Lord Hunter's Cinderella Heiress
Betrothed…to the wrong man!Building a life away from her bullying family, schoolmistress Helen Tilney needs to convince her childhood sweetheart she’s a worthy bride. Standing in her way is Lord Hunter—the man Nell has just discovered she’s betrothed to!Hunter’s offer of marriage to Nell came out of guilt, and now seems less than appealing! So when she asks for his help to win another man he agrees. Until their lessons in flirtation inspire a raging desire which has Hunter longing to keep Nell for himself…Book 1 in the Wild Lords and Innocent Ladies trilogy
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Betrothed...to the wrong man!
Building a life away from her bullying family, schoolmistress Helen Tilney now needs to convince her childhood sweetheart sheâs a worthy bride. Standing in her way is Lord Hunterâthe man Nell has just discovered sheâs betrothed to!
Hunterâs offer of marriage to Nell came out of guilt, and now seems less than appealing! So when she asks for his help to win another man, he agrees. Until their lessons in flirtation inspire a raging desire that has Hunter longing to keep Nell for himself...
Book 1 in the Wild Lords and Innocent Ladies trilogy
Wild Lords and Innocent Ladies
Lord Hunter, Lord Stanton and Lord Ravenscar
Three wild rakes whose seductive charms and aristocratic titles have the ladies of the ton swooning behind their fans. United by their charitable foundation to help those scarred by war, these lords are the firmest of friends.
But they guard their hardened hearts almost as closely as they do their riches... That is until they encounter three very special women.
Could these innocent ladies be the ones to tame these wild lords once and for all?
Read Lord Hunter and Nellâs story in
Lord Hunterâs Cinderella Heiress
And look out for linked stories about Lord Stanton and Lord Ravenscarâcoming soon!
Lord Hunterâs Cinderella Heiress is the first book in my Wild Lords and Innocent Ladies series, about three friends who are infamous for their rakish past and supreme skill with horses. But, though this is a romance, it touches on some serious and timeless topicsâamong them the impact of suicide on those left behind.
The three friends are a product of their time in historyâa generation shaped by a costly war and just as costly an aftermath. Many veterans of the Napoleonic wars returned to England wounded in body and mind, without an income or the ability to find employment. There were several hospitals dedicated to caring for soldiers âbroken by age or warââthe most famous was the Royal Hospital Chelsea, established by King Charles II in 1681)âbut they were a drop in the ocean after such prolonged, bloody and devastating wars that affected not just veterans but their families, and led to many unreported cases of suicide (still a serious problem in most active armies today).
My three Wild Lords share tragedies revolving around the wars, and together they establish an institution, Hope House, to help veterans and their families rebuild their lives. In this first book my hero, Lord Hunter, is emotionally scarred by his brotherâs suicide after being captured and tortured in France, and his guilt at failing to protect his adored younger brother becomes a driving force in his life and very nearly prevents him from opening himself to the healing power of love. Luckily my horse-loving heroine Nellâwho has a few scars of her ownâis not easily dissuaded...
LARA TEMPLE was three years old when she begged her mother to take the dictation of her first adventure story. Since then she has led a double lifeâby day she is a high-tech investment professional, who has lived and worked on three continents, but when darkness falls she loses herself in history and romance...at least on the page. Luckily her husband and two beautiful and very energetic children help her weave it all together.
Books by Lara Temple
Mills & Boon Historical Romance
Lord Crayleâs Secret World
The Reluctant Viscount The Dukeâs Unexpected Bride
Wild Lords and Innocent Ladies
Lord Hunterâs Cinderella Heiress
Visit the Author Profile page at millsandboon.co.uk.
To Myrna, Mark and Arik,
who miss David as much as I do.
He couldnât hold on but gave so much love while he did.
Contents
Leicestershireâ1816
âYouâre wanted, Miss Nell. The master has some viscount or other wanting to take Petra through her paces. Lord Hunter, I think his name was. Knowing fellow.â
âAnother one? I hope she takes him head first through a hedge, Elkins,â Nell replied, her voice muffled as she bent to examine Pluckâs fetlock.
âSheâll have to go to someone and he seems a fair choiceâno bluster about him.â The elderly groom smiled.
âI donât know why Father insists I escort his guests anyway. As head groom you are far more qualified than I.â
âItâs simple, miss. Youâve got the best seat in the county and that gives them fellows the idea their wives or daughters might look the same if they took home one of these prime bits of blood. They wonât, no how, but thereâs no harm in it. Your fatherâs a hard man, I know, but heâs right proud of the way you are with horses. Youâre like him there, see you.â
Nell wrinkled her noseâshe didnât want to be like the brutish sot in any way whatsoever. She secured the stall door, but Pluck shoved her arched neck over the side and shook her mane. Nell relented and came back for one more stroke.
