Arabella Macauley had grown into a beauty, but she hadn’t outgrown her wild streak. While the freedoms she had been accorded growing up, along with her quick intelligence, made her outspoken as well as a bit reckless in situations where she was sure she was right. This night, it caused trouble for herself and Nigel Streeter. After assisting her campaign with an elopement to Gretna Green, she needed a ride home and a means to enter her home undetected. Nigel, having lived on the streets until he was 10, before being adopted by Tobias Streeter, could get into any place with ease. Of course there was an ulterior motive as well, Arabella was in love with Nigel, even though he barely acknowledged her. So, when the opportunity to visit The Devil’s Lair, Nigel’s place of residence and his gaming house presented itself, she would certainly make use of it.
Nigel had noticed her. However, he was more than a decade older than Arabella. He had been nameless until he had chosen one for himself as a boy in the orphanage, he didn’t even know his birth date. Escaping the orphanage he had lived on the streets and worked as a tanner, leaving scars on his rough hands. Two decades later, he ran a successful business, a gaming house, no place for a lady like her. He’d come to the decision to purchase a large house in a good neighborhood and move out of the The Devil’s Lair. He had the funds and now was the time to put them to good use. He’d been rambling around the big empty place, with few furnishings, when the bell rang. Why wasn’t he surprised that his first uninvited guest was Arabella, nor did she have even a maid with her. As she stood there, she remarked on the outside cold, while pointedly asking if he wasn’t going to invite her in. Watching her as she took off her cloak, his father’s words came back to him, “let her in.” At one point he even asked her if coming to his home had only been an excuse to see him. Her quick response was, “of course, it was.” This could mean trouble for both of them.
It started with The Duchess Society series, several ladies playing matchmakers with no regard for the station from which the men they cared for might come. Tracy Sumner has given us a look into the future with the children of Xander Macauley and Tobais Streeter with this romantic tale of a spirited, strong willed young woman and a gent who doesn’t believe he is good enough. Within the first couple of pages, I felt I knew Nigel and Arabella. It was plain to see that in spite of their intelligence it would be “push you, pull you” to get them together. The dialog had me chuckling, wanting to smack Nigel in the back of his head, to wake him up to what Arabella was offering him. Love and chance to have a family of his own. There is a sadness about him, in spite of the years he has lived with the Streeters. Arabella is her own person. I truly enjoyed her spunk. She has loved Nigel for years and waited in hopes he would finally notice her. However, she has finally had enough, it is time to make him see her, the love she has for him and to show him they would be happier together than apart.
“The Daring Debutante” is a quick read with more substance than you might expect from a novella. I loved catching up with characters from the Duchess Society and the fact that they played a significant part in the book. I thoroughly enjoyed the chase, the indecision, the awaking and the spicy romance when Nigel finally realized he needed Arabella in his life and in his bed. I highly recommend this tale along with the Duchess Society books that have come before it. I look forward to more stories by Tracy Sumner.
The Daring Debutante: A Duchess Society Novella (The Duchess Society Book 8)
4.6 | 76 ratings
Price: 4.99
Last update: 07-22-2024
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