Читать книгу The Enigmatic Rake - Anne O'Brien - Страница 3

Dear Reader

How much I have enjoyed in the past year, unfolding the fates of Henry and Nicholas Faringdon in the first two volumes of The Faringdon Scandals! Faced with a malicious plot that could so easily have destroyed the honour and good name of their family, they were both able to fight their personal battles against scandal and prejudice, against bitter memories from the past. In so doing, Henry was reunited with Eleanor, whilst Nicholas was forced to acknowledge his love for Theodora. A most satisfying outcome.

But it seemed to me highly unsatisfactory that the only player in the game to remain alone, with a heavy burden of guilt and little self-respect, was Sarah Russell, Theodora’s estranged sister. How could I leave Sarah unfulfilled and alone, tormented by memories of her own part in the plot to disgrace Eleanor? So, of course, I was driven to write a third volume, to give Sarah her own story, bringing her to her own fulfilment. And how convenient to have had a Faringdon cousin, Lord Joshua, the enigmatic rake of the title, with his own shadowy and tragic past, his dishonourable reputation. I thought that it would be possible for Joshua, in taking it upon himself to destroy Sarah’s guilt and crippling reticence, to find a path through the maze of deceit and lies in his own life, to bring solace and healing to them both, and a recognition of the unspoken emotions that grew in both his heart and hers.

The story of Joshua and Sarah in The Enigmatic Rake allowed me to weave together the final threads of this fascinating Faringdon family. I hope that you will enjoy being part of their journey as much as I was delighted to create it.