The Romantic [Paperback]

USMadeline Hunter is a nationally bestselling author of historical romances who lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. In a parallel existence to the one she enjoys as a novelist, she has a Ph.D. in art history and teaches at an East Coast university.Chapter One


For a bachelor, there is no more dangerous person in the world than a happily married woman.

To such a female, an unattached man of position and property is a rough stone sticking out of life's wall. The more blissful her own union, the more convinced she becomes that the bachelor stone wants smoothing. She is sure it would be a much happier stone if it were as neatly chiseled and mortared as her husband.

So it was that Julian Hampton found himself seated beside the talkative widow, Mrs. Morrison, when he attended the Viscountess Laclere's banquet.

He made no special note of the way the viscountess watched the progress of their conversation, but he did not miss it either.

"Your occupation must be fascinating, Mr. Hampton," the comely widow said, when her very detailed description of her summer holiday in Brighton waned.

"Being a solicitor is very dull employment, in reality." Actually it wasn't, but the Mrs. Morrisons of the world would never understand why.

She laughed and her eyes sparkled. She turned so that her glowing face was fully visible. "I cannot believe that anything you occupy yourself with is dull, Mr. Hampton."

"I assure you that I am a thoroughly unremarkable man. I bore myself so much that I can barely stay awake."

"Well, you do not bore me," she said with a meaningful smile.

He speculated on why the viscountess had chosen to throw at him this golden-haired young lady of little wit, submissive grace, and dull loquaciousness. Since he had not pursued the more compelling women trotted out thus far, the viscountess and her friends had probably concludedlc¥