The Bride's Necklace

Knowing that she alone can protect her sister from the Baron Harwood, their lecherous stepfather, Victoria Temple Whiting snatches the family's heirloom necklace—believed to hold the power to bring great happiness or terrible tragedy—to pay for their escape to London. Terrified that the baron will find them, Victoria poses as Tory Temple and finds employment as a servant in the household of handsome Cordell Easton, the scandalous Earl of Brant.

The sisters' arrival couldn't have been more welcome. In need of a new mistress, Cord turns to Tory, whose wit and intellect intrigue him. But when the baron discovers the girls' whereabouts, Cord learns Tory's secret—her noble birth. Furious that he has compromised the daughter of a peer, Cord must decide—marry Tory to keep her safe or allow his stubborn pride to deny his heart.

Knowing that she alone can protect her sister from the Baron Harwood, their lecherous stepfather, Victoria Temple Whiting snatches the family's heirloom necklace—believed to hold the power to bring great happiness or terrible tragedy—to pay for their escape to London. Terrified that the baron will find them, Victoria poses as Tory Temple and finds employment as a servant in the household of handsome Cordell Easton, the scandalous Earl of Brant.

The sisters' arrival couldn't have been more welcome. In need of a new mistress, Cord turns to Tory, whose wit and intellect intrigue him. But when the baron discovers the girls' whereabouts, Cord learns Tory's secret—her noble birth. Furious that he has compromised the daughter of a peer, Cord must decide—marry Tory to keep her safe or allow his stubborn pride to deny his heart.

Publishers Weekly

According to the legend of the exquisite diamond-and-pearl bride's necklace belonging to Tory Whitting's noble family, it brings its wearer, if pure of heart, untold happiness-or it could bring untold tragedy. When her lecherous stepfather, Baron Harwood, attempts to molest her younger sister, Claire, Tory steals the heirloom to pay for their escape to London. Disguised as a servant, Tory becomes a housekeeper for Cordell Easton, the earl of Brant, who's well known for his womanizing ways. Cord is initially drawn to Claire's ethereal beauty, but Tory's intelligence and impudence intrigue him, so much so that he asks her to be his new mistress. Though tempted, Tory refuses, but when Harwood arrives to claim his stepdaughters, she and Cord are forced into a more permanent bond. Their marriage is as tense as the chess game they play, but Tory's inability to be up-front with her past and her emotions, as well as her constant attempts to manipulate and deceive Cord (always with good intentions, of course), can grow wearisome. Fortunately, however, Martin (Heartless, etc.) adroitly balances the passion and intrigue in this fast-paced Regency, and provides vibrant characters, a swashbuckling prison escape and a satisfying resolution of the necklace legend. (Jan.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

For New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin, a career in real estate led her down the road to romance.

Through real estate, Kat found her own perfect match—her husband, Western author Larry Jay Martin.

"We were on opposing sides of a transaction—I represented the seller and he represented the buyer," Kat recalls.

A short time after the two became acquainted, Larry asked her to read an unpublished manuscript of an historical western he'd written. Kat fell in love with both the book and the author!

"It was quite a romantic story," she admits. "I'd still like to see it get published." Then, after doing some editing for her future husband, she thought she'd try her own hand at writing.

Kat moved on to become the bestselling author of over thirty historical and contemporary romance novels. To date, 10 million copies of her books are in print, and she's been published around the globe, including Germany, Norway, Sweden, China, Korea, Bulgaria, Russia, England, South Africa, Italy, Spain, Argentina and Greece.

When she's not writing, Kat also enjoys skiing and traveling, particularly to Europe. Currently, she's busy writing her next book.