A Tip of the Cap by Rebecca Connolly With Cap in hand... Malcolm Colerain, Earl of Montgomery, needs a wife. He has four children, a peerage, and a demanding secret occupation as a member of the London League; all of which give him a fulfilling life, so a proper marriage of convenience is all he seeks. But when he meets Elizabeth Owens, things begin to change. Distance becomes difficult, convenience becomes rather inconvenient, and his exciting life as a spy turns on its head. …Love comes to call... Beth Owens seizes the chance to marry the handsome and striking Earl of Montgomery, marriage of convenience or not. Her heart is his for the taking, and she is determined that he eventually will. But the more she learns about her husband, the more he puzzles her. He has secrets, she is well aware, but just how many and how deeply do they run? And when she finds a few secrets of her own, will they ever have a chance at love?
“I hope you don’t mind that I asked Mrs. Granger to introduce us, Miss Owens,” he said, somehow smiling in his tone but not with his mouth. Beth shook her head quickly. “Not at all, my lord, I am grateful for the opportunity.” He opened his mouth to reply, then closed it, cocking his head in confusion. “Were you, indeed?” She nodded meekly. “Yes, my lord.” She opted not to say more, trying to remember how to be demure and polite when faced with a powerful man who could give her a desperately-needed position. Impertinence would not be appreciated, nor would rambling. Beth tended to be inclined towards both. Lord Montgomery propped his elbow on the arm of the sofa, hand positioned in a thoughtful pose against his face. “Tell me about yourself, Miss Owens, if you please.” Beth straightened up, praying her hands would remain gracefully clasped in her lap. “I am from Oxfordshire, my lord, near Abingdon. My godparents sent me to finish at Mrs. Rampton’s School in Berkshire where I received an excellent education, giving me all the skills and knowledge that a competent and capable governess ought to possess. I am learned in French, German, and Latin; I have skills in penmanship, arithmetic, as well as prominent literature. I can teach deportment and manners, as well as...” “Miss Owens,” Lord Montgomery interrupted, a deep furrow between his brows, “I don’t wish to engage you as a governess.” Beth stared at him for a moment, then sighed heavily and let her shoulders droop a little. “No, of course, you don’t.” She was not entirely sure if she were disappointed or relieved, but she suspected it was an odd mixture of both. In truth, she would have to admit that arithmetic made her itch, and her German accent sounded as though she were ill. Her aggrieved headmistress had maintained that Beth’s skills in deportment bordered on ‘just enough to not be shocking’, so she really would have been quite hopeless. Her reaction seemed to amuse him. “Why would you think that was why I asked Mrs. Granger for an introduction?” he queried, that sort-of smile returning to his face. She stared at him rather blankly. “Why else would you want to meet with me, my lord?” “That... is an excellent question,” he said slowly, his thumb grazing his jaw absently as his gaze fixed on her. It was all she could do to not fidget under such a gaze. “Yes, sir?” she prodded, smiling nervously. His lips quirked with an ironic tilt. “I haven’t yet decided, Miss Owens.” Beth smiled in earnest now, laughing at the bizarre twist of their conversation. “Will you tell me when you have?” Lord Montgomery gave a slow nod. “Most assuredly."
I went into this book knowing that I was going to like it, but not thinking that I was going to love it. But I was SO into this book. I loved the characters and just had no idea where the story was going-which I loved. I love how this book really seemed to connect the previous London league books with what’s to come. There are so many questions in my head after reading this that I’m dying for the rest of this series! And to find out more about the rest of the London league! I truly think this is my most favorite of all Rebecca Connolly’s stories!!! I love it when I can laugh and cry in the same story. This has the perfect balance of all the feelings here. Seriously. I cried twice. And laughed much more. Of course. I am still in my happy place after reading that amazing book:} It was pretty near perfect:} I loved it so much. Author Rebecca Connolly Rebecca Connolly writes romances, both period and contemporary, because she absolutely loves a good love story. She has been creating stories since childhood, and there are home videos to prove it! She started writing them down in elementary school and has never looked back. She currently lives in the Midwest, spends every spare moment away from her day job absorbed in her writing, and is a hot cocoa addict.
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