The Governess Who Captured
His Heart
The
Honorable Scoundrels, #1
by Sophie Barnes
Publication
Date: November 7th 2017
Genres: Adult,
Historical, Romance
BLURB
Temptations or
Priorities…?
Determined to help her oldest
sister make ends meet, Louise Potter accepts a governess position in the
northern part of England. If this means accompanying an older gentleman on his
travels, then she will. There’s only one problem: Louise is about to discover
that her travelling companion is not the elderly man she expected, but rather
seduction itself…
Alistair Langley has no desire to
share his carriage with his niece’s newly hired employee. But the matron he
expected to find at his door is instead a beautiful young woman, one he knows
he can’t travel alone with. After all, he’s going to visit his brother who is
pressuring him to marry and produce a Langley heir–or be cut off from
inheritance. When he confides in Louise, together they form a plan. But the
closer they become, the more temptation beckons…
Until finally a choice must be made:
Love or money? Or is it possible to have both?
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EXCERPT
Lowering the letter she’d been reading, Louise Potter held
the expensive sheet of paper between her fingers and glanced at both of her
sisters in turn. “I have been accepted for the position. Lady Channing would
like me to start immediately.”
“That is what you wish to do, is it not?” Josephine asked.
At six and twenty, she was two years older than Louise and six years older than
their youngest sister, Eve.
“It certainly is a welcome opportunity.” With the townhouse
serving as their only inheritance, and Josephine working hard to make ends meet
for all of them, Louise wanted to find a way to help her older sister. As a
result, she now had the chance of becoming a governess to three young children.
“My only regret is I shall miss Christmas with the two of you.”
“Perhaps the countess will allow you to see us on that
particular day?” Eve suggested.
Louise bit her lip. Her employment would require a major
move, which was something she hadn’t yet mentioned to either of her sisters.
“I’m afraid not. If I’m lucky, I shall be able to come to Town during the
spring and part of the summer while the Season is underway. Otherwise, most of
my time will be spent near Whitehaven.”
Her sisters stared at her. “I forget where that is,” Eve
finally said.
“I believe it is in the north,” Josephine told her.
Louise nodded. “It is indeed.”
Eve’s mouth dropped open. “But then we shall never see you
again!”
“As I mentioned, I might return to Town once Parliament
opens and the Radcliffe family chooses to relocate to their London home.” She
paused to consider their unhappy faces. “Unless I decline the offer and remain
here. I can do so if you are loath to see me go.”
“No.” Josephine quickly smiled, though the effort did appear
slightly strenuous. “You have been given the chance to accept respectable
employment with a highly regarded aristocratic family. Neither of us will stand
in your way.”
“Are you certain?” Louise was beginning to doubt her own
resolve.
Travelling north had seemed like a grand adventure until
she’d told her sisters about it. They’d never been apart before, and since
their father’s death, they’d been especially dependent upon each other, not
only to get through the grief, but also to find a way forward in the following
whirlwind of chaos.
Louise’s grandfather had been the third son of an earl. As
such, he’d gone into law and had eventually, upon his death, left his thriving
practice to his son. But he had not been as skilled a barrister as his father,
nor did he have a head for the business. After he lost a string of cases, clients had chosen to seek
counsel elsewhere. As time had progressed and the funds had dwindled, the
larger houses had been sold and the meeker residence where Louise and her
sisters now lived had been purchased instead. But even this house would be lost
to Louise and her sisters unless a decent income could be secured. Especially
since their uncle, the current Earl of Priorsbridge, had neglected to take on
his responsibility as their guardian.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for you,” Josephine said.
Meeting Louise’s gaze, she did not need to say the money her work would produce
could ease their concerns. Instead, she asked a practical question. “When do
you intend to leave?”
“Tomorrow.” Knowing how surprising this comment was, Louise
hastened to say, “The countess has offered conveyance if I do. It seems her
uncle, Lord Alistair, will be travelling up then as well, so it has been
suggested we go together for practical reasons.”
“I suppose doing so would provide you with a better carriage
for such a long journey,” Josephine said. “But is it wise for you to travel
alone with a man whom you’ve never met before?”
Louise made a face. “At my age?” She shook her head. “You
know as well as I that I am almost as firmly on the shelf as you are. And since
I am not a young lady with marriageable prospects but rather a soon
to-be-governess, I dare say no one will think much about it. Not to mention
this uncle must be at least fifty years old considering the countess’s age.”
“How can you possibly know her age?” Eve asked. “It doesn’t
seem like the sort of thing she would share in her letter to you.”
“Quite right,” Louise told her, “but her eldest son is
eleven, so I can make an intelligent guess.”
“I suppose that is true,” Josephine murmured. “Which means
you’re probably right about Lord Alistair. Besides, I doubt the countess would
suggest his escort unless she was sure you’d be safe in his presence.”
Louise agreed. “It is settled then?”
“I believe so.” Josephine said.
Her remark propelled Louise to hug both her sisters. She
then hurried on through to her room and pulled her valise out from under the
bed. It was time for her to start packing.
####
Enjoying a last minute brandy in his study, Alistair Clay
Hedgewick, considered his niece’s request to bring her new governess with him
to Whitehaven. He groaned at the prospect of it–of having to spend a week with
a middle-aged spinster instead of alone in his own company as he’d been
expecting. Dreading it, he took another sip of his drink. It was a bit early in
the day to be imbibing, but under the circumstances he felt he needed the
fortification before setting out in another half hour.
He glanced toward the clock on the fireplace mantle. An hour
had passed since he’d sent his carriage to collect her, so she should be
arriving at any moment. A knock sounded at the door, and Alistair called for
his butler to enter.
“My lord,” Mr. Fox said while maids and footmen scurried
around behind him, gathering last minute items in need of packing. “Miss Potter
has arrived. Would you like me to show her in?”
Alistair considered the question. He could hardly say no,
could he? It was tempting since doing so would allow him that extra half hour
of peace before embarking on a journey that would force him to stay on his best
behavior. Taking his shoes off and relaxing his feet would not be possible. Nor
would sleeping, since he had no desire to snore in her presence. In fact, he
was giving up a great deal of comfort for a woman he’d never met and did not
care about.
“Very well,” he sighed, before downing the rest of his drink
and rising. He might as well meet his travelling companion, he reasoned, since
it was the polite thing to do. Like it or not, he always strove to do what was
right and play the part of the well-mannered gentleman, no matter how impractical
or aggravating it could be. His behavior, however, reflected not only on him
but on his entire family, and being called to task by his brother was something
he always tried to avoid.
Mr. Fox returned. “Miss Potter,” he said, before stepping
aside so a slim woman, wearing a grey gown and a matching pelisse, could enter.
On her head, she wore a straw bonnet beneath which he was able to spy a golden
display of neatly combed hair. But what shocked him the most was her face,
because it did not belong to the middle-aged, rotund matron he’d envisioned,
but rather to the angelic youthfulness of a woman in her prime. More than that,
she was the perfect picture of beauty, her delicate features lending an
elegance even the highest ranking ladies of society lacked. Her eyes, he noted,
were a bright glow of hazel while her lips, parting now with undeniable
surprise, were the sort men dreamed of in their wickedest fantasies.
Aware he was staring, he gathered his wits, schooled his
features, and stepped toward her. “Miss Potter, it is a pleasure to make your
acquaintance.”
She gaped at him. “Are you Lord Alistair?”
“The one and only.”
She shook her head. “You can’t be.” Glancing around as if
seeking another gentleman, she gradually returned her gaze to him when none was
to be found. “You…you…” Waving her hands as if hoping to fashion the necessary
words, she finally blurted, “You are twenty years younger than you ought to
be!”
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Author Info
Born in Denmark, Sophie has spent
her youth traveling with her parents to wonderful places all around the world.
She’s lived in five different countries, on three different continents, and
speaks Danish, English, French, Spanish and Romanian. She has studied design in
Paris and New York and has a bachelor’s degree from Parson’s School of design,
but most impressive of all – she’s been married to the same man three times, in
three different countries and in three different dresses. While living in
Africa, Sophie turned to her lifelong passion – writing. When she’s not busy,
dreaming up her next romance novel, Sophie enjoys spending time with her
family, swimming, cooking, gardening, watching romantic comedies and, of
course, reading. She currently lives on the East Coast.
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