Daring Declarations
Mistress in the Making, Part Three
Larissa Lyons
Daring Declarations
First, he showed his thoughtful generosity. Then he shared his risqué humor. Now it’s time he declares everything… If only he didn’t constantly wrestle with words!
An evening at the opera could prove Lord Tremayne’s undoing when he and his lovely new paramour cross paths with his sister and brother-in-law. Introducing one’s socially unacceptable strumpet to his stunned family is never done. But Daniel does it anyway. And it might just be the best decision he’s ever made, for Thea’s quickly become much more than a mistress—and it’s time he told her so.
Thea’s fallen under the enticing spell of her new protector. How could she not when his very presence, every kindness and written word has utterly seduced her senses? Yet her mind insists on knowing more, such as why must Lord Tremayne pummel his face in boxing matches and be so abrupt in person? Curiosity turns to baffled amazement when his sister seeks out Thea, begging advice. If that weren’t surprising enough, when circumstances conspire and Thea arrives—unannounced—at his home, she’s not only welcomed inside but confronted with more truths than she ever expected.
Daring Declarations begins directly after Book 2, Lusty Letters. For maximum enjoyment, reading the series in order is recommended.
Contents
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Daring Declarations
1. Both Pleasure and Suffering
2. A Bit of Pathetic Poetry
3. Planetary – and Other – Bodies Collide
4. Whereupon the Mistress Becomes the Master
5. A Fan – or Two – Whips up a Flurry
6. Protecting His Own Brings Things Up to Scratch
7. Stars & Scandals ~ More Poetic Than He Thought
Excerpt from MISS ISABELLA THAWS A FROSTY LORD
More Goodies
About Larissa
More Fun & Sexy Historical Regencies
Complete Booklist
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Daring Declarations is dedicated to the utterly delightful Martinique, whose friendship—and enthusiasm for my stories—mean the world. Your joie de vivre and bright smiles light up every room you enter. If sunshine and glitter (mixed with a dollop of brownie batter) had a name, ’twould be yours.
Daring Declarations
Daring Declarations begins directly after Book 2, Lusty Letters. If you missed either, here’s a quick summary:
Pestered by a persistent stammer, a Regency lord takes a new mistress, a refined widow who’s as unsure of her seductive allure as she is tired of living in the slums of London. The enigmatic Lord Tremayne sparks her interest even as his perpetual silence befuddles her brain. After several scorching nighttime encounters—the hours between filled with racy correspondence that delights them both—Daniel spoils his enchanting inamorata with thoughtful trinkets, dashing dresses and then, reluctantly, even proposes a night on the town, hoping the excitement will help hide his stammering secrets.
He’s also learned Thea has secrets of her own, ones from her past she’d rather forget but which threaten to snatch the lovely widow from the safety of his arms. And now, amidst angst over a blasted speaking engagement, boxing matches where he likes to let his fists talk for him, and agonizing over that broken orrery he dreams of repairing, Daniel escorts his lady lust to the opera…
Then pray speak aloud. It is of all subjects my delight.
Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
1
Both Pleasure and Suffering
Voi, che sapete che cosa è amor,
Donne, vedete, s’io l’ho nel cor.
Sento un affetto pien di desir,
Ch’ora è diletto, ch’ora e martir.
You who know what love is,
Ladies, see if I have it in my heart.
I have a feeling full of desire,
That now, is both pleasure and suffering…
Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), a popular opera first performed in 1786
Thea was afraid to blink. What if she missed something?
Bypassing the ticket booth, Lord Tremayne conferred briefly with an employee before guiding her straight through the foyer and up one of several sweeping staircases.
Muted music indicated the performance was well underway.
Mayhap arriving late was to their benefit? (No one to see her gawking like a chicken.) Of a certainty, the large rounded lobby they came out at on the second level was only sparsely populated.
Lord Tremayne paused before entering either of the two opposing corridors that she assumed led to the private boxes, some costing in excess of two thousand pounds per season she’d heard. That was a vast sum more than most people earned in years, abundantly more than she’d ever come across—and she was here, as his guest. An occurrence he still seemed less-than-thrilled about.
“You have a box?” She hazarded conversation once again.
Stone-faced, he nodded, then gestured toward refreshments available for a coin.
“Thank you, but no,” she told him, far too uncomfortably aware to eat or drink anything. She patted her hair, afraid the feathers might incinerate if his glare became any fiercer. For a man who insisted he wanted to be out with her, he seemed remarkably disgruntled. “I’m not thirsty, but if you—”
He grunted and took off toward the right, her light hold on his forearm whisking her down the passageway as effectively as if he’d picked her up and tossed her ahead. Practically skipping to keep up with him, she prayed the figure-filling padding would stay put. The last thing she needed was to leave a trail of dropped cotton marking her every step.
Narrow doors flanked the corridor, spaced every few feet. They passed a dozen or more before he slowed to find the one he sought. Like most, it was closed. He turned the handle and stepped back, gesturing for her to precede him.
After the well-lit hallway, it took her eyes a few seconds to adjust to the darkened interior. In that short time, she was showered with a wealth of impressions.
Smaller than she’d expected, the box itself was a cozy space, extending only a few paces in either direction. From about waist high, it opened out in the front, overlooking not only the massive stage currently occupied by twirling ballerinas—what an unexpected boon!—but the opening
