by Tamara Gill
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All my love,
Rose
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PRINCE OF ROGUES
Angelique Armae
A Special Note About Seduced by Scandal
Thank you for purchasing one of my Seduced by Scandal Historical Romance books. While this series is set during the Regency-era, please note the series does not take place in England. There are some differences in manners of the day, words used, royal rules, and etc. The Kingdom of Countavia is a fictional realm set on a fictional island located between England and France. My princes do fight on England’s side in the Napoleonic Wars, but they also serve protecting Countavia from its own battle with The Northern Territories, a fictional kingdom along the realm’s north border.
Prologue
1807
City of Landon
Kingdom of Countavia
Miss Catherine Culpepper, better known to her friends simply as Kitty, never believed in the true existence of monsters.
She had no reason to.
She’d grown up with parents who had loved her, an older brother who’d doted on her, and friends who’d been near and dear to her. For twenty-three years she had lived an idyllic life full of happiness and good cheer.
Then came today.
Her hands trembled as she ran her right thumb over the etched frame of her brother’s pocket watch. A smear of dried blood marred the delicate paisley design. “Where did you find this?”
Alexander stiffened; his proper royal upbringing suddenly evident in his mannerism. “On the street, two houses down from Thomas’s.”
She nodded. “It’s definitely his. Mother commissioned a local jeweler to make it for Thomas three years ago. I argued with her over it, as I didn’t care to sit for the portrait as I believed the whole notion of putting an image of me inside the casing to be absurd.” She stared at the miniature painting of herself resting in the underside of the watch’s cover. “But she’d insisted. Said Thomas was going off to war and he was having a hard go of it with leaving behind his little sister.”
Kitty sniffled, held back the river of tears that threatened to burst from her eyes.
Alexander joined her on the sofa. He reached for her arm but remained silent, allowed her to take a moment to let reality settle in.
She appreciated Alex’s gesture, but for the first time since having caught the prince’s eye, his presence gave her little comfort.
“I was lucky to have had such a good brother,” she said. “Thomas always watched out for me. Save of course, for allowing me to court you.” She gave up a slight chuckle as making light of the situation seemed all she could do at the moment.
Pain sliced at her heart.
“I’m very sorry, for your loss, Kitty.” Alexander’s voice flowed deep and even. “Truly I am.”
She knew Alex meant every word. He’d become her rock after Thomas had left for war. Especially these last few months, since her father had grown gravely ill. Soon, she’d have no one left. “After Mother died, Thomas promised he’d always take care of me. I had even joked with him in the letters I’d sent him during the weeks he’d be off the battlefield, but still away at war. I’d write that he had better not marry some tart who didn’t take kindly to having a sister-in-law.”
The thought of those carefree letters increased the ache in her chest.
Thomas was so much more than just a brother to her. He was the future of the family, the one soul who would carry on the Culpepper name and keep their father’s covert operations going. Now he was gone.
And soon her father would join him.
Her resolve shattered.
Tears rolled down Kitty’s cheeks, blurred her vision and coated her lips with a salty essence.
Alex pulled her close, let her bury her head against his chest. A hint of lemon, coming from the prince’s cologne, filled her intakes of breath as she sobbed into his dark blue great coat.
She turned her head, just enough to free her mouth to speak. “To think my wonderful brother had spent three years away at war only to come home to be murdered by some insolent thief on the landing of his very own front steps.” She paused to catch her breath. “How could this have happened, Alex? How?”
She punched her fist against Alexander’s chest. “It’s so unfair. Pickpockets never come ‘round this area of Landon, and yet that blasted man made his way down King’s Street and killed my brother. And for what? A pocket watch he didn’t even manage to keep hold of?”
Alex gently stroked Kitty’s back.
Heat seeped into her spine and shoulders, warmed her to the core but did little to truly take away her pain. Though still, she appreciated Alex beyond anyone else in the world. He could have very easily allowed the local constable to deliver to her the most horrible news of her life. But he hadn’t. He came instead, took on the labored task himself. She’d be forever grateful to him for this.
Alex calmly rocked her. “I’ll find the man responsible for Thomas’s death. I promise you, Kitty. And when I do, I’ll make certain the miscreant pays.”
Kitty had no doubt Alex would hold true to his word. He’d been true about everything else in the past, from promising her a garden of her favorite roses to promising to help manage her father’s illegal press. He personally had brought in a handful of covert operators from the Crown’s elite underground spy network, when her father had fallen too ill to continue his work.
Alexander would definitely avenge Thomas’s death.
As would she.
As she had no intention of letting the miserable soul who’d murdered her brother in cold blood, get away with his crimes.
Maybe it wasn’t prim and proper for a woman to go hunt down a villain.
But she was no prissy or prudish wallflower. Her mother had seen to that from day one as she’d been given more of a son’s rougher upbringing than the delicate nurturing given to most daughters. It was how it had to be considering her father was one of the king’s most trusted informants. Everyone in her family had sacrificed for the better sake of the realm. And despite that world being a dangerous place to live in, it did afford her the strength to do what now must be done.
The only thing it hadn’t given her was the right to do it, as only a few women had been appointed official positions in the Crown’s covert operations unit.
But having been born a girl wasn’t going to stop her.
One way or another, she was going to find a way to do the job as equally as could a man.
Chapter One
1808
Baine Palace
City of Landon
Kingdom of Countavia
Having spent most of his adult years fighting wars to save his father’s kingdom, the notion of having found a demure, sensible woman to love forever gave Alexander a comfort unlike anything else.
Not that he didn’t cherish the many other good things about Miss Catherine Culpepper—for there were plenty of admirable qualities to the usually cheerful lady—but her desire to shy away from the more complicated aspects of life is was what he treasured most.
Even her simple name pleased him, a single Christian moniker attached to a single surname. Unlike his official title—His Royal Highness Prince Alexander Nicholas Albert Richard, Prince of Countavia, Prince of the Realm’s Territories, Duke of Kisswyck, Earl of Cressywyck, Colonel of the King’s Army, Third son of Their Majesties King Bertram and Queen Charlotte—which tired the tongue in mere seconds.
Third son…
Yes, his ridiculously long title included his rank within the royal pecking order. The extra addition hav
ing come as compliments of his great-great-great grandfather’s desire to boast about his twenty children.
Bloody nuisance.
Not to mention sixteen of his great-great-great grandfather’s children were born to mistresses. Overall, there were more titled Baines gracing this earth that had been born to illegitimate heirs than there were those descended of legitimate ones.
Thank the Good Lord his father’s father had managed to make a love match, thus putting an end to the act of populating the royal bloodline through the birth of bastards. Not that he had anything against his illegitimate relatives, in fact, several that hailed from his great-great-great grandfather’s mistresses were some of his closest and fondest kin.
But still....
Alexander shook his head.
Third son….
What utter nonsense.
Never was he going to put his own child through such trials by giving him so long a name that a person had to catch their breath before completing it. One simple name would suffice. Though he doubted his father would allow him to drop the H.R.H. or title of Prince. Same if he one day had a daughter.
A vision of three children—two boys and one girl—running through the marbled halls of Kisswyck Abbey, his personal country seat just outside of Landon, flitted through his head.
He imagined all the children as having blond hair and brilliant blue eyes, the same as had Kitty. Though in reality he knew that chance to be slim, considering he himself had dark brown hair and even darker eyes. But still, he was certain no matter what, the children he and Kitty would one day bring into this world would be more like her than him. And that alone would be a Godsend. As the last thing he needed in his life were more bolden men who craved being either warmongers or spies. Being surrounded by six brothers fighting for the realm was enough manly enthusiasm to last him a lifetime.
Maybe he’d be better off if God blessed him strictly with daughters.
The thought brought a smile to his lips.
Three dainty little ladies, no different than Kitty. Though to be truthful, the love of his life did have a bit of an adventurous streak in her blood. But it was nothing he couldn’t tamp down with a small order of simple spy work that never placed Kitty in any real danger. Even the work she did at her father’s press located in The Wharf rarely put her at risk, and on the odd occasion when it had, he’d stayed right there by her side ensuring she’d remained safe.
Life with Kitty always went according to plans.
His plans.
And with the grace of God, married life with Kitty would be even more structured. For once they’d say their ‘I dos’ he would officially be finished with the unpredictable spy work that had occupied the majority of his life these last nine years.
Stability would be the one thing to safely see him into his old years.
Alex clipped the final rose from the bush and placed it carefully on the brown paper he’d earlier rolled out on the table.
His brother Edward entered the conservatory. “How the deuces can you breathe in here? It’s stifling with all this humidity.” He tugged at his cravat as he glanced up at the conservatory’s fogged-up glass ceiling.
“I don’t need to breathe. I’m gathering a bouquet for Kitty.”
“I see. Going ‘round to appease the lady before you head off to Vulcan’s Forge to seek your next spy?”
“You make it sound as if I’m off to commit some devious act.”
“You are.”
“Am not. It’s my job to help protect this realm. And right now, my team is down a man. Nothing has changed since you and I talked last week. Finding a replacement is a must.”
Eddie raised one black eyebrow. “Wasn’t your last mission the end of your time in the unit?”
“I have one more assignment.”
“Funny, Father hasn’t mentioned any new orders for you. Nor has Kit.”
Eddie was going to be a problem. As an older brother, the man had a knack for sticking his nose where it didn’t belong. “That’s because this isn’t an official mission for the Crown. It’s personal. And as such, Father has given me free reign to do as I need on the matter, including keeping the details to myself. I also specifically asked him to keep Kit out of my business. I now ask you to do the same.”
Eddie removed a ladybug from his shirt sleeve and set it carefully on a leaf of a nearby rubber tree plant. “Why not have Kitty fill the position. Isn’t she a member of your team?”
Alex frowned. “You know damn well I do not have woman as official members of my spy regiment.”
“I don’t think you’ve informed Kitty of that minor fact.”
“She knows all she needs to know.”
“Is that not devious on your part?”
Alex didn’t comment.
Edward gave him one of those all-knowing looks typical of an older brother who’d just bested his younger sibling. “I rest my case.”
Keeping his Catherine safe was not the same as doing something devious.
Eddie was wrong.
Utterly and completely wrong.
Absolutely without a doubt…wrong.
He huffed. “Damn you, Edward.”
Eddie slapped him on the back. “Now, now, brother, don’t get all riled up on my account. Just simply tell Kitty the truth.”
“And have her kill me? I think not.”
Edward laughed. “God, but you really are in love with her, aren’t you?”
“And what is that supposed to mean?”
“It simply means the woman has you by the ba….”
Their brother Kit made his entry at that very second, cutting off Eddie. “Talking women?”
“Nothing important.” Alex glared at Eddie. “Not a word about my personal mission,” he whispered.
“You do realize Christopher is still the Crown Prince.” Eddie smirked.
“I am indeed.” Kit approached. “And as such, I don’t take kindly to my subjects conspiring against me.”
He was going to kill Eddie first chance he got. “We were not conspiring.”
Alex didn’t comment further as he had no intention of telling Kit he’d lost one of his team members. Kit was all about responsibility. He was also all about long-winded lectures on the importance of being responsible and everything that went with said responsibility. And in no way was it his fault his man at The Wharf had fallen and broken his leg. But he knew Kit would find a way to turn the incident around and make it his fault. And he no desire to get into an argument with the man.
Kit plucked a rose from the dozen Alexander had piled on the paper. “Ari would love this.”
“I’m sure she would.” He snatched it back from his brother’s hand. “But these for Catherine, thank you. If you care to bring a dozen or even just one, to Arianna, you’ll have to do the unthinkable and fetch them yourself. But have no fear, I have it on good word that Crown Princes are indeed capable of surviving manual labor.”
Kit placed his hand over his heart. “You wound me, brother.”
Alex stifled a laugh.
Edward, on the other hand, did not.
“Go ahead and have your fun now,” Kit said. “I’ll get back at both of you when I’m king.”
“You’ll need us even more then,” Eddie commented.
“He’s right,” Alex said. “The two of us are by far the more favored members of the family according to the palace staff.”
Kit folded his arms across his chest and leaned his hip against the table. “Why is it that I’m the one always made out to be the pompous pain in the arse amongst us seven?”
“Because you are.” Both Alex and Eddie responded in unison.
“Glad to know my own brothers think so highly of me.”
Eddie slapped him on the shoulder. “Come now. I antagonize you no less than I irk little Alex, here.”
“That’s true.” Alex put down the pruning shears he’d used on the roses. “Mother always said you were an annoying little boy.”
Kit smil
ed a wide grin that nearly reached from ear to ear. “And now he’s an annoying little man.”
Edward tossed his head back. “Ha! Little, you wish.”
Alex glanced over to Kit. “I won’t be able to make it to your card game at Montgrieve House tonight. I have a pressing engagement that must take precedence.”
“And you didn’t think to tell me earlier?” A hint of annoyance graced Kit’s blue eyes.
“It’s Crown business. But I’m sure Edward won’t mind filling in for me.”
All joy drained from Eddie’s face. “Um…Edward most certainly does mind. He has a date with a very delectable tart.”
Kit grabbed Eddie by the arm. “Tarts are not meant for princes. I’ll have the palace send word to the fine lady that she must seek her pleasure elsewhere tonight.”
“You wouldn’t dare.” Eddie’s eyes bulged.
“I would indeed.” Kit turned to Alex, his hold on Edward remaining. “Do get those roses over to Miss Culpepper as I believe the woman will one day make a fine-sister-in-law. Ari likes her, too. And I don’t need you cocking that up for me.”
“Ah…so this is all about you and Ari and not me and Kitty.”
A long breath escaped Kit. “I know Ari’s lineage is questionable...”
“Damn right it is,” Edward interjected. “There is a possibility she is our sister.”
“I have reason to believe that is not true,” Kit said.
Alex gaped. “When did you find that out?”
“About a week ago. Did a bit of digging on my own.”
“And you didn’t think to inform us of this news?”
Kit raised one black eyebrow. “No more than you thought to tell me about your team being down one man.”
Edward gasped. He eyed Alex. “Honest, I did not say a single word to him.”
Kit smacked Eddie in the head.
“Ow!” Edward immediately raised his hand and rubbed his scalp.
“A Crown Prince,” Kit continued, “does not need a dolt of a brother to keep him in the know.”