To Beguile a Beast Read online

  To Beguile A Beast

  Elizabeth Hoyt

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Copyright © 2009 by Nancy M. Finney

  Excerpt from To Desire a Devil copyright © 2009 by Nancy M. Finney.

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  Cover illustration by Alan Ayers

  Hand lettering by Ron Zinn

  Forever

  Hachette Book Group

  237 Park Avenue

  New York, NY 10017

  Visit our Web site at HachetteBookGroup.com

  www.twitter.com/ForeverRomance

  Forever is an imprint of Grand Central Publishing. The Forever name and logo is a trademark of Hachette Book Group Inc.

  First eBook Edition: May 2009

  ISBN: 978-0-446-55196-0

  Contents

  Copyright Page

  Acknowledgments

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Epilogue

  A preview of “To Desire a Devil”

  Chapter One

  “You’re in pain and I can help you.”

  Alistair looked at Helen, his eye cynical. “Why would you care?”

  Did he think she’d back away at his harsh words?

  She leaned into his face, still holding his hand. “What kind of woman do you think I am? Do you think I let just any man kiss me?”

  His eye narrowed. “I think you’re a nice woman. A kind woman.”

  The patronizing answer nearly drove her to violence. “A nice woman? Because I kissed you? Because I let you touch me? Are you mad? No woman is that nice, and certainly not I.”

  He simply looked at her. “Then why?”

  “Because.” She took his face in her palms. “I do care. And so do you.”

  And she set her lips against his. Deliberately. Softly. Putting all her longing, all her loneliness into the gesture. She started the kiss lightly, but he tilted his head beneath hers, angling and opening his mouth, and somehow she found herself on his lap.

  She’d been waiting for this for days now, and the reality set her limbs to trembling . . .

  “Elizabeth Hoyt writes with flair, sophistication, and unstoppable passion.”

  —JULIANNE MACLEAN, author of Portrait of a Lover

  PRAISE FOR

  ELIZABETH HOYT’S NOVELS

  To Seduce A Sinner

  “4½ Stars! TOP PICK! Hoyt’s magical fairy-tale romances have won the hearts of readers who adore sizzling sensuality perfectly merged with poignancy. Her latest showcases her talent for creating remarkable characters and cherished stories that make us believe in the miracle of love.”

  —Romantic Times BOOKreviews Magazine

  “Hoyt expertly sifts a generous measure of danger into the latest intriguing addition to her Four Soldiers, Georgianera series. Her ability to fuse wicked wittiness with sinfully sensual romance is stunning.”

  —Booklist

  “I thoroughly enjoyed this story of action, mystery, and hot, hot romance. Be prepared to sizzle through this sensuous and exciting story that’s impossible to put down until the last page is finished.”

  —FreshFiction.com

  “5 Stars! Sensational… One of the things I love most about Elizabeth Hoyt’s book is the lushness of the writing. A story well worth digging into and enjoying. A thrilling historical romance!”

  —ARomanceReview.com

  “A wonderful story.”

  —JandysBooks.com

  “Hoyt masterfully throws you into the setting, characters, and plot… A skillfully wicked and sensuous tale, guaranteed to capture your attention and heart.”

  —BookPleasures.com

  “Fans of Georgian romances will relish this fine tale.”

  —Midwest Book Review

  “This story will grab you and not let you go until the last page is turned. Hoyt’s unique storytelling style… makes you think, makes you smile, and also keeps your curiosity piqued as you move along the story.”

  —HistoricalRomanceWriters.com

  “A great series.”

  —GoodBadandUnread.com

  “Funny and heartbreaking, sexy and poignant… wrenching and riveting reading… Jasper and Melisande are full, vibrant characters. I loved the unusual setting, the intriguing and complex characters, the emotional struggles and connections, the lush love scenes, the mystery… all in all, a remarkable book.”

  —LikesBooks.com

  “Falls firmly into the ‘love it!’ category… Our hero and heroine’s relationship leaps off the page. Watching the two try to sort each other out while uncovering their true selves was wonderful.”

  —Rakehell.com

  “4½ Stars! I continue to be blown away by Elizabeth Hoyt. [She] writes the most remarkable characters. I couldn’t have been happier at how the story was told and how it ended.”

  —TheBookBinge.com

  To Taste Temptation

  “Hoyt… is firmly in control of her craft with engaging characters, gripping plot, and clever dialogue.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “4½ Stars! Hoyt’s new series… begins with destruction and ends with glorious love. She begins each chapter with a snippet of a legend that beautifully dovetails with the plot and creates a distinct love story that will thrill readers.”

  —Romantic Times BOOKreviews Magazine

  “4½ Stars! There’s an interesting suspense embedded in this book… The sensuality is breathtaking and the reader is carried into the headiness of growing love… I loved this book, the high quality of the writing, the engaging plot, and, most of all, the character development. A terrific novel… highly recommended.”

  —TheRomanceReadersConnection.com

  “[A] brilliant start to a sexy new historical romance series. I thoroughly enjoyed this story of action, mystery, and steamy romance. Her love scenes are scorching hot… Hang on to your seat and have a cold glass of water handy.”

  —FreshFiction.com

  “A suspenseful romantic tale that keeps the reader intrigued. The romance… is gratifying and grabs the most romantic heart. The added touch of the folk tale at the beginning of each chapter is great.”

  —JandysBooks.com

  “Enchanting… Hoyt stuns with this marvelous romance. Emotionally charged and beautifully written. Samuel and Emeline come alive on the pages, truly taking life as three-dimensional, provocative, and complex characters. Hoyt weaves threads of this story seamlessly into anything but typical historical romance… Utterly impossible to put down. I am so excited for the next book in this series.”

  —RomanceJunkieReviews.com

  “Volatile romance… involving mystery… readers will become completely engrossed in the fast-paced plot. With its vividly drawn characters, neat plotting, and heated r
omance, it’s sure to satisfy.”

  —RomRevToday.com

  “I have been a fan of Elizabeth Hoyt’s writing since the release of her first book. Her writing catches you from the first sentence and you are always taken on a wonderful journey.”

  —ALadysDesire.com

  “A strong tale… a fine Georgian romance.”

  —HarrietKlausner.wwwi.com

  “Hoyt is a talented writer… I loved the historic detail and the slow reveal of what happened to the men at Spinners Falls.”

  —Rakehell.com

  The Serpent Prince

  “Exquisite romance… mesmerizing storytelling… incredibly vivid lead characters, earthy writing, and an intense love story.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Wonderfully satisfying… delightfully witty… with just a touch of suspense. Set in a lush regency background, Elizabeth spins a story of treachery, murder, suspense, and love with her usual aplomb.”

  —RomanceatHeart.com

  “Delectably clever writing, deliciously complex characters, and a delightfully sexy romance between perfectly matched protagonists are the key ingredients in the third book in Hoyt’s superbly crafted, loosely connected Georgian-era Prince trilogy.”

  —Booklist

  “With an engrossing plot centered on revenge and a highly passionate romance between Simon and Lucy, The Serpent Prince delivers a steamy tale that packs an emotional punch. The three-dimensional characters, high drama, and sensuous love story make it a page-turner.”

  —RomRevToday.com

  The Leopard Prince

  “4½ Stars! TOP PICK! An unforgettable love story that ignites the pages not only with heated love scenes but also with a mystery that holds your attention and your heart with searing emotions and dark desire.”

  —Romantic Times BOOKreviews Magazine

  “The new master of the historical romance genre.”

  —HistoricalRomanceWriters.com

  “An exhilarating historical romance.”

  —Midwest Book Review

  “4½ Stars! Absolutely fantastic… filled with witty dialogue and sparkling characters.”

  —TheRomanceReadersConnection.com

  “A refreshing historical romance… Elizabeth Hoyt weaves a superb tale that will keep you reading long into the night.”

  —Bookloons.com

  The Raven Prince

  “A sexy, steamy treat! A spicy broth of pride, passion, and temptation.”

  —CONNIE BROCKWAY,

  USA Today bestselling author

  “Hoyt expertly spices this stunning debut novel with a sharp sense of wit and then sweetens her lusciously dark, lushly sensual historical romance with a generous sprinkling of fairy-tale charm.”

  —Chicago Tribune

  “Will leave you breathless.”

  —JULIANNE MACLEAN, author of Portrait of a Lover

  OTHER TITLES BY ELIZABETH HOYT

  The Raven Prince

  The Leopard Prince

  The Serpent Prince

  To Taste Temptation

  To Seduce a Sinner

  For my husband, Fred, and the twenty marvelous years we’ve had together… even if they did come with rocks in my downstairs sink.

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you to Eileen Dreyer, who answers even the most gory and bizarre medical questions with aplomb; to my agent, Susannah Taylor, who has nerves of steel even when the deadline is this close; to my editor, Amy Pierpont, whose editorial suggestions are always spot-on; to her wonderful assistant, Alex Logan; to the spectacular GCP sales team, including Bob Levine; to the super GCP publicity department, including Melissa Bullock, Renee Supriano, and Tanisha Christie; to the amazing GCP art department, particularly Diane Luger for my wonderful covers and sexy stepbacks (rhoar!); and last, but certainly not least, to my copy editor, Carrie Andrews, who has once again unraveled my more creative use of English grammar.

  Thank you all!

  Prologue

  Once upon a time, long, long ago, a soldier was hiking home through the mountains of a foreign land. The way was steep and rocky, black and twisted trees clung to the edges of the path, and a cold wind blew bitterly against his cheeks. But the soldier didn’t hesitate in his stride. He had seen places both more fearsome and stranger than this, and few things had the ability to make him shiver anymore.

  Our soldier had fought most bravely in his war, but many soldiers fight bravely. Old, young, fair of face, and those who misfortune stalks, all soldiers go to battle the best that they are able. Often it is more a matter of luck than justice that determines who shall live and who shall die. So, in his courage, his honor, his very virtue, our soldier was perhaps no better than thousands of his fellows. But in one respect, our soldier was very different. He could not tell a lie.

  Because of this, he was called Truth Teller….

  —from TRUTH TELLER

  Chapter One

  Now dark began to fall as Truth Teller made the crest of the mountain and saw a magnificent castle, black as sin….

  —from TRUTH TELLER

  SCOTLAND

  JULY 1765

  It was as the carriage bumped around a bend and the decrepit castle loomed into view in the dusk that Helen Fitzwilliam finally—and rather belatedly—realized that the whole trip may’ve been a horrible mistake.

  “Is that it?” Jamie, her five-year-old son, was kneeling on the musty carriage seat cushions and peering out the window. “I thought it was ’sposed to be a castle.”

  “’Tis a castle, silly,” his nine-year-old sister, Abigail, replied. “Can’t you see the tower?”

  “Just ’cause it has a tower don’t mean it’s a castle,” Jamie objected, frowning at the suspect castle. “There’s no moat. If it is a castle, it’s not a proper one.”

  “Children,” Helen said rather too sharply, but then they had been in one cramped carriage after another for the better part of a fortnight. “Please don’t bicker.”

  Naturally, her offspring feigned deafness.

  “It’s pink.” Jamie had pressed his nose to the small window, clouding the glass with his breath. He turned and scowled at his sister. “D’you think a proper castle ought to be pink?”

  Helen stifled a sigh and massaged her right temple. She’d felt a headache lurking there for the last several miles, and she knew it was about to pounce just as she needed all her wits about her. She hadn’t really thought this scheme through. But, then, she never did think things through as she ought to, did she? Impulsiveness—hastily acted on and more leisurely regretted—was the hallmark of her life. It was why, at the age of one and thirty, she found herself traveling through a foreign land about to throw herself and her children on the mercy of a stranger.

  What a fool she was!

  A fool who had better get her story straight, for the carriage was already stopping before the imposing wood doors.

  “Children!” she hissed.

  Both little faces snapped around at her tone. Jamie’s brown eyes were wide while Abigail’s expression was pinched and fearful. Her daughter noticed far too much for a little girl; she was too sensitive to the atmosphere adults created.

  Helen took a breath and made herself smile. “This will be an adventure, my darlings, but you must remember what I’ve told you.” She looked at Jamie. “What are we to be called?”

  “Halifax,” Jamie replied promptly. “But I’m still Jamie and Abigail’s still Abigail.”

  “Yes, darling.”

  That had been decided on the trip north from London when it became painfully obvious that Jamie would have difficulties not calling his sister by her real name. Helen sighed. She’d just have to hope that the children’s Christian names were ordinary enough not to give them away.

  “We’ve lived in London,” Abigail said, looking intent.

  “That’ll be easy to remember,” Jamie muttered, “because we have.”

  Abigail shot a quelling glance at her brother and continued. “Mama�
�s been in the dowager Viscountess Vale’s household.”