*** If you have not read the series – Spoiler Alert ***

The new story in the Marlow Intrigues series, The Dangerous Love of a Rogue, is Mary’s story, so before the book is released on January 29th I thought I would do a little reflection on the scenes Mary has been in. Here she is in The Passionate Love of a Rake, where we see she is a very loved, and therefore very spoiled, little girl, who’s beauty charms those around her;

“And this,” Edward stated, his hand running over the little girl’s ebony curls, as she was balanced on his arm, “Is my imp of a daughter, Mary-Rose.”

A sharp pain pierced Jane’s breast. She’d given up any hope of children when she’d realized any child born to her would be sentenced to Hector’s imprisonment, too. That scar tore open.

“I want my ice, Papa,” The child said, looking only at her father.

 “You are rude, mite,” John said, holding his hands out to his sister. Again the girl changed her host, now clinging to her brother’s neck. “You have not even said hello to Papa’s friends, and you are asking us to leave them. Are you going to be polite and say hello to these ladies? You must call this lady, Your Grace, and her friend Lady Rimes”

The girl made a frustrated face, but then wriggled to be let down before slipping from her brother’s grip and performing a perfect curtsy. “Your Grace, Lady Rimes, good day. My name is Mary-Rose.” Instantly it was done her bright smile turned back to her papa. “Now may I have an ice?”

Edward shook his head, but Jane could see the smile he struggled to hide. “Not yet, you must wait a while. I wish to speak with my friend Jane. I shall take you to Gunter’s in a little while if you are good, and patient.”

“Come,” Ellen stated, picking up her daughter.

 “You are very pretty, Mary-Rose. I am sure your papa is very proud of you,” Jane said.

“And in debt for one ice,” Ellen added with a laugh.

“She is a poppet,” Violet said, her eyes sparkling.

“She is a monster,” Edward answered in an over zealous voice that had the little girl laughing.

“A monster who devours ices,” John enthused, bending to form an impression of a monster, which made the little girl squeal with delight.

~

“Uncle Robert!” Mary-Rose barrelled through the French doors, the fresh smell of spring carried with her in her clothes. Bending, Robert captured her as the tot charged into his leg, squealing. He lifted her to his hip as her elder brother, John, raced in behind her. Robert imagined his own children thus, when they came. He was impatient for that day.

“Coward,” John accused as he approached, his skin flushed and his chest heaving. Robert saw grass in John’s hair and knew, without doubt, Mary was responsible. John was growing up, and he did not always wish to play her childish games, and Mary had run to her uncle for safety because she knew Robert was soft on her. There was tension in John’s jaw. He rarely lost his temper. He was, in general, a placid lad, but he was in the turbulent years of his life, and he had grown much quieter lately, and more solitary. John lifted his chin with a look too much like His Grace, the Duke of Pembroke, John’s grandsire, for comfort.

“She is an imp, Papa. Send her to bed without supper.”

Mary grinned at her brother, unrepentant.

Robert eased the argument by offering to take John riding tomorrow, and telling him he might stay with the men after dinner, and then to Mary he offered ice-cream in the nursery as her appeasement.

Edward agreed to both of Robert’s offers and then took John away to play billiards, leaving Mary in Robert’s arms.

One of Mary’s hands rested on his shoulder, the other touched his cheek then slid to his earlobe. Her small fingers rubbed it.

Mary here is used to being important within her little family group, she is special to her parents, her uncle Robert, and Robert’s wife Jane, and she is so much younger than John that she is not fighting for attention with her sibling, but stealing it away from John.

There are a couple more excerpts to come in the week 😀

If you haven’t ordered it yet and you’d like to, just click on the cover in the side bar which will take you into Amazon.

The Dangerous Love of a Rogue

“Pure, unadulterated romance.” Best Chick Lit.com

The next book in Jane Lark’s Kindle best-selling Regency romance series!

“The game is on with Pembroke’s little sister…” Lord Andrew Framlington watched Miss Mary Marlow. The woman had been warned to keep away from him, but she had a little contrary in her soul. She had not been deterred. Perhaps she had a taste for bad hidden beneath her cold denials, or a liking for naughtiness in her soul – either of which appealed.

“Stop pretending you do not like me…” Drew had urged Mary, “Stop running…” Her body urged her to as much as he did. Something pulled her towards him. Something unknown and all consuming… and yet how could she disobey her father and her brother…