A Regency Lady's Scandal: The Lady Gambles / The Lady Forfeits
Escape to a world of roguish rakes and daring debutantes with this incredible Regency 2 in 1 from Mills & Boon. Featuring many of our best-loved Historical romance authors, this is a delightfully indulgent and beautifully presented treat for fans of Regency romance.The Lady GamblesLady Caroline Copeland has entered London’s mostinfamous gambling club and her reputation depends onkeeping her identity secret. But, when she locks eyes with thedevilishly handsome gentleman at the back of the room, hisgaze burns through her disguise…The Lady ForfeitsWhen Lady Diana Copeland arrives in London to tell hernew guardian what she thinks of his outrageous demands,she doesn’t expect Lord Faulkner to be so intoxicatinglyhandsome. Nor is Diana prepared for his most shockingproposal yet: that she become his countess!
Читать A Regency Lady's Scandal: The Lady Gambles / The Lady Forfeits онлайн беплатно
CAROLE MORTIMER was born and lives in the UK. She is married to Peter and they have six sons. She has been writing for Mills & Boon since 1978 and is the author of almost two hundred books. She writes for both the Mills & Boon>® Historical and Modern>™ lines. Carole is a USA TODAY bestselling author and in 2012 she was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II for her ‘outstanding contribution to literature’. Visit Carole at www.carolemortimer.co.uk or on Facebook.
A Regency Lady’s Scandal
Table of Contents
Carole Mortimer
April 1817—Palazzo Brizzi, Venice, Italy
‘Have I mentioned to either of you gentlemen that I had thought of offering for one of Westbourne’s daughters?’
Lord Dominic Vaughn, Earl of Blackstone, and one of the two gentlemen referred to by their host, Lord Gabriel Faulkner, found himself gaping inelegantly across the breakfast table at the other man in stunned disbelief. A glance at their friend Nathaniel Thorne, Earl of Osbourne, showed him to be no less surprised at the announcement as he sat with his tea cup arrested halfway between saucer and mouth.
Indeed, it was one of those momentous occasions when it seemed that time itself should cease. All movement. All sound. Indeed, when the very world itself should simply have stopped turning.
It had not, of course; the gondoliers could still be heard singing upon their crafts in the busy Grand Canal, the pedlars continued to call out as they moved along the canal selling their wares, and the birds still sang a merry tune. That frozen stillness, that ceasing of time, existed only between the three men seated upon the balcony of the Palazzo Brizzi, where they had been enjoying a late breakfast together prior to Blackstone and Osbourne’s departure for England later today.
‘Gentlemen?’ their host prompted in that dry and amused drawl that was so typical of him, one dark brow raised mockingly over eyes of midnight blue as he placed the letter he had been reading down upon the table top.
Dominic Vaughn was the first to recover his senses. ‘Surely you are not serious, Gabe?’
That mocking dark brow was joined by its twin. ‘Am I not?’
‘Well, of course not.’ Osbourne finally rallied to the occasion. ‘You are Westbourne!’
‘For the past six months, yes.’ The new Earl of Westbourne acknowledged drily. ‘It is one of the previous Earl’s daughters for whom I have offered.’
‘Copeland?’
Westbourne gave a haughty inclination of his dark head. ‘Just so.’
‘I—but why would you do such a thing?’ Dominic made no effort to hide his disgust at the idea of one of their number willingly sacrificing himself to the parson’s mousetrap.
The three men were all aged eight and twenty, and had been to school together before serving in Wellington’s army for five years. They had fought together, drunk together, eaten together, wenched together, shared the same accommodations on many occasions—and one thing they had all agreed on long ago was the lack of a need to settle on one piece of succulent fruit when the whole of the basket was available for the tasting. Gabriel’s announcement smacked of a betrayal of that tacit pact.
Westbourne shrugged his wide shoulders beneath the elegance of his dark-blue superfine. ‘It seemed like the correct thing to do.’
The correct thing to do! When had Gabriel ever bothered himself with acting correctly? Banished to the Continent in disgrace by his own family and society eight years ago, Lord Gabriel Faulkner had lived his life since that time by his own rules, and to hell with what was correct!
Having inherited the extremely respected title of the Earl of Westbourne put a slightly different slant on things, of course, and meant that London society—the marriage-minded mamas especially—would no doubt welcome the scandalous Gabriel back into the ton with open arms. But even so …
‘You are jesting, of course, Gabriel.’ Osbourne felt no hesitation in voicing his own scepticism concerning their friend’s announcement.
‘I am afraid I am not,’ Westbourne stated firmly. ‘My unexpected inheritance of the title and estates has left the future of Copeland’s three daughters to my own tender mercies.’ His top lip curled back in self-derision. ‘No doubt Copeland expected to see his three daughters safely married off before he met his Maker. Unfortunately, this was not the case, and as such, the three young women have become my wards.’
‘Are you saying that you have been guardian to the three Copeland chits for the past six months and not said a word?’ Osborne sounded as if he could barely believe it.
