One Bashful Lady

by Brenda Williamson

One bashful lady discovers her dashing husband might be a traitor to their country.

Desmond Rawlington, Marquess of Dunsmore and seductive charmer, needs a Delacorte sister as a wife. When the eldest elopes, Desmond marries Ainsley only to find himself falling in love with the enchanting young woman, despite her quirky habit of hiding behind draperies.

Lady Ainsley Delacorte, the shyest person anyone has ever met, is nervous around servants, overwhelmed by the ton and forced into marriage. Her reluctance fades with her husband’s sinfully romantic touch, but she can’t forget he’s involved in a traitorous plot to return Napoleon to power.

When Ainsley is caught with an incriminating letter she stole from her husband, Desmond intervenes. Will they face the gallows or can love save them?

Genres: Erotica, Historical

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2007

About the author

An Eclectic Author, Seductive in Any Era, Brenda Williamson writes in most sub-genres of romance.

Want to connect with Brenda, visit these sites:
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Reviews

[Pamela(AllHoney) · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of those books that the description really intrigued me. Lots of potential but ended up being a disappointing read for me. I felt the author didn't really know where she wanted to go with the story and then just ended it.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had my interest the very minute I started reading it. Ainsley Delacorte's sister is told that she will marry the Marquess of Dunsmore, Desmond Rawlington, but she runs off to elope. This leaves Ainsley at the mercy of her mother who is determined to gain money through the arranged marriage, so she sets him up with her.

Ainsley is terribly shy and makes it a habit of running to other rooms and behind curtains. It was touching to see how Desmond, a handsome man, immediately likes her and wishes to prevent her from any embarrassment so he helps her hide. He takes her to England where they get married and the sparks fly off the pages. There's tenderness and a lot of sexual chemistry, so it's not just a book about sex. There is a plot (though a lot of sex too).

Ainsely overhears Desmond talking about putting Napolean back in power and fears that she has married a traitor. I won't give away the ending but it's a happy one. What I liked about this book is that Desmond is gentle with her and cares for her. She also cares for him and is loyal, even if it means death. They are very good together.

What I didn't like about it (and this is why I only gave it four stars) is that there were two scenes that bothered me. One, he blows up at her because she doesn't want to go to a social event. I could understand that he was upset, but I didn't think he had to go off the handle. Then again, he was drinking and filled with self-loathing in not telling her the real reason he married her. The other reason I didn't give it five stars is because his former mistress hung around him. I give him many kudos for not sleeping with the mistress, but I didn't like the fact that he kissed her in order to extract information from her. He did make it up to Ainsley though, so at least he redeemed himself.