Stolen hearts, stolen moments, stolen objects!

A Scandalous Bargain (The Untouchables: The Pretenders #2) by Darcy Burke   

****

From being left in an upper class girls' boarding school upon the death of her mother, where she was mercilessly bullied, eventually running away preferring life on the streets, and from thence to the top echelons of society, illegitimate daughter of a Duke, Beatrix Linley has just one wish. To make contact with her father the Duke of Ramsgate, of whom she has rosy memories. Beatrix yearns to be accepted and acknowledged as part of the family, albeit quietly.

Which goes in part to explain why she was sitting in a tree in the grounds belonging to Thomas Devereaux, Lord Rockbourne, disguised as a youth.

Beatrix spends her nights climbing this tree dressed in men's clothing in order to spy on her father. Only this night her gaze is caught by an argument between Rockbourne and his wife that ends in tragedy.

So Beatrix is a witness to what went on, something that becomes a both a blessing and a conundrum. And making contact with her father--well that's a whole nother story! There's also the problem of Beatrix's kleptomania! Whenever she's worried or anxious she takes things, something she's not consciously aware of until later.

We join forces with Beatrix's chosen family and some new additions, once again enjoying their stories as they rise from the underbelly of London to more prominent positions.

A Darcy Burke Publishing ARC via NetGalley