue paper, though it had a translucence that is not found in today’s paper offerings.
It could be used for a variety of things.
- Printers and publishers used silver paper to protect the engraved and lithographed images in many of the finer editions.
- Silver paper was also used to protect books when they were being shipped or stored. It was not as thick as printing paper and took up less space.
- Artists used silver paper as tracing paper, for it was easier to purchase due to embargoes and blockades of French ports during the Napoleonic War.
- Some foreign artists even used the silver paper to create their work. With a particular varnish, it artwork could be hung in a window and illuminated by a candlelight.
- Jewelers also wrapped expensive pieces in silver paper.
- Lepidopterists used it to press and store butterflies.
For a full accounting of the multiple ways silver paper was used in the Regency, I would refer you to this post by Kathryn Kane on The Regency Redingote website. It is absolutely fabulous and does a much better job at describing the uses above (includes actual examples from the time period) and proves that silver paper had many more uses than even I knew.
Every Woman Dreams... 