Dangerous Birthright by Margaret Tanner

Sequel to Falsely Accused

BLURB:

Can an English aristocrat go against society and marry the daughter of convicts?

While helping Johnny Dawson escape from prison, Georgina meets and falls in love with a dashing English aristocrat, the Honourable Marcus Lindquist.

When the young outlaw is ambushed and killed, Marcus finally finds out what it is that binds Johnny and Georgina together.

Meanwhile, in England, Earl Darrington is plotting Georgina’s death to keep his dark secrets from ever seeing the light of day. Will Marcus be able to save her?

EXCERPT:

The Honorable Marcus Lindquist cursed inwardly as another bump almost unseated him. What did this idiot of a driver think he was doing? Bloody half-witted colonial. He had been forced to leave England to save the Lindquist name from being dragged further into disrepute, now he was exiled in this Godforsaken penal colony. Australia was only fit for convicts, whores and destitute immigrants.

Sylvia had ruined his life. She had betrayed him. Cast him aside to marry the heir to a Dukedom. He was starting to think about marriage and settling down to produce heirs, when he had met and become infatuated with Lady Sylvia Hayworth. The thought of her full lips and lush, ripe body being given to another man almost destroyed him.

“Youse have to stay the night here.” Their uncouth driver poked his head through the coach window. “Too late to travel on the road now.”

“Road!” Marcus bit off an oath. Is that what they called it? Rutted track seemed more appropriate. He felt bruised and battered as he stepped stiffly from the coach and waited for the other occupants to alight.

He stamped his feet to get his circulation moving again after eight hours in the cramped coach. They had stopped only to eat and change the horses; now he was forced to spend the night in some revolting, bug-infested tavern, undoubtedly run by villainous riff raff.

Automatically, he offered his hand to help a middle-aged lady alight. A good night’s sleep would help. The voyage out from England had been nothing short of a bloody nightmare. Still, it did have a few lighter moments, including a troupe of eight painted, but pretty chorus girls who had kept him entertained.

“This way.” The driver took charge of the lady’s bag, leaving Marcus to pick up his own.

The roadside tavern looked anything but impressive, although the light spilling out on to the verandah offered some reassurance. A large, fat fellow in grubby trousers met them at the door, and Marcus shuddered with distaste. Fastidious in his own habits, if this oaf’s appearance was anything to go by, he teetered on the brink of a hideous nightmare. Their driver, having dumped them like pieces of flotsam, disappeared without a word. Not even bothering to hide his disdain, Marcus stepped across the threshold.

http://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Birthright-Sequel-Falsely-Accused-ebook/dp/B00SQBUGSQ/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1422229233&sr=8-7&keywords=margaret+tanner+-+kindle

Margaret Tanner is an award winning Australian author who writes historical romance for Books We Love.

http://www.margarettanner.com/