Gervase came to an abrupt stop and held up his hands.
"Miss Waterstone, please put the clock down. It is made of solid brass and you might injure yourself if you attempt to throw it. I'm sure we can sort out this very unpleasant situation to your satisfaction."
Her mouth worked and she swallowed twice before she was able to speak. "I'm well aware of how heavy the clock is, Your Grace. I am the one holding it, after all. My brothers taught me how to throw properly when I was a little girl, and I'm quite capable of hitting my target."
Her brave statement impressed him more than he cared to admit. Any other woman of his acquaintance would have been in floods of tears by now, not calmly threatening to brain him with his own clock. He fought an absurd desire to laugh.
"Well, if you wish to throw something at me, please go ahead."
He advanced a step toward her, one hand held out, and then froze as she drew her arm back.
"I don't think I could kill you, even though you deserve it. They would probably behead me at the Tower if I murdered a duke." She eyed him with great consideration as though he were a paper target. "No, I think if I winged you, it would be enough to stop you from following me."
Gervase laughed then and took another step forward. "Stop this foolishness, my dear. Give me the clock and we will talk. You have my word I won't lay a finger on you."
She took aim as he crossed the carpeted space between them and the heavy clock connected with his shoulder, ripping his dressing gown and making him reel backward.
"That," he said with deep appreciation, "was indeed an excellent shot." The shocking pain caught him unawares and he staggered to the side and fell against the marble mantelpiece, striking his head.
Eventually, he heard his valet's worried voice over the roaring in his ears. When Jacques bent over him, Gervase managed to grasp his sleeve.
"Don't let her leave."
Jacques's voice sounded puzzled and increasingly faint. "Who, Your Grace? You are the only person here."
If you enjoyed this excerpt, please go and check out more here!
About Kate
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kate Pearce was born in England in the middle of a large family of girls and quickly found that her imagination was far more interesting than real life. After acquiring a degree in history and barely escaping from the British Civil Service alive, she moved to California and then to Hawaii with her kids and her husband and set about reinventing herself as a romance writer.
She is known for both her unconventional heroes and her joy at subverting romance clichés. In her spare time she self publishes science fiction erotic romance, historical romance, and whatever else she can imagine.
Visit Kate at her website
Join Kate’s newsletter
Visit her Facebook profile
Visit her Facebook author page
Join her on Twitter @kate4queen
Visit her at Pinterest
Visit her at Goodreads
Other Books by Kate
Sci-fi/Futuristic Romance
The Power of Three
The Power of Persuasion
Viking Unbound
Viking Claimed
The Power of Fate
Valhalla Series
Planet Mail
Secured Mail
Captive Mail
The Tribute Series
Sacrifice
Retribution
Triumph
Tribute
Paranormal Romance
Soul Justice Series
Soul Sucker
Death Bringer
The Tudor Vampire Chronicles
Kiss of the Rose
Blood of the Rose
Mark of the Rose
Historical Romances
Eden's Pleasure
Antonia's Bargain
Jilted in January
Millcastle series
The Lord of Lost Causes
Diable Delamere series
Educating Elizabeth
Redeeming Jack
Loving Michael
Awakening Amelia
House of Pleasure Series
Simply Sexual
Simply Sinful
Simply Shameless
Simply Wicked
Simply Insatiable
Simply Forbidden
Simply Carnal
Simply Voracious
Simply Scandalous
Simply Pleasure
Simply Irresistible
The Sinners Club
The First Sinners
The Sinners Club
Tempting a Sinner
Mastering a Sinner
Raw Desire
Some Like It Rough
Branded, Dirty Sexy Cowboy Shorts
Sexy Shorts
Turner Brother Series
Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?
Roping the Wind
Riding the Line
The Morgan Ranch Series
Once a Seal
The Reluctant Cowboy
The Maverick Cowboy
The Last Good Cowboy
The Bad Boy Cowboy
Copyright Page
THE LORD OF LOST CAUSES
Copyright © 2018 by Kate Pearce
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Kate Pearce.com