Three Secrets and a Scandal (Regency Secrets and Scandals Book 2) Read online

  Three Secrets and a Scandal

  Elizabeth Hanbury

  Contents

  Praise for Elizabeth Hanbury

  About the Author

  Also by Elizabeth Hanbury

  Acknowledgments

  Introduction to 2018 edition

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Epilogue

  Author’s Note

  Thank You

  Praise for Elizabeth Hanbury

  “A Regency writer of real skill, depth, wit and charm”

  Nicola Cornick, USA Today best-selling author

  “A brilliant read.”

  Tifferz and her Sisters book reviews

  “Swoonworthy kisses, sizzling chemistry and action that leaps off the page at you.”

  Booksaresanity reviews

  “Elizabeth Hanbury’s writing is wonderful”

  Bookishly Attentive

  “A highly entertaining read”

  Historical Novels Review

  “Funny, tender, evocative, atmospheric and brimming with plenty of charm”

  Redrosesforauthors reviews

  About the Author

  Elizabeth Hanbury is a best selling author of warm and witty historical romance for UK and US publishers.

  A member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and Society of Authors, Elizabeth drinks too much tea and is addicted to cake, long walks and anything that makes her laugh. She lives in a village in the heart of England and writes whenever she can sneak away to her desk.

  For more books and updates:

  www.elizabethhanbury.com

  She loves to hear from readers at:

  [email protected] or

  [email protected]

  Also by Elizabeth Hanbury

  The Paradise Will

  The Cinderella Debutante

  Regency Secrets and Scandals Series

  Lady Vane’s Secret (Book 1)

  Three Secrets and a Scandal (Book 2)

  The Secret Duke (Book 3) coming soon

  Regency Rakes and Rebels Series

  Midsummer Eve at Rookery End (Book 1)

  Christmas at Rakehell Manor (Book 2)

  Brief Encounters (short story collection with Phillipa Ashley and Nell Dixon)

  Three Secrets and a Scandal: Copyright © 2011-2018 Elizabeth Hanbury

  First published as A Bright Particular Star in 2011 by Astraea Press/Clean Reads LLC

  This edition © 2018 by Midsummer Hill Publishing

  All rights reserved.

  The right of Elizabeth Hanbury to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  Except in the case of brief quotations for review purposes, no part of this book may be used or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without written permission from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are products of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organisations or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Cover design by Rhian Awni

  http://rhianawni.com/

  For Alan,

  who loved an adventure.

  “That I should love a bright particular star

  And think to wed it.”

  William Shakespeare – All’s Well That Ends Well

  Acknowledgments

  Thanks go to my family for their love, enthusiasm and support; to Julia for being a great friend and critique partner; to the other members of the Coffee Crew, Nell Dixon and Phillipa Ashley, for their advice and for keeping me supplied with caffeine and cake. Thanks also to Gilly for being an endless source of inspiration and historical snippets, and to The Girls Night Out Gang – still going strong after all this time.

  I’m also indebted to Wendy, Glenda, Sue, Hilary, Rosy, Helen, Jo, Mags, Sally, Eve, Leah, Elise, Vanessa, Judy, Annalise, Annelisbeth, Janet, Maggie, Hazel, Felicia, Carolyn, Diane, Leslie, Nora, Neelma, Steph and others at C19 and elsewhere for the friendship, fun, and encouragement.

  To Rhian Awni, thanks for a beautiful cover for this new edition.

  Last but not least, a heartfelt thank you to the amazingly generous readers who make it all worthwhile by taking the time to read my books, write reviews and get in touch.

  Introduction to 2018 edition

  Dear Friends,

  I hope you enjoy Three Secrets and a Scandal. This edition includes a beautiful new cover, title and series title, all of which better reflect the books and the series as a whole and bring them up to date.

  Three Secrets and a Scandal was first published in 2011, a sequel to Lady Vane’s Secret.

  A third book, The Secret Duke, is due out soon. Each can be read as stand-alone but are best read in order. There’s more information on my website about the characters and how some hop between books.

  Happy reading, and please do leave a review on Amazon and get in touch - I love to hear from you.

  With love,

  Elizabeth

  Chapter 1

  Near Bath, England - August 1817

  If only he could go for a swim.

  The day was already hot and stripping off to dive into a lake was an inviting prospect. Unfortunately, all the surrounding country had to offer was a village pond so he would have to cool off with a tankard of ale instead. At least it would be a fitting way to celebrate.

  A cloudless sky stretched out to the horizon and the park surrounding Ludstone Hall was bathed in sunshine. As Theo Cavanagh drove down the gravel drive, he breathed deeply, savouring the scent of freshly cut hay drifting on the breeze and glad to be leaving Ludstone behind him.

  He smiled, contemplating his success. The wine venture was going well and with the order he had just received he could purchase that colt he had been coveting. A descendant of the all conquering Eclipse, the colt had the potential to become a valuable stud stallion.

  Lost in his reverie, Theo entered the shade thrown by an avenue of trees. He had almost reached the iron gates when something fell from above amid a flurry of leaves and twigs.

  Billowing muslin passed by in a blur and a girl fell into his lap.

  Winded, he swore loudly. His horses responded by bolting, startled by his violent tug on the reins when the feminine armful had descended from the heavens or, more correctly, from the trees which arched low over this part of the driveway.

  In seconds his thoroughbreds were out of control and racing ahead at breakneck speed. Forced to put his arms about the girl and with his vision obscured by a mass of dark shiny hair, a tirade on the folly of dropping into moving carriages died on his lips as he struggled to keep the curricle in a straight line. The girl nestled closer, which at least allowed him to see the way ahead.

  He almost wished he couldn’t.

  Deuce take it, they would be lucky to escape serious injury. They were going to crash into the gates.

  His mind raced through his options. Easing round in a circle would be useless. His horses might collide with one of the trees or overturn the carriage if he t
urned at too sharp an angle. There was no incline for him to point his team at, and jumping out at this speed would be risky.

  There was nothing for it but to hold on and try to regain control.

  Theo was aware of sweet, moist breath playing against his throat, a delicate floral scent, fingers clutching at his driving coat and a figure as supple as a cat curled against him, but he had no time to dwell on these as the curricle careered wildly from side to side, the bays’ hooves thundering over the ground as the gates loomed.

  Scenery flew by. The carriage bowled on at a furious pace. Sweat beaded on his brow and trickled down his back. His horses were in no mood to respond to any tightening of the reins. In desperation, he tried a different tactic, see-sawing the pressure— release and pull, release and pull. The bays’ pace checked enough for him to bring their heads down. Gritting his teeth for one last effort, Theo threw his weight backwards and hauled long and hard, praying it would be enough.

  Through brute strength and luck, the bays came to a plunging, head-tossing halt with only yards to spare.

  Immediately the girl struggled to sit up. The sensation of her body pressed against his vanished when she gave his chest a purposeful shove and scrambled across the seat.

  “What the—?”

  Theo cut the exclamation short. His horses were now registering their further disgust by rearing up.

  “Hurry up and bring your team to order—they will overturn us otherwise,” said a breathless voice at his side.

  “Of all the cheek!” He hauled yet again on the reins. “If you hadn’t made them lose their heads by dropping into my lap like a—”

  “Ripe apple?” interjected his companion.

  “No! I was going to say like a hoyden. What a ramshackle thing to do! What do you mean by it? Are you mad? You could have been hurt.”

  Satisfied that his horses were in hand at last, Theo, still fuming, swung around to look at his passenger. She was turned away from him and smudges of dirt and moss covered her face so it was hard to tell if she was pretty or plain. She was certainly dishevelled. She wore no bonnet and brown hair tumbled down her back in disarray. She was built on petite lines, the top of her head barely reaching his shoulder. To his surprise she was not, as he had suspected, a schoolroom miss but a little older. A faded, illfitting spencer covered an equally ill-fitting gown and scuffed halfboots peeked out from under the hem. Studying her profile, Theo could see a pert nose and well-shaped mouth.

  His fury mingled with astonishment as, apparently unconcerned at having dropped into his carriage, she pushed errant curls back from her face and began rummaging through her reticule.

  When she became aware he was staring, she turned and Theo found himself looking down into an arresting pair of eyes.

  Large and fringed with lush lashes, they were the colour of a sunlit sea.

  Her brows lifted in indignation. “Of course I’m not mad. The risk of getting hurt was slight and I was prepared to take the chance.”

  “Good grief,” he murmured after a stunned silence. “Do you drop into gentlemen’s carriages often as a way of amusing yourself, Miss—?”

  “Sophie Devereux. And I’m not amusing myself, I am escaping and this was the only way I could do it without being observed. Now, will you please drive on before my aunt realizes I am missing.”

  His jaw dropped another notch. ‘Did you say escaping?”

  She nodded. “From Aunt Eudora and Cousin Peregrine.”

  Still gaping, Theo forced himself to concentrate on her reply. While the outcome of his visit had been successful, he had not enjoyed his meeting with the imperious Mrs Sloane, the owner of Ludstone. She had been as grovelling towards him as she had been arrogant in every other regard, but he could not refuse orders just because he didn’t like the person behind them, or because he deplored the oppressive atmosphere that had pervaded the Sloane household. “Is your aunt the lady I have been visiting up at the Hall?”

  “That’s right. My widowed aunt, Eudora Sloane,” she replied, brushing off her skirts, “and having met her, you can hardly blame me for wanting to escape.”

  “She seemed high in the instep, but that’s no reason to run away.”

  Miss Devereux put up her chin and regarded him frankly. “You wouldn’t say so if you had to live with her. Aunt Eudora is the most appalling person. She orders everyone around, except her son, Perry, who can do no wrong in her eyes. I’m used to Eudora’s overbearing ways in general and can deal with them, but that is not why I’m escaping now. There is another reason, albeit one connected with my aunt. I need your help and it must be today. I am desperate.”

  “My help!” Theo tried to collect his wits. The world, it seemed, had begun to revolve in reverse and he was feeling dazed, as if he’d received a useful left jab. “This is ridiculous! You drop into my carriage, startling my horses and risking injury to yourself in the process, and then ask for help to run away from home. Look here, you crazy little hellcat, however difficult your circumstances may be I can’t help you. I’m on my way to Bath!”

  A mischievous dimple appeared as she flashed him a smile. “How fortunate! Bath is where I wish to go too and it’s excessively kind of you to take me, Mr Cavanagh.”

  Theo’s eyes opened wider. “Didn’t you hear what I said? I can’t take you anywhere! It’s impossible. Far better you return to the house and sort out your differences with your aunt—” He stopped, his brow furrowing. “Wait a minute! How the deuce do you know my name? We’ve never met before.”

  “It wasn’t difficult,” she said, now engaged in pulling twigs out of her hair. “I wheedled it out of Cousin Perry when I knew you were coming. Your visit provided the perfect opportunity to escape and, from what I could see through the window, you looked trustworthy enough.”

  “How could you make that assumption just by looking at me?” said Theo, taken aback. “I might be the most debauched rake this side of Bath!”

  Her eyes twinkled up at him. “Oh no,” she demurred, “You had too much elegance of manner to be a rake.”

  Theo hardly knew whether to be flattered or wounded by this observation. He was relieved not to be considered a rake, but her description suggested he was a dull dog who lacked spirit. “Obliged to you,” he said in a dry voice, “but you took a risk in assuming I am a man of honour and good character.”

  “Aren’t you?” she asked, subjecting him to a careful scrutiny.

  “Aren’t I what?”

  “A man of honour and good character.”

  “Of course I am—”

  A little sigh escaped her. “I knew I was not mistaken. As soon as I saw you, I knew you could be relied on and, as Aunt Eudora has boasted to me and anyone else who will listen, you are extremely well-connected—the brother of an earl, no less.”

  “That doesn’t make it any safer for you to drop into my carriage!”

  “No, but I reasoned you were the sort of gentleman who would help, and that opinion was reinforced when I saw you.” She leaned closer to add in a low, urgent voice, “Mr Cavanagh, all this must seem odd to you, but these measures have been forced on me. I don’t undertake them lightly. I had to wait in that tree for almost an hour because I couldn’t risk any of the servants witnessing my departure. Most of them cannot be trusted. And I didn’t want to dash out in front of your carriage. That was more likely to result in an accident and I wouldn’t have wished any harm to befall you.”

  “Good of you to consider the possibility!” Despite his annoyance, Theo was relieved Miss Devereux was unhurt and, he had to admit, impressed by her courage. Clearly she considered dropping into a fast-moving curricle an insignificant feat.

  “You being injured would not have helped my cause,” she replied. “Besides, there was no real danger. The worst consequences of hiding in a tree are dirt and a few scratches, which don’t signify in the least, although I expect I look a fright. I’m sorry if I startled you and your horses but it was the only way. I’m forbidden to go into Bath alone, you
see. Eudora won’t let me out of her sight unless I have Cousin Perry’s escort.”

  ”Do you know the reason for my visit here?”

  She nodded. “You came about the wine…the wine to be served at my betrothal party.” Ignoring his start of surprise, she found the comb she had been looking for in her reticule and began to tidy her hair. “I don’t like to press you but please can we make a start? Your horses are growing restive and I am anxious to be away. I have arranged to meet someone this afternoon.”

  Theo made an inarticulate sound in his throat. “My good girl, how many more times must I tell you?” he said, exasperated. “I can’t help you to escape, although why you should want to when you have a betrothal party planned is beyond me! Your aunt did not explain what the wine was for but, if what you say is true, it makes it even more improper to assist you. You are also not prepared for a journey, even one to Bath. And where do you intend to go afterward? You have no maid to attend you, no baggage and, for all I know, no money either.”