The Rakes and the Crown, book 2
After watching her parents die in a vicious carriage accident, Lady Minerva Hatfield knew that her life would change forever. She had trained since childhood to be a spy in the illustrious spy network, the Rakes of the Crown. But, with the Order on her heels, she has to hide — in plain sight — to save her life.
Lord Jacob Spencer, the Earl of Blackridge, has no clue that he has a spy living in his home. That is, until, his best friend married Lady Juliana Hatfield. Then out of the woodwork, literally, came Minerva — the identical twin sister of his friend’s new wife.
Will Jacob and Minerva’s past come between them? Will the Order agent succeed in killing her? And, will love conquer all?
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Excerpt
Prologue
Lady Minerva Hatfield, the younger daughter of the Earl of Dumbrey, was sitting opposite her parents in the family carriage. They were bound for the coastal county of Kent where their boat to France was waiting for them just off of Dover. She had been to the coast many times with her parents, but due to the conflict on the continent, she was not allowed to go on missions with them. She always stayed with her Uncle Basil for the several days that her parents were gone. This time, though, she was on her maiden mission with her father to gain information for the Crown.
To say she was excited was a true understatement. She was anxious, nervous, and fidgety beyond belief. She would put to work all she had been taught over the years. To say her education was slightly different from most girls (or even young men), was again, quite an understatement. Minerva and her twin sister Juliana grew up knowing their father was part of a spy ring for the Crown known as the Rakes. Normally, the title of “Rake” was passed from father to son, but in her father’s instance, it was father to daughter since there was no son.
Crack!
The sound woke Minerva from her daydreams. The sudden feeling of being weightless went through her as the carriage was overturned and threw its occupants around like rag dolls. Minerva could hear screams, but she was unsure whether they were her own or not. When the carriage finally came to a halt, the screams had faded, and all was eerily silent.
Minerva lay dazed, afraid to open her eyes. She wondered why her father hadn’t gotten up to make sure everyone was unharmed. The thought echoed through her mind. Maybe she should open her eyes, rub off the pain, and do what her father should be doing.
When she opened her eyes, the full scope of what had happened assaulted all of her senses. Her mother lay under her father, her neck cocked at an unnatural angle, her eyes sightlessly staring at her. Her father had the same look in his unseeing eyes. It took her a moment to realize what had happened to him. A large shard of glass from the carriage’s window had embedded itself in the back of his head.
She was alone. The horses were either dead, injured, or had run away. The driver was nowhere to be seen—this is, if he was even alive. She would have to be strong and find a way to make it back to London, to her sister. . .
Meet Jessica Clements
Jessica Clements writes historical romances set during the US Civil War and the Regency Eras. When she’s not writing she is playing with her son, composing music, playing in a band, and working her day job.
One of the many things she and her son love to do is travel to new historical places. They have been to: Custer’s Battlefield, Saint Augustine, Savannah, and a couple of smaller battlefields in Alabama. They hope to be able to add to their list soon.
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