Tempted by a Rogue
Midhurst, West Sussex - 1817
White and pink roses formed spots of striking color against the dense green hedges as Gemma Haverford walked through the gardens of her home. She let her fingertips touch the petals of the roses as she headed toward the center of the garden. Twilight was her favorite time of day. Birds began to quiet their singing, the sunlight softened, giving everything a soft glow. Gemma took a seat on a cool marble bench at the center of the maze of hedges and rosebushes. Her hands trembled as she smoothed out her skirts. She was anxious enough that her knees knocked together too, but she couldn’t banish her nerves.
It wasn’t every day that she wore her best gown, an almost sheer sky blue silk, for a secret garden rendezvous. Everything needed to be pe
