An orphan seeking a new life…When a midnight encounter with a duke almost lands her in Newgate, orphaned Hannah Browne realises that she must bring her career as a thief to an end - before she finds herself at the wrong end of a noose. But escaping the Seven Dials and Sidney Pritchard, the self-styled King of Thieves, is no easy task and Hannah finds herself persuaded into one last swindle; one which will set her up comfortably for life, if she can carry it off... moreAn orphan seeking a new life…When a midnight encounter with a duke almost lands her in Newgate, orphaned Hannah Browne realises that she must bring her career as a thief to an end - before she finds herself at the wrong end of a noose. But escaping the Seven Dials and Sidney Pritchard, the self-styled King of Thieves, is no easy task and Hannah finds herself persuaded into one last swindle; one which will set her up comfortably for life, if she can carry it off.Lady Lansdowne, Countess Morris, lost her daughter and granddaughter to the French Revolution - though the latter’s body was never found. Posing as a companion, Hannah must somehow convince the countess that she is the long-missing child, Anastasia, so that Hannah might gain access to the family jewels.A duke wracked by suspicion and desire…Oliver Edward St Martin De Vere, Sixth Duke of Hawkfield, takes one look at Lady Lansdowne’s new companion and recognises her as the thief he shared a kiss with, one fateful night.The thief he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about since.Despite his desire, Oliver is determined to protect the elderly Lady Lansdowne from another schemer out to exploit her grief. But with every encounter Oliver has with Hannah, he begins to suspect that there is more to the young woman than meets the eye.In fact, if he wasn’t so rational, he might well believe that the beautiful young woman was indeed the long lost Anastasia - and that the only thing in danger of being stolen was his heart.A woman in too deep…Having spent most of her life building a wall around her heart, Hannah is surprised to find it crumbling as she spends time with Lady Lansdowne. As Hannah is showered with kindness and love, she begins to question her true origins. And, as a blue-eyed duke makes a clumsy attempt at capturing her heart, Hannah finds herself wishing that her scheme was not a scheme at all, but the truth.But wishing won’t get Hannah out of the trouble she has made for herself and, soon, she must make a choice. Should she go against her conscience and continue with her plan, or flee London empty-handed and incur Sidney’s wrath?Neither choice is palatable, and both will leave her with a broken heart..Can there be a happily ever after for Hannah and her Duke? Find out in this fantastic new read from Claudia Stone! less
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