A Buccaneer At Heart. Stephanie Laurens

      ISBN: 9781474045209

      A BUCCANEER AT HEART

      © 2016 Stephanie Laurens

      Published in Great Britain 2016

      by HQ, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF

      Cover design by Savdek Management Pty. Ltd.

      Cover and inside front couple photography © 2016 Period Images

      Image of canopied bed: photographic credit to John Kershaw

      The name Stephanie Laurens is a registered trademark of Savdek Management Proprietary Ltd.

      All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

      This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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      Unexpected love—plus passion, intrigue, and danger—challenge our hero to embrace his true nature.

      #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens continues THE ADVENTURERS QUARTET, a riveting blend of Regency-era high seas adventure, a mystery shrouded in the heat of tropical jungles, and the passionate romances of four couples and their unexpected journeys into love.

      After a decade of captaining diplomatic voyages for Frobisher Shipping, alongside covert missions for the Crown, Captain Robert Frobisher decides that establishing a home—with hearth and wife—should be his next challenge. But an unexpected mission intervenes. Although Robert sees himself as a conservative businessman-cum-diplomat and this mission is far from his usual sphere, it nevertheless falls within the scope of his abilities. As matters are urgent, he agrees to depart for West Africa forthwith.

      To Robert, his way forward is clear: Get to Freetown, determine the location of a slavers’ camp, return to London with the information, and then proceed to find himself a wife.

      Already in Freetown, Miss Aileen Hopkins is set on finding her younger brother, Will, a naval lieutenant who has mysteriously disappeared. Find Will and rescue him; determined and resolute, Aileen is not about to allow anyone to turn her from her path.

      But all too quickly, that path grows dark and dangerous. And then Robert Frobisher appears and attempts to divert her in more ways than one.

      Accustomed to managing diplomats and bureaucrats, Robert discovers that manipulating a twenty-seven-year-old spinster lies outside his area of expertise. Prodded by an insistent need to protect Aileen, he realizes that joining forces with her is the surest path to meeting all the challenges before him—completing his mission, keeping her safe, and securing the woman he wants as his wife.

      But the villains strike and disrupt their careful plans—leaving Robert and Aileen no choice but to attempt a last throw of the dice to complete his mission and further her brother’s rescue.

      Compelled to protect those weaker than themselves and bring retribution to a heartless enemy, they plunge into the jungle with only their talents and inner strengths to aid them—and with the courage of their hearts as their guide.

      The first voyage is one of exploration, the second one of discovery. The third journey brings maturity, while the fourth is a voyage of second chances. Continue the journey and follow the adventure, the mystery, and the romances to the riveting end.

      Praise for the works of Stephanie Laurens

      “Stephanie Laurens’ heroines are marvelous tributes to Georgette Heyer: feisty and strong.” Cathy Kelly

      “Stephanie Laurens never fails to entertain and charm her readers with vibrant plots, snappy dialogue, and unforgettable characters.” Historical Romance Reviews

      “Stephanie Laurens plays into readers’ fantasies like a master and claims their hearts time and again.” Romantic Times Magazine

      A BUCCANEER

      AT HEART

      by Stephanie Laurens

      CAST OF CHARACTERS

      Principal Characters:

      Frobisher, Robert – Hero

      Hopkins, Aileen – Heroine

      In London:

      Family:

      Frobisher, Declan – Robert’s younger brother

      Frobisher, Lady Edwina – Robert’s sister-in-law

      Staff in Declan & Edwina’s town house:

      Humphrey – butler

      Government:

      Wolverstone, Duke of, Royce, aka Dalziel – ex-commander of British secret operatives outside England

      Wolverstone, Duchess of, Minerva – Wolverstone’s wife

      Melville, Viscount – First Lord of the Admiralty

      Dearne, Marquess of, Christian Allardyce – ex-operative of Dalziel’s, now functioning in some unspecified capacity in government intelligence

      Carstairs, Major Rafe – army liaison in matters requiring discretion

      Hendon, Lord, Jack – ex-operative, now owner of Hendon Shipping

      In Aberdeen:

      Frobisher, Fergus – Robert’s father

      Frobisher, Elaine – Robert’s mother

      Frobisher, Royd (Murgatroyd) – eldest Frobisher brother

      In Southampton:

      Higginson – clerk, Frobisher Shipping

      At sea:

      Frobisher, Caleb – youngest of four Frobisher brothers

      Frobisher, Catrina (Kit) – female cousin

      Frobisher, Lachlan – male cousin

      In Freetown:

      Dixon, Captain – army engineer, missing

      Hopkins, Lieutenant – navy, West Africa Squadron, missing

      Fanshawe, Lieutenant – navy, West Africa Squadron, missing