Earl of Sin: Lords of Scandal Book 6 Read online

  Fortunately, Mary had given him the exact location. He breathed a sigh of relief. How did she understand he needed to know these things? He covered his heart with his hand. She’d confessed her love yesterday. He hadn’t been able to say the words back, which made him hang his head in shame.

  All night, as they’d dined together, laughed together, and then tucked his daughter in, he’d been tempted to say the words. “I love you, Mary. You’re my salvation.” But his fear held him back.

  Perhaps this picnic was the perfect opportunity to rectify his mistake. After grabbing his hat, he headed for the park after them. He spotted their blanket almost immediately. First, there were no others set up but it was also the same one they’d used the day before. Glancing about, he didn’t see them anywhere. And then his eyes landed on the overturned boat. No one was about. His heart seized in his chest and without another thought he threw his hat to the ground, ripping off his coat as he sprinted toward the water.

  He didn’t pause as he dove into the murky water and cresting the surface, he heard a small cry.

  “Papa.”

  That made him stop. Looking ahead, he saw both Anne and Mary holding the edge of the boat. “We’re all right,” Mary called. “We just…”

  Without a word, he began swimming for them again. He could have lost them, lost them both. How could they do this to him? But then he stopped. How much of his life would he live to avoid all the things that might go wrong? That wasn’t fair to Anne or Mary. He’d been trying to protect her to the point of barely living life.

  Reaching the boat, he grabbed Anne in a hug. “Mary,” he gurgled out. “Put your arm about me too.”

  She draped her free arm about his shoulders. “I’m so sorry,” she gasped. “I pushed too far. I—”

  “It’s my fault. I didn’t listen to Mary. I won’t do it again.” Anne pulled back. “Papa, don’t change your mind. Please marry Mary.”

  He shook his head. They knew him too well. “Of course I am going to marry her.” He pulled back. “I love her, you know.”

  Both of them gasped. “You…you love me?” Mary asked.

  He leaned over and kissed his fiancée. “More than I can ever say.”

  “You’re not angry at me for this?” She looked at the boat.

  “I am, a bit. And angry at myself too. I can’t keep the people I love tucked away from danger always. I see that now.”

  Mary squeezed his shoulders. “We’ll do better to keep you from worrying.”

  “Say. Are you all right out there?” a man called from the shore. “I can row another boat out to you.”

  “That is an excellent idea,” Sin called back. Then he looked at Mary. “Let’s be honest, my method wasn’t working very well. I’m ready to try it your way.”

  She kissed him then, her mouth soft against his. “Thank you for that.” Then she giggled, whispering close to his ear. “My way involves more than one child in our future.”

  He kissed her cheek. “Mary. It only took one time for me to understand there’d be no stopping you. I’m at your mercy.”

  Epilogue

  Two years later…

  * * *

  Mary lay in her bed, tired but so satisfied, she didn’t think she’d ever have a more perfect moment in her life.

  In her arms lay their beautiful new baby boy. Behind her, cradling her to his chest, was her husband. He stroked her hair back from her temple as he kissed her forehead. “You made that look easy.”

  She chuckled. “It wasn’t.”

  “Still. You were impressive. I….” He kissed her again. “I never imagined birth would be so beautiful.”

  “I never imagined you’d stay for the whole thing.” She turned to capture a kiss from his lips.

  He shook his head. “While I like doing things your way, I’m still me. I need to be here to make certain nothing goes awry.”

  “That is an excellent point.” She kissed him again. “Isn’t he beautiful?”

  “Edward might be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life, besides you, of course,” he answered. “And Anne.”

  She rubbed her cheek on his chest. “Sometimes I think I might need to pinch myself because in my wildest dreams I never imagined my life would be like this.”

  “Like what?” he asked, placing his arm under hers to help support Edward.

  “A fairy tale,” she answered. “My happily ever after.”

  The baby gurgled, content at her breast as Cole rocked them both. “You’re my happily ever after too, my second chance when I never thought I’d recover from the first,” he said.

  “So tell me.” She looked up, smiling into his eyes. “Have you decided to leave my bed? I’ve given you your heir.”

  He quirked a brow. “You know very well that I am never leaving your bed. You don’t have to point out what a fool I was to think it was even a possibility.”

  She gave a small giggle. “Sorry my love, it’s just rather satisfying to know you love me and that our happy ending doesn’t have an expiration.”

  “Fair enough. But you know I never question any of your Chase instincts. You’ve even won over Reeves.”

  Reeves had spent the last several days keeping Anne company as Mary had been too advanced in her pregnancy to do so. “He only wanted to protect you,” she said. “In the end, he knows I make you happy.”

  He stroked the baby’s head, still rocking them both. “Me and Anne. You make us both happy. You have put us back together when I thought there was no hope. Mary Sinclair, you are my everything.”

  Her heart nearly burst from her chest. “You’re my everything too.”

  * * *

  This series has been so special to me, I just can’t let it go! I’ve decided to laugh a second round of Lords of Scandal which will begin this December!!

  * * *

  The series will begin with the novel, Earl of Gold!!

  * * *

  Why did he need love if he had gold?

  * * *

  The Earl of Goldthwaite had spent his entire adult life accumulating wealth. It was his life’s goal to never end up as his father had, penniless and rotting in some debtor’s prison. He has no time for such silly notions as love or romance. When he eventually marries, he’ll find a nice heiress to increase his holdings. But then Miss Penny Walters waltzes into his life, he knows she’s all wrong for him. As poor as her name implies, she’s nothing that he wanted. Just another woman attempting to part him from his gold. So why can’t he look away?

  * * *

  Who needed gold when her heart was rich with love?

  * * *

  Penny’s life had been charmed, at least she’d always believed so. Though her parents had little assets, they’d had enough to be comfortable and their home had been rich with affection. Which was how she’d determined to live the rest of her life. With her whole heart. Her first task was to open an orphanage in a poor London neighborhood. One that would give back to the community. The problem? She needed a loan to make her dream come true. And the one man she might be able to ask for such a sum was…

  * * *

  The miserly Earl of Gold.

  * * *

  It filled her with sick dread but what choice did she have? What she never expected was to find herself drawn to such a man. He’s nothing that she ever wanted and everything she wished to stand against. But the longer she knows him, the more she wonders… Is there a soft heart under that hard-shiny veneer of gold?

  * * *

  Earl of Gold is a bridge between the first and second round in the Lords of Scandal series. You can find the first round for sale on Amazon:

  Lord of Scandal

  Want to see where this series started? Collect the whole Lords of Scandal series:

  Duke of Daring http://tammyandresen.com/books/duke-of-daring/

  * * *

  Marquess of Malice http://tammyandresen.com/books/marquess-of-malice/

  * * *

  Earl of Exile http://tammyan
dresen.com/books/earl-of-exile/

  * * *

  Viscount of Vice http://tammyandresen.com/books/viscount-of-vice/

  * * *

  Baron of Bad http://tammyandresen.com/books/baron-of-bad/

  * * *

  * * *

  More about Tammy Andresen

  USA Today Bestselling Author, Tammy Andresen lives with her husband and three children just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. She grew up on the Seacoast of Maine, where she spent countless days dreaming up stories in blueberry fields and among the scrub pines that line the coast. Her mother loved to spin a yarn and Tammy filled many hours listening to her mother retell the classics. It was inevitable that at the age of 18, she headed off to Simmons College, where she studied English literature and education. She never left Massachusetts but some of her heart still resides in Maine and her family visits often. Visit her website at http://tammyandresen.com.

  When Only an Indecent Duke Will Do

  Romancing the Rake

  Tammy Andresen

  Prologue

  Early Spring London 1818

  * * *

  Raithe, the Baron of Balstead, watched as his last two victims walked through the door. Good. They were all here.

  He’d carefully chosen this cast of characters, his soon-to-be house guests. He needed them for a very particular purpose, though he had no intention of telling them what that purpose was.

  This was a situation where it was best to lie.

  He found many situations were that way. Not all of them, of course. But here, at his gentlemen’s club, where drinking and gambling were the primary activities, it was all about the bluff. Just to his right sat three friends. Lord Dashlane, Lord Crestwood and Lord Craven. They were his first three potential…guests.

  Craven was one of the few men in England that actually frightened him a bit. Quiet and sullen, he was also tall and well-muscled. He looked quick as a snake and equally as deadly. Then there was Dashlane, Blond with a flashing smile, he was a charmer to be sure. Crestwood was dark-haired and handsome. All three liked their fair share of women and liquor but he’d seen them defend a group of harlots that another band of ruffians had attempted to rob and that put these gents on his list.

  “Are you going to tell us what this is about?” Dashlane asked, bringing his whisky to his lips.

  “In a minute,” he answered, holding up a finger. A wide range of patrons/guests crowded the club tonight, seats limited, which worked for him. His last two players had entered the club but hadn’t picked him out the crowd yet.

  The Duke of Rathmore made his way through the mash of people and stopped directly in front of Raithe. Rathmore turned to his cousin and best friend, Lord Hartwell. “Don’t you love the smell of leather, cigars, and good whisky?”

  Hartwell rolled his eyes. “I prefer brandy and thank goodness we missed the speaker,” he quietly announced as he brushed back his rich brown hair. “I’ve no appetite for politics today.”

  Rathmore raised his brow. “What’s gotten into you?”

  “Charlie.” Hartwell grimaced, his mouth tightening.

  Raithe’s insides tightened. Charlie was short for Charlotte, Lady Charlotte Rainsville. She was Rathmore’s cousin and Hartwell’s sister. As vivacious as she was beautiful, she’d come out the season before. Fearless and outspoken, many had said she should have been born a man.

  Not that her strong personality stopped her from garnering male attention. In fact, Charlie had been the premiere debutante last season with droves of men following her about but she’d yet to choose a husband. Raithe had not been one of those men. He stayed away from respectable girls as a general rule and Charlie in particular. Something about her beauty made her difficult to even look at. A man might lose his head and he couldn’t afford to do that now.

  “Are you worried for the upcoming season? I know you were beating men off with sticks and clubs.” Rathmore chuckled.

  Hartwell’s grimace turned into a full-on spasm. “Worried doesn’t begin to cover how I feel. And sticks and clubs were the least of the needed weapons. I had two incidents that involved a sword and one that required a pistol.”

  Chase clapped his cousin on the back. “I’ll help you.”

  Hartwell gave him a light shove. “You said that last year too. But we both know you’re too busy to help me keep Charlie out of trouble.”

  “Busy doing what?” Raithe asked, a light grin playing at his lips. He knew full well what sorts of illicit pastimes the duke engaged in that kept him occupied.

  Both men turned to look at him. Hartwell appeared leery while Rathmore crossed his arms over his chest. “Don’t sneak up on me like that.”

  “I didn’t sneak.” His grin broadened. “I’ve been sitting here the entire time. Isn’t that right, Dashlane?”

  “Are they who we’re waiting for? Can we get on with it then?” Dashlane cracked his knuckles. “I’ve got a lovely brunette waiting for my attention.”

  Rathmore frowned at the other fellow. “Must you be so indiscrete about your indiscretions?”

  Crestwood quirked a brow. “How else should a man be? We are young, single, titled. Seems perfect to me.”

  “It’s tawdry. It’s one thing to participate in such behavior but another to speak so openly about it.”

  Rathmore frowned and Raithe realized he should get this conversation moving before the men began to squabble. That could come later. “Gentlemen,” he started, clearing his throat. “I’m having a party at the end of next week. You are the premier guests on the list.”

  Crestwood slapped the table, his attitude completely changing. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”

  Craven continued to grimace; his face a complete mask. “What sort of party?”

  “The sort men of your kind would like.” He winked. Raithe had a particular sort of reputation for having parties filled with women and liquor. That wasn’t what this was going to be and so he wouldn’t outwardly promise such delights. It would give him plausible deniability later.

  Rathmore dropped his arms to his sides. “Next week? I couldn’t possibly.”

  Raithe tried not to frown. The duke, once a notorious rake, had hardly been seen at the gaming hells or at parties of ill repute. Coupled with his comments to Crestwood, that made him the most important candidate of them all.

  Hartwell stepped forward. “We’re headed to the coast to check in on some of our properties.”

  Excellent. He tightened his grip around his glass. “Then you’ll be close to my home. Surely, you can spend a few days with us.”

  Hartwell shook his head. “My sister will be travelling with me. I seriously doubt she is suited to one of your parties.”

  Raithe didn’t respond. This gathering would be perfectly appropriate for such a lady but he wasn’t about to tell them all of that. Besides, Charlie was the last woman he wanted in his house, under his roof, near his bed. “That doesn’t mean Rathmore can’t attend. For a few days at least.” He leaned forward. “Tell me you’re not craving something different.”

  He saw the flicker of indecision in the other man’s eyes.

  Victory roared in his blood.

  “Count me in,” Crestwood crowed. “What about you, Dashlane?”

  Dashlane took a sip of his drink. “Why not? I could use a change of pace. Craven?”

  The third man frowned. “I suppose.”

  Raithe didn’t care if Craven attended or not. In fact, he’d prefer he didn’t but the three were often together making Craven a necessary evil. “Rathmore?”

  “I’ll think on it,” Rathmore shrugged, staring at the far wall.

  “I’ll attend,” another voice called from the corner. Raithe turned, his jaw clenching when he’d seen who spoke. His Grace, the Duke of Danesbury sat, partially obscured by shadow. The man was rarely seen out, his face having been scarred on one side from some accident or another. Raithe’s eyes widened to see the man here on such a busy night. “Your Grace?” he asked. Strictly speaking
the man was not invited but as a duke, he’d be difficult to refuse.

  “I’ve heard of your parties, Balstead. I’ll come if you’ll have me.”

  Raithe swore softly under his breath. This was not one of the carefully chosen men. He didn’t know what sort of man Danesbury was and didn’t wish to find out. “Of course, Your Grace.”

  Raithe sat back in his chair. He had five men after all. Not the five he’d originally set out to invite but still… that ought to give Cassandra some choices…

  Chapter One

  Chase, better known as the Duke of Rathmore, stared out the window of his carriage, watching the darkening sky with a narrow-eyed glare. The clouds suited his mood. One might argue that he should be happy. He was on his way to a summer house party that was likely to be the event of the season.

  At least for lords with power, money, and a proclivity for fun. And by fun, he meant drinking, gambling, and sex, likely in that order.

  The Baron of Balstead, was known among most men to be a deviant. He liked lavish parties with high-powered men and lowly women. Chase had been invited before. But somehow, Balstead had managed to convince him to attend this time. As an unmarried duke who regularly showed up in the clubs, gaming hells, and even a few high-end brothels, he was exactly the sort that Balstead would want to attend. This was just the first time that Chase had ever accepted.