The Wicked Wedding of Miss Ellie Vyne

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Praise for The Most Improper Miss Sophie Valentine:"Fresina shows a decidedly humorous, as well as sensual, side that is sure to enchant readers...A true charmer of a read. " —RT Book ReviewsWHEN A SCANDALOUS LADY...By night Ellie Vyne fleeces unsuspecting aristocrats as the dashing Count de Bonneville. By day she avoids her sisters' matchmaking schemes and dreams up torments for her childhood nemesis—the arrogant, far-too-handsome-for-his-own-good James Hartley. Her latest prank: "winning" the Hardey diamonds in a card game from James's mistress.STEALS FROM A NOTORIOUS RAKE... James finally has a lead on the thieving Count de Bonneville, tracking him to a disreputable inn. He bursts in on none other than the brazen, irritating, nearly naked Ellie Vyne. Convinced she is the count's mistress, James decides it's best to keep his enemies close. Very close. He must get those diamonds back, and seducing Ellie will be the perfect bait.IT CAN ONLY END IN A WICKED WEDDINGReview"I really enjoyed this hilarious historical romance. It was different from many other romances that I have read..." - NetGalley Reader Review"What a wild ride!" - 3 Chicks After Dark"I was so impressed with Jayne Fresina's writing. Her outrageous characters and their dry wit made this story more enjoyable than your average regency historical. " - Night Owl Reviews"A fast-paced, funny read... Fresina has created a wonderful story." - Romantic Historical Lovers"Readers who adore wickedly funny, fast and sassy romances will delight in Fresina's latest. The naughty desire-in-disguise theme, coupled with sharp, hilarious repartee, steals the reader's heart... " - RT Book Reviews"Fresina brings a unique voice and perspective to the 1820s romance novel. Fans of Grace Burrowes and Amanda Quick will especially appreciate Fresina's intriguing characters and humor." - Booklist"Refreshing and genuine... " - Rating the Romances"I so thoroughly enjoyed reading every single word of this book. Watching these two characters, who start from a place of deep animosity, become lovers and friends is just a damn good time." - SCATX Reads"A delightfully fun, sexy romance..." - Rogues Under the Covers"Utterly delightful... this book was so cute, had an awesome sense of humor, and delightful characters. " - Reading Between the Wines Book Club"Jayne Fresina has a remarkable gift for words. Every character was well-written and well-rounded which resulted in an exciting, hilarious story. " - Beyond Dreaming"A cute story, with a nice romantic ending... " - Rakehell.com"Amazingly entertaining... The humor, loveable heroine and hero, sweet love story, a couple of surprising revelations, and the quirky and amusing supporting cast made for a delightful and fun read. " - Urban Girl Reader"Fresina's real talent is saved for her characters' frustrated battles of wit and rancor, which crackle with intelligence and personality... Fresina also has a keen eye for the absurd, rounding out her story with delightfully ridiculous characters... a highly entertaining romp. " - Shelf Awareness for Readers"A great fit for readers looking for a mix of romance, humor, and misadventure. " - Book Trib"High entertainment! Fun, witty, charming, and enchantingly silly in its entirety!" - Fresh Fiction"If you're in the mood for a romance that leaves you with a smile on your face you should give this book a try. I have put Ms. Fresina on my to read list for all her future books. " - Confessions of a Toxic Friend"Ms. Fresina has created an amazing array of fascinating and lively characters that tickle the funny bone. " - Long and Short Reviews"Genuinely funny... you'll enjoy all the characters." - Angela Booth's Writing Blog"Brimming with wickedly funny humor, steamy situations, madcap antics, suspense, surprising plot twists, blackmail, amnesia, secrets, scandal, delicious repartee, romance and quite possibly, a wedding, this story is a definite keeper. " - Romance Junkies"A cute and funny read. " - Tempting Reads"A wonderful book with great characters. " - The Juliets Book Club"The book was light, romantic, a bit funny and it made me want more. " - Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell"Fresina pulls her readers into her stories with gusto and lots of fun. A must read for anyone who enjoys laughter, witty characters, drama, romance and love. " - My Book Addiction and More"A true comedy gem stroked with strong elements of romance and sensuality. " - Romantic Crush Junkies Reviews"Cleverly written and fiercely entertaining... undoubtedly a keeper! This bold and sassy novel with keep you up well into the night, desperate to finish it." - The Romance Reviews"A thoroughly enjoyable read." - Rakes, Rogues and RomanceExcerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.Chapter 1Brighton, June 1822He didn't see her at first. Staggering through an arch in the tall privet hedge, confident he'd finally located an exit, James Hartley found himself trapped instead at the very center of a moonlit maze-a vexatious piece of trickery through which he'd stumbled haplessly for the past half hour. At this rate he'd never find his way out. Cursing loudly, he reclaimed his hat from the prickly hedge, struggled to reorganize his brandy-soaked brain, and focused his fuzzy gaze.Thus, the ice queen appeared.On a stone bench, flanked by neatly trimmed topiaries, sat a woman clad from head to toe in white and silver. She was so ghostlike and luminous under the bright summer moon that he toppled sideways in surprise, once again ensnared on the hedge by buttonholes, cuffs, and any other part of him with a convenient notch.While he fought the grasping tendrils of the privet for a second time, the woman turned her head to calmly observe all the fuss, and he saw she wore a black eye mask. Her smile was begrudging, her head bent in slight acknowledgment of his presence. Anyone would think she was the real Marie Antoinette, not just a woman costumed as the ill-fated French queen.James had left the masquerade ball for fresh air and escape-particularly from women-but he couldn't very well turn away without a polite word. Not now she'd seen him. Besides, there was something about the way she sat, very calm and still, that suggested she wouldn't trap him in conversation. In fact, she'd turned her back again now, dismissing James as someone of no interest.Well, good. Most people expected him to be full of charm twenty-four hours a day, and it was a terrible burden. As Grieves, his valet, had dryly observed, this was the dark side to being an Infamous Rake-the valet's description, not his. But James was not in the mood tonight to chat and flirt with her. Whoever she was.He straightened up, brushed himself down with his hat, and looked at her again.She still paid him no attention.Was there something wrong with her? Perhaps she was ill. Women, generally, did not ignore James Hartley.With one hand to his mouth, he cleared his throat loudly. Still nothing.Perfect, because the last thing he wanted was to entertain a strange woman and cheer her out of a bad mood or tears or a headache. He'd tolerated enough sobbing females exclaiming over the great love they had for some other man, while smearing their tears, their confessions, and their runny noses all over his shoulder. Lately, for some reason, James had gone from being the problem itself to being the one with whom they shared their problems. Then, once they'd had reassurance from him, they ran off with another fellow. When James recently complained to Grieves about becoming a combination confessional and advising father to these young women, the valet had remarked, "This is what happens, sir, to aging rakes. Women begin to view them as harmless and one of their own."It was a thought so distressing he didn't leave his house for two days.The woman on the bench kept her rigid pose, back turned to him. If she was ill, she may need his assistance.On the other hand, perhaps she'd left the overcrowded ball for reasons similar to his, in which case she was probably annoyed to have uninvited company. Yet whatever she felt about his clumsy arrival, she stayed. No doubt she was hoping he'd leave. Ignore him, and he'd go away. Was that her plan?Hmm. Rather discourteous of her.Had she been expecting another man to appear under that arch? Glancing back at the darkness through which he'd stumbled, James thought he saw a shape withdraw, slowly absorbed by the denser shadow. A subtle movement rustled the leaves of the privet, no more than a passing rabbit might. Someone up to no good. So the ice queen had a secret assignation planned. Ha! She'd simply have to forget about it, because he was not going back through that maze to be lost again, solely for her convenience. He had as much right to be there as she did, and James needed that bench. He'd drunk a great deal of brandy, and fresh air multiplied the less pleasant effects. All he wanted was to sit, before his legs crumpled.He approached to introduce himself and abruptly reconsidered. Dressed as a highwayman from the previous century and wearing a leather eye mask, he could be anyone. As could she. There was much to be said for anonymity.He swayed forward in a teetering bow. "May I join you, madam?"Her lips parted, exhaling a small, weary sigh. "I don't own the maze. Or the bench."The voice sounded faintly familiar, as did the tone of delivery, but he could not ponder it for long. If he didn't sit down immediately, he'd fall down."I'll take that as a yes then," he muttered.She tipped her head back to look up at him, and moonlight gleamed on her tall, white-blonde wig. Tiny jet beads around her mask shimmered like the stars overhead. "I can't stop you, can I?""No." He tripped forward, knocking his knee on the edge of the stone bench and almost falling into the prim little topiary at one end of it. The sullen creature did not shift over to make room and instead claimed the center of the bench, her ridiculous panniers spread out on either side. To sit, he had to push her frills and the rigid underframe aside with his thigh. Blinking hard, he dizzily examined the side of her semimasked face. "Marie Antoinette," he growled."Indeed." Her gaze was fixed on a point of some distance. "And you must be Dick Turpin.""Honored." He put out his hand, but she ignored it, and eventually he used it to scratch his chin. Damn. He hadn't shaved today. Just his luck to meet a pretty woman, alone, under the moon, and look like an unshaven ass. Unfortunately, Grieves had gone off visiting relatives for a few weeks, and James was in Brighton alone for an impromptu visit. Things had a tendency to go awry without his capable valet to keep them in order. He should never have given his man an entire fortnight holiday, but Grieves could be the most enormous sulk if he didn't get his own way."Must you breathe all over me?" the woman exclaimed.He hiccupped. "You could leave, madam.""I was here first."True. In his pickled state, he was actually glad of her closeness to keep him upright. If she suddenly left the bench, he suspected he might, in fact, tumble over. He tried folding his arms but abandoned the idea after a few attempts.She gave another sigh. "Isn't the sky beautiful tonight?"Aware that looking upward could send him to the grass, flat on his back, he merely agreed with her, his gaze pinned to her cheek."I wonder how many stars there are," she added."Millions. Even more we can't see with the human eye." He wondered again why she hadn't got up and left. Most women would, considering his improper proximity. "Were you waiting for someone, madam?""Yes, as a matter of fact." She finally turned her head and looked at him. "I'd promised myself that the next man who came through that arch would be the man I married. Whoever and whatever he was. I'm being hounded into it, you see, and I'm afraid I'm rather tired of men in general, so I decided to take my chances. Why not? Marriage is all about taking a gamble, isn't it? I've done plenty of that."He frowned hard, trying to focus. She didn't blink. Her eyes, half in shadow, peered at him through the holes in her mask.Before he could reply, she added, "And then you stumbled into view." An odd, halting laugh interrupted her last word. She shook her head, the pearls dangling from her ears, spinning and dancing. That laughter sounded familiar too, but he just couldn't get his thoughts to behave in any sensible pattern. They were all over the place, weaving about like his body on that small bench."Me?" Did she know him?If she did, she covered the slip. "A soused highwayman. How terribly appropriate." Once more she turned her face up to the glistening, star-dimpled sky. "All those little lights up there, and the one that falls to earth for me is you. Oh, the absurdity!"Bracing his shoulders, he made a concerted effort to sit upright without leaning on her. "I could be quite a catch, madam. I could be a most eligible bachelor.""Could you?""A great many people are mistaken about me." He watched her lips bend in a little smile. "They make aslumptions.""Aslumptions?"Wait a minute. That didn't sound right, but he had to explain it to her somehow. It was most important that he get his point across and make her look beyond what folk usually saw. Why it was so necessary for a stranger to know the truth, he really couldn't say. Perhaps it was her smug face and those softly pouting-rather lovely-lips."Yes. Yes." He waved his hand impatiently then grabbed her ruffled lace sleeve for balance. "They get it all wrong.""Do they?" She sounded amused as she watched his fingers abuse her dainty lace.James drew his stomach in, chest pushed out. "One day they'll eat their words.""Will they?"She wasn't listening. Women did that superior thing with their mouths when they were certain of being right, and nothing could convince them otherwise. "Yes, they damn well will. You'll see. I'll find my way, my purpose."She shot him a bemused look through the holes in her black silk mask. "Aren't you a little old to still be seeking a purpose?""Aren't you a little old to still be looking for a husband?" Not that he knew her age. He was guessing, of course. From her confident attitude, he'd say late twenties at least. Definitely no blushing, giggling debutante. And there was her own confession of being "tired" of men, which suggested she'd been around the social circuit long enough to acquire a weary distaste for it. Much as he had.Who the devil was she?Her lips were pursed very tight now, as if she thought he'd insulted her by alluding to her age, but he'd...