Not Quite A Lady by Loretta Chase

IRRESISTIBLE FORCE
Darius Carsington is a spectacularly handsome rake with a rare intelligence and no heart, a man who divides his time between bedding loose-moraled women and writing scholarly papers. He finds society’s “perfect darlings”….exceedingly boring. But there’s something intriguing, and not quite perfect, about faultless Lady Charlotte Hayward. He senses a crack under her polished surface, and finding it is a temptation he can’t resist.

IMMOVABLE OBJECT
Lady Charlotte is so beautiful, charming, and gracious that no one has noticed what an expert she is at Not Getting Married. Early on, she learned a painful lesson about trust….and temptation. In the years since, she’s devoted her life to all she ought to be–and she’s not about to let a man like Carsington entice her to do everything she shouldn’t.

A SPLENDID COLLISION
But the laws of attraction can easily overpower the rules of manners and morals, and sometimes even the best -behaved girl has to follow her instincts, even if it means risking it all.

This will be her first book back at Avon.

ETS: This was included in Dear Author Recommend for May. Janine said:

Loretta Chase’s Not Quite A Lady could also be titled Not Quite What We Were Expecting. Though steeped in Chase’s trademark charm and wit, this final book in Chase’s Carsington series is more serious and emotional in its subject matter than any of the previous Carsington books. The Carsington family has despaired of Darius, the Earl of Hargate’s youngest son, who is both a scholar and a seemingly heartless rake.

You can read the rest of the post here. Thanks for the correction Jane, sorry Janine correction noted.
Loretta Chase blogs at Word Wenches along with Jo Beverley, Edith Layton, Mary Jo Putney, Patricia Rice, Sarah Gabriel, and Susan Holloway Scott.

This is an excerpt from the first chapter. It’s Lady Charlotte’s and Darius’s first encounter:
(very kindly provided by Loretta Chase)

“I fear you have disturbed the dragonflies during an extremely delicate process,” he said. “They were mating, poor things, and you frightened them out of their wits. You may not be aware of this, but when the male takes fright, his procreative abilities are adversely affected.”

She stared at him. Her mouth opened but nothing came out.

“Now I understand why none but the hardiest of the livestock remain,” he said. “You must have either frightened them all away or permanently impaired their reproductive functions.”

“Impaired their– I did not. I was…” Her gaze fell to the hat he still held. “Give me my hat.”

He turned it in his hands and studied it. “This is the most frivolous hat I’ve ever seen.” Perhaps it was and perhaps it wasn’t. He had no idea. He never noticed women’s clothes except as obstacles to be got out of the way as quickly as possible.

Still, he could see that the thing he held was an absurd bit of froth: a scrap of straw, scraps of lace, ribbons. “What does it do? It cannot keep off the sun or the rain.”

“It’s a hat,” she said. “It isn’t supposed to do anything.”

“Then what do you wear it for?”

“For?” she said. “For? It’s… It’s…” Her brow knit.

He waited.

She bit her lip and thought hard. “Decoration. Give it back. I must go now.”

“What, no ‘please’?”

The blue eyes flashed up at him. “No,” she said.

“I see I must set the example of manners,” he said.

“Give me my hat.” She reached for it.

He put the nonsensical headwear behind his back. “I am Darius Carsington,” he said. He bowed.

“I don’t care,” she said.

“Beechwood has been turned over to me,” he said.

She turned away. “Never mind. Keep the hat if you want it so much. I’ve others.”
She started to walk away.

That would not do. She was exceedingly pretty. And the breast that had more or less accidentally fallen into his hand was agreeably round.

He followed her. “I collect you live nearby,” he said.

“Apparently I do not live far enough away,” she said.

“This place has been deserted for years,” he said. “Perhaps you were unaware of the recent change.”

“Papa told me. I…forgot.”

“Papa,” he said, and his good humor began to fade.