An Earl For The Shy Widow
The new Earl And the lady he should resist! Part of The Widows of Westram: Having left the army to take up the title of Earl of Longhurst, Ethan feels the weight of his new responsibilities. He was brusque with the woman picking blackberries, only to find she’s his neighbour, Lady Petra, who helps him despite his gruffness. A wealthy bride would save his estate, but all he can think about is this shy, kind and penniless widow…!
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The new earl
And the lady he should resist!
Part of The Widows of Westram: Having left the army to take up the title of Earl of Longhurst, Ethan feels the weight of his new responsibilities. He was brusque with the woman picking blackberries, only to find she’s his neighbor Lady Petra, who helps him despite his gruffness. A wealthy bride would save his estate, but all he can think about is this shy, kind and penniless widow!
In her youth, award-winning author ANN LETHBRIDGE reimagined the Regency romances she read—and now she loves writing her own. Now living in Canada, Ann visits Britain every year, where family members understand—or so they say—her need to poke around every antiquity within a hundred miles. Learn more about Ann or contact her at annlethbridge.com. She loves hearing from readers.
Secrets of the Marriage Bed
An Innocent Maid for the Duke
Rescued by the Earl’s Vows
Rakes in Disgrace miniseries
The Gamekeeper’s Lady
More Than a Mistress
Deliciously Debauched by the Rake
More Than a Lover
The Widows of Westram miniseries
A Lord for the Wallflower Widow
An Earl for the Shy Widow
And look out for the last book,
coming soon
Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.
ISBN: 978-1-474-08907-4
AN EARL FOR THE SHY WIDOW
© 2019 Michèle Ann Young
Published in Great Britain 2019
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
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This book is dedicated to you,
my good friend and teacher, Sandra Atri.
Thank you for your patience and understanding,
and for making me want to go to the gym
instead of dragging my feet.
It has been a great year
and I am looking forward to the next one.
Contents
September 1813
Autumn sunlight flooded into the tiny drawing room at Westram Cottage. Lady Petra strode to the window. Beneath a blue sky, a slight breeze stirred the leaves of a nearby oak tree and nodded the heads of the red roses along the path to the front door. A perfect afternoon for a ride, if one had a horse.
She sighed and wandered back to her chair. She picked up the embroidery she’d been working on a few moments before. A handkerchief for her brother Red, the Earl of Westram. So boring. She cast it aside and got up to straighten the portrait of her mother on the opposite wall.
‘Petra,’ her older sister, Lady Marguerite Saxby, said, ‘please stop pacing. You are making me dizzy.’
Remorseful, Petra spun around. ‘I am sorry. I did not mean to disturb you.’
Auburn haired and green eyed, Marguerite was seated at the table going through her correspondence. As usual, her luxuriant tresses were pinned back severely beneath her widow’s cap. Although she returned Petra’s smile, there was sadness in her eyes. Marguerite hadn’t looked anything but sad since she was widowed.
Did Petra have that same look? She strode to the glass over the mantel and peered at her reflection. Unlike her older siblings, she took after her mother with blonde hair and blue eyes. Did she also look sad?
She closed her eyes against her reflection, unwilling to admit to sadness. Yet perhaps she could acknowledge regret. After all, it was partly her fault that she and Harry had had such a blazing row.
