Thieves of the Ton

The quest to break a mummy's curse turns dangerous when a peer ends up dead. Miles Lawrence Hawkins, fifth Earl of Archewyne, is alone and the last of his line, save for a young daughter, and he's made peace with that.... Yet unexpectedly finding an attractive female thief in his library gives him doubts. Drawn into the lady's insane plot to retrieve various stolen mummies from around London - including the British Museum - he accompanies her merely to see what will happen next. Being captivated by her quest and intrigued by her talent for skirting the law is a much needed distraction from the stress of his own life's misfortunes. Lady Emmaline Darling, skilled thief and only child to the Earl of St. Ives, is under a mummy's curse. Believing herself damned due to her father's penchant for removing antiquities from Egypt, she's vowed to return a pair of mummies to their eternal resting place in order to save his life and her own. Being caught by Miles wasn't in her plan, and neither was falling for his charm, but she'll do anything to see he's free of the curse as well, for their histories are too intricately connected for his ills to just be bad luck. When a peer with ties to them both ends up dead and Emmaline's jewelry is found at the scene, Miles is honor bound to offer for her and lend her his protection. Despite her refusal, desire pulls at them and scandal surrounds them, and when Miles is summoned to once more embark upon a secret mission for the Crown, he must shed everything that will become a liability, but keeping Emmaline out of trouble - and out of his mind - is easier said than done. Trigger Warning: Some of the content found in this book may be triggering and/or sensitive. Sexual violence, sexual assault, and attempted rape/abuse are some of the topics mentioned in the audio and might illicit a strong or potentially harmful emotional response.

When duty and honor call, the heart must decide if love is stronger. Three months have passed since Lady Emmaline Darling left her lover and fellow adventurer, Miles. Not certain she's in love with him, they're bonded in a miraculous way-she's enceinte. Yet, despite his promises to write and make plans, there's been nothing but silence. When she discovers he's lied and has been out of pocket on a secret mission for the Crown, she's convinced she can go it alone despite the scandal-and he can't be trusted enough to know her secret hope. Watching Emmaline slip from his life with his daughter broke his heart, but as fifth Earl of Archewyne, Miles Lawrence Hawkins' responsibility to England called louder than his heartstrings, as does the lingering hope to bring Lord Leventhorpe's killer to light. While chasing a faction of Bonaparte sympathizers intent on starting war anew using an obscure relic of great power, his fate crosses Emmaline's-and she's as volatile as the earthquake that puts them both in peril. They strike a tentative peace, for the opportunity to adventure-and to survive-together is stronger than their hurt feelings. Mutual need collides in the course of duty, but before the state of their hearts can be realized, fate, with danger as a companion, intervenes. With betrayal, insidious peril and a killer lurking, finding their happy ending will be a harrowing prospect indeed, but adventure-and love-doesn't come without risk.

When the quest for power threatens to put an end to adventuring, only belief in each other can save them. Two weeks after nearly losing her scandalous earl to a fire, Lady Emmaline Darling is finally marrying him. Almost six months pregnant, all she wants is to enjoy London with her soon-to-be husband and their growing family. Yet this morning isn't just the dawn of a new adventure in wedded bliss, Miles has pledged to be a second in a duel, which might compromise the new union. Bad timing, perhaps, but the fifth Earl of Archewyne, Miles Lawrence Hawkins has always been an honorable man, so when his best friend, Viscount Trewellain asked him to stand up as his second after the powerful Duke of Litton challenged him to a duel, how could he refuse? Threats made in the Hyde Park fog chills his blood, especially since an old foe deliberately names his soon-to-be-wife as a target. Emmaline and Miles are able to say their vows, but dire events overshadow their joy. A woman with ties to Litton comes to them with a clever plan to finally close the murder of Lord Leventhorpe and enact revenge on those previously untouchable. When secrets threaten to destroy the earl and his new countess, the little band of thieves must put aside their differences and fight to survive the vile plot at play within the ton... but death might be the only option.

In the hunt for relics of infinite value, perhaps the greatest treasure of all is family. Three months after the birth of his son, Miles Lawrence Hawkins, the fifth Earl of Archewyne, is attempting to acclimate to fatherhood, but he longs for adventure. Someone is masquerading as the heir to a powerful and ancient ducal title with the anonymous backing of other members of the ton, and Miles is asked to investigate. It would mean leaving his wife and child, yet he refuses to return to London without them. Emmaline Hawkins, the new Countess of Archewyne, is torn between wanting to be a good mother and wishing to recapture the excitement digging up relics and hunting treasures brings. Just as she thinks her adventuring days are over, she meets a young pawn broker questing after the legendary Lancelot Stone. Determined to retain the thrill of the chase, she stumbles upon solid proof the relic is in Paris, and convinces her husband they should investigate. As Miles and Emmaline chase shadows and investigate macabre sites, their steps are dogged by unsavory characters. The closer they move toward unmasking the duke's imposter heir as well as finding the fabled relic, the bolder a killer grows in attempts on their lives. As an unbelievable plot unfolds, their only recourse is to fight, side by side, and hope that leaving staid domesticity behind was the right choice.

Jewels and treasures hold no worth when held against the lives of loved ones. Though thrilled to adventure again, the Countess of Archewyne worries their unexpected trip to India will delay her first official mission as a new king's agent. But when Emmaline is told she and her husband will trade a priceless diamond for the kidnapped daughter of a marquess, she's willing to make the sacrifice. Too bad no one knows exactly where the sought-after jewel is. Miles Lawrence Hawkins, the fifth Earl of Archewyne, is looking forward to being out in the field again and away from the ton. Defending England's interests from nefarious blackhearts is one of his favorite ways to spend time. But when he and his beloved wife embark on a fool's mission to steal the Third Eye of Shiva and they stumble upon troubling clues from his past during their arduous journey across the world, he can't help but think there should be a limit on men who wish his country ill. As Emmaline and Miles are introduced to the exotic life behind an Indian prince's palace walls, things aren't what they seem. A bid for power reveals who truly controls the area while an insidious lie puts them both in danger. As peril dogs their steps and desperation fuels their actions, they must use every wile and skill they have in order to survive. For the sake of their little family and their own romance, they will give it their all. What else besides king, country and love is worth the fight?

Will the bonds of love prove stronger than a man back from the dead and bent on revenge? Miles Lawrence Hawkins, the fifth Earl of Archewyne, is determined to retire from life as a king's man. Working clandestine cases for the Crown might be in his blood, but keeping his family safe is a more paramount concern. When he and his wife are kidnapped, the chances of escaping slip away, especially when the man behind the insane plan is his brother, Nigel, who has been assumed dead for years. A mysterious note arrives following the unexpected death of her father blaming her husband for that event, and the Countess of Archewyne wonders what game is afoot. Doubts and fears add to growing ennui when Emmaline lands in a world of pain and confusion. A masked captor makes hideous demands unless she and the earl provide classified information. Through it all, she clings to her love for her husband while biding her time. Physical and emotional torture continues until the reason is finally revealed-to lure the Duke of Rathesborne into the web to answer for his alleged crimes against Nigel. As their world tilts on the whim of a mad man, they both battle to survive. Nothing short of a miracle can put their lives back together again or repair the damage gained in captivity, but fighting for the future is well worth any cost. Trigger Warning: Some of the content found in this book may be triggering and/or sensitive. Physical and mental abuse, sexual violence, sexual assault and attempted rape/abuse may be some of the topics mentioned within the pages and might illicit a strong or potentially harmful emotional response.

Life isn't always perfect, but the key to living happy is enjoying what you have. Since the peril and danger stalking them has passed, the Hawkins family is at their country estate in Kent to rest. Emmaline, the Countess of Archewyne, is both excited and melancholy when she stumbles upon a note written by her father-the Earl of St. Ives-before he was murdered that outlines a treasure hunt just like he'd done for her when she was a child. Perhaps she can finally tell him goodbye. Miles Lawrence Hawkins, the fifth Earl of Archewyne, has much on his mind now that his friend and mentor has died, leaving the responsibilities of the king's agents to him. First and foremost, he wants to make certain his growing family is still intact after the horrors they'd come through, but how to usher in healing when well-meaning friends and colleagues keep dropping by and shattering the peace? Not to mention the damned geese that won't leave him alone. As Emmaline and Miles follow the clues her father hid about the estate, they make plans for a holiday to Egypt, the country where their love affair first began. Throughout it all, St. Ives' written words bring them closer as a family. With their children and the ever-present geese gathered around, the treasure they seek is found, and serves to make them all delighted on a summer's evening.

Some of the sweetest things are memories that life is built from. Miles Lawrence Hawkins, the fifth Earl of Archewyne, is on a rather urgent mission. He must visit the British Museum in London for the express purpose of finding and taking back an Egyptian relic that once belonged to his father, for it is needed on an upcoming dig. If he's fortunate, he'll have it in hand quickly and be on his way. Emmaline, the Countess of Archewyne, is thrilled that the new adventure in her life won't come with danger nipping at their heels or people chasing them with murder in their hearts. A simple trip to London is just the thing to fire her excitement. Perhaps she'll cajole Miles into kissing her in the Egyptian gallery, where their first mission for the Crown-as well as their romance-began. Their task careens down an unexpected path when they cannot immediately locate the Egyptian statuette. Throughout the extended search, they must elude the night watchmen while locked in the museum after dark. Miles and his wife revisit memories of their past as they pave their future with new ones. No matter how strong their love, somehow they have to find a way out with their reputations intact and the treasure secured lest all their dreams come to naught.