John is no better than any other man. It’s true, I suppose, that he is quite handsome. And everyone knows his family is both wealthy and well connected. I suppose it is also accurate that there is something charming about a man who knows his own value and is so very willing to appreciate yours. And God knows I’m not immune to that smile of his; it quite melts me where I stand. But other than that... oh blast it! I suppose he is better than other men.Miss Clarissa Fullerton to her sister-in-law, Viscountess Mooreland, while watching the waltz at Almack’sMorning dawned, and with it a fresh, stiff breeze that rippled the grassy moors and chased the rain clouds to distant regions far beyond Kilkairn. Sunlight shone through the narrow windows of Devon’s room. Full of golden mischief, a beam slipped through the single crack in the curtain to tickle his nose.Devon rubbed his face with both hands. He yawned, then blinked into the sliver of light, slowly becoming aware of where he was. The standing ruins of Kilkairn Castle.
