A five-million dollar Trust awaits Luc Deveraux on his thirtieth birthday. All he has to be is a settled family man by then. So he told a little lie and made up a wife and child and thought he'd found an easy way out. Now, however, his grandfather is ill and asking for his grandson to come home"with his family. A chance meeting with penniless widow Julie Richmond ends in a quick marriage, which will finish in an even quicker divorce when Luc gets his money. The only problem is Luc's falling in love with his pseudo-wife and her little daughter and wants to keep them in his life.

When Luc returns to his grandfather's Louisiana plantation, he doesn't expect Julie to be the catalyst, which will bring hidden hatred and desires into the open, and subject them all to danger. Waiting for them at San Souci is the younger brother with whom Luc's been feuding for eighteen years, and the one woman he's never been able to get out of his life"Clarice, a jilted ex-girlfriend who's determined to win him back, though she's now his brother's wife...she isn't going to let a little thing like a wife and child stop her from getting what she wants.

REVIEW

In the manner of a true Southern Saga, Bargain with Lucifer is the sweeping story of Luc Deveraux's quest to secure his inheritance by manufacturing a ready made family to satisfy the terms of his father's will. Julie Richmond, is a young widow left destitute, makes a bargain with Lucifer to provide for her young daughter. Agreeing to Luc's proposal of a marriage of convenience, Julie finds herself thrown into the volatile world of Creole Louisiana, old money, old feuds and jealousies as she struggles to come to terms with her bargain with the devil. Sweeney's literary skill and true Southern roots are showcased in this story reminiscent of the work of Edna Feber and John Ball. A thoroughly satisfying read not to be missed!

Reviewed by: Melba Moon Author of “Lady’s Choice,” winner of the Georgia romance Writers Maggie Award for

EXCERPT

“It’s a pretty complicated story.” Luc began. “I’m going to skip all the background stuff, I can tell you that later.”Briefly, he looked away, as if trying to gather his thoughts. He gave her a sheepish smile. “You know, this is more difficult than I thought. I’m not certain where to begin!”

“I'd suggest the beginning, but something tells me that isn’t the right spot.”

“Non.” He hesitated a moment longer, then took a deep breath. “My brother, Michel, and I were born in Paris. We lived there until my father was killed in a racing accident.”

“Racing. Horses?”

“Automobiles. His car was struck by another one and hit a wall. He was burned to death.”

“That must have been awful for you!” Julie’s hand went over
his. Once again, she quickly removed it.

He nodded slightly. “My gran'pere, Jean-Luc Deveraux, brought us to live at San Souci, his plantation in Louisiana." Luc's voice got very soft. "Three months later, my mother died. Gran’pere raised us.”

He couldn’t sit still and tell it, got up and began to pace beside the table while Julie continued to watch him.

“Gran’pere spoiled me, I admit it. Let me have everything and anything I wanted. At the same time, he was totally strict with my brother. As a result, there's always been rivalite between Michel and me. When I was twenty-four, I left San Souci but Gran’pere insisted Michel stay behind and help run the plantation.”

He paused to look down at her. She’d picked up the sandwich and was nibbling on it abstractedly while he talked.

“Then, I got this letter. A little belatedly, Gran’pere decided to let me know the contents of my father’s will. Papa, it seems, didn’t want me to commit the same sins he had. He established a Trust for me. I’m to get it on my thirtieth birthday, which is ten months from now.”

Julie set down the sandwich and reached for the glass of milk.

“He wrote me that there's a stipulation on the Trust. If I’m not married, settled down, and starting a family by that time, I can kiss the whole thing goodbye! It'll all revert to Michel. No way am I going to let mon petit frere get his hands on my money! So I told him--” He stopped and had the grace to looked ashamed.

“Oh no!” Julie set down the glass, looking up at him in disbelief. “You didn’t!”

She didn’t wait for the affirming nod of the bronze head. “You did! You told him you were married!”

“Oui, and a year later, that we had a baby. I must have been insane.” He pulled out the chair and sat down. “Now, he wants me--all of us--to come home.”

“And you’re up the proverbial creek without a paddle.” She began to laugh. “Oh, that is good!”

“I’m glad you find this so amusant.”

“It is.” She brushed one hand over her mouth, stifling the smile that was forming. “So you want me to pretend to be your wife so you can get your money?”

“Non.”

“No?“

“I want you to marry me, Mrs. Richmond. It has to be legal. There mustn’t be any question, any way I can lose that money.”

Marry him? The smile faded from Julie’s face. I don't know about that.

"It won't be forever." Seeing the doubt on her face, Luc went on, “Just until I get the Trust. A few months later, we'll get a quiet divorce. I’ll give you a settlement that’ll keep you comfortably, and I’ll set up an account for your daughter.”

He knew by her change of expression that he’d struck the center of the target, her most vulnerable spot. Merry. The little girl had gotten to him. Luc had no desire for fatherhood and didn’t really like kids but he wanted Merry to be secure, didn’t want her mother ever to be placed in this kind of predicament again.

“How much money are we talking about?” Julie picked up the glass of milk.

“Five million dollars.”

He tried to dodge the spray of milk as Julie choked, and began to cough.

“F-five mil--oh!” She cleared her throat, and subsided into a couple of hiccoughs as Luc pulled out his handkerchief, and began to mop the drops of milk spattering the tabletop.

“I-I’m sorry,” Julie said. “It’s just that--well, it startled me a little. My God, I can’t even imagine that much money!”

There was a splash of milk on his sleeve, soaking into the dark navy wool. Luc pressed the handkerchief against the stain. “Will you help me, Mrs. Richmond?” He didn’t look at her as he said it, didn’t want to appear to be begging.

“Do I have a choice?

“But, of course." Refolding the handkerchief, he returned it to his breast pocket. “Le Bon Dieu gave us all free will. You can say non.”

“I think some of us have a lot more free will than others,” came the rueful answer, “and it begins with a dollar sign.”

“Well?“Do we have a deal?” He held out his hand.

“I guess we do.” She placed her own within it.
Briefly, they sat there, smiling at each other, Luke holding her hand, shaking it slowly.

“Tell me, were you named for your grandfather? For Jean-Luc?”

“No.”

“Well?”

“Well?”

“Well--” She was waiting for an explanation.

“My father had an ironic sense of humor, Julie. He named me and my brother after les archanges.”

“Archangels? Michel--that’d be Michael, and-- Who?” For a moment, she stared at him, the blue eyes widening as she understood. “Oh, God, you mean--”

“Oui,“ Luc nodded. “My real name's Lucifer.”

Julie swallowed loudly and looked down at the hand still tightly holding hers.

“Does this mean I’ve just made a deal with the devil?”

“I’m afraid it does,” Luc answered.