by Lauren Smith
A Scottish Lord for Christmas
Sins and Scandals
Lauren Smith
New York Boston
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2017 by Lauren Smith
Excerpt from An Earl by Any Other Name copyright © 2017 by Lauren Smith
Cover design by Elizabeth Turner
Cover copyright © 2017 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.
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First Edition: December 2017
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ISBN 978-1-4555-6419-4
E3-20171009-DANF
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
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
About the Author
An Excerpt of AN EARL BY ANY OTHER NAME
Also by Lauren Smith
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Chapter 1
England, October 1911
Rowena Pepperwirth dashed along the lawn of the winter-browned grass of the Hampton House gardens. A gust of wind wrenched her hat from her head but she didn’t stop running to chase it. Terror gripped her heart and blood pounded a violent tempo in her ears.
There was only one thing that mattered. A little girl in a blue dress and white pinafore, who could not be older than three, was climbing onto a stone fountain edge about fifty feet away. A fountain Rowena had seen up close only yesterday and which she knew with dreaded certainty had a very slick ledge…The icy water inside was thickly dotted with lily pads. If the child fell, she could drown as she scrambled to get free of the watery vegetation.
A distant roar filled her ears and her palms slickened with sweat as she raced down the garden path.
Please don’t fall, please…She prayed she could reach the little girl in time. The distance between her and the fountain seemed infinite. The child could die if she wasn’t fast enough…
Leaning forward, Rowena pushed her legs until they burned as she sprinted toward the child. She slid straight into the stone base, her knees smarting from the impact, but she ignored it while she grasped the girl by the back of her dress.
The surge of fear didn’t fade immediately. Hands shaking, Rowena was immobile, holding the child above the water for a second before she recovered from the shock.
The little girl bounced and squealed, clapping her chubby little hands and peering into the fountain.
She was safe.
Rowena tugged her back into her arms, wrapping herself around the child protectively. Her hands shook and she had trouble breathing. It was all right. She’d gotten there in time. Shutting her eyes, she held the girl close, never more thankful she was fast on her feet.
“Fishes!” The little girl jabbed a delicate little finger at the water.
Rowena smiled and nuzzled the girl’s cheek before kissing her. “Indeed, there are fish when it’s warmer, but we mustn’t catch them. You might fall in and then what would happen to you?” She feathered her fingers through the girl’s curls, marveling at the way the light played upon strands as perfect as spun gold.
“No fishes?” the child queried solemnly, looking now at Rowena in a knowing way.
“No fishes.”
“Thank ’eavens, miss!” A middle-aged nurse trundled round the corner of the nearest hedgerow, her face red and her breath uneven as she struggled to speak. “Wee bairn escaped me, she did.” The woman’s Scottish accent caught Rowena by surprise. Scots were common enough in London but in the countryside they were rare. She’d known that one of the guests at the Earl of Hampton’s house party was Scottish, but she hadn’t realized he’d brought a nurse with him or that he had a child. Then again, mentioning one’s children in the midst of a house party wasn’t done. Babes stayed in the distant nurseries, which saddened Rowena. She adored children. One of her dearest dreams was to have a brood of children running about her house someday.
“It’s quite all right. I have her. She’s safe.” Rowena curled an arm around the child’s waist, smiling as the little girl bounced excitedly and pointed at the few solitary fish that had so far survived the increasingly cold weather. Their sleek silver bodies ducked and dove in the murky depths of the fountain, and she watched them in fascination and single-minded determination.
“Papa!” the babe pronounced excitedly, and jabbed a little index finger toward the house.
“Is your papa here, little one? I’m sure he’d be worried to know you ran off without him. Fathers worry about their daughters. You must take care not to frighten him.” The child’s eyes, a soft dove gray, fixed on Rowena as though considering seriously what she’d said, and then she dropped onto her bottom on Rowena’s lap, content to simply watch.
The nurse eased down onto the lip of the fountain base beside them, her face still flushed. “The wee one has fast legs, just like her father did when he was a bairn. Could never catch that child.” The nurse’s face was gentle with tenderness as she said this.
“Is she Lord Forres’s child?” Rowena queried.
It had to be the man she’d met at dinner the previous night. The quiet, well-spoken, and all-too-handsome Earl of Forres had been the object of quite a few stolen glances from the ladies over the various courses at dinner. Rowena, only eighteen, was certain it wasn’t proper for so many women to be sneaking looks at a man far down the table from them. But as this was her first official house party since her come-out in London a few weeks before, she wasn’t quite sure if the social rules were different between London and the country. Naturally that meant she’d been glancing at him too. It was impossible not to. He was incredibly handsome, with intense eyes and a soft smile that did strange things to her body whenever he’d met her gaze. And the way he moved—in that graceful yet powerful way—had drawn every female eye to him over and over again.
“Aye, she’s his all right.” The nurse chucked the little girl under the chin and the child giggled.
Rowena held her breath as she stared down at the girl. She shared her father’s serious gray eyes, but her light blond hair was a contrast to her father’s dark brown locks. Did she take after her
mother, then? Rowena didn’t know much of Forres except that he was twenty-eight and well in-laid when it came to property and money.
That did not matter so much to her. Rowena’s family was well off and titled, so she had no need to look for a wealthy husband. This left her free to enjoy meeting someone she would like to marry. She focused on the men themselves and not the social positions she could gain. She wanted to be viewed equally, as a partner, not a subordinate. Unlike her sister Milly, who dreaded the idea of marriage, Rowena looked forward to the challenges of sharing a life with someone and raising children, but she knew she had to choose the right person. Someone who would see her value and trust her to bring something to their marriage besides simply childbearing abilities.
That was why Forres had intrigued her the previous evening. When he spoke, his rich, dark voice had an enticing Scottish lilt that seemed to curl in the air like a slow, dancing plume of smoke, mesmerizing her. The candlelight had illuminated his eyes and she hadn’t been able to look away as he talked. His opinions on politics and social issues were well informed and he approved of women being equal to men. He was neither proud nor so opinionated as to alienate anyone during polite conversation. Even Milly, Rowena’s older headstrong sister, had been impressed with Forres.
“I didn’t know Lord Forres had a child. I thought he was unmarried.”
There certainly hadn’t been a wedding band on his finger. Little whispers had traveled down the table, escaping from behind the edges of water goblets as the ladies had passed along their observations to each other. The fact that he wasn’t married had provoked quite the discussion among the women after the men had gone off to smoke cigars and drink. She’d taken to looking at him, and more than once his eyes had touched upon hers, making her feel dizzy. There was something about him, the curve of his lips in a hint of a smile, the intensity of his gray eyes as he watched her. It had made her body flush with heat.
“Aye, he’s only got the one. Our countess passed a year ago and my lord’s been sore for missing her.” The older woman’s face was somber as she spoke, and for a moment she was quiet. But then a little smile crept back onto her lips. “But now he’s wife hunting.” The nurse winked at her conspiratorially.
Wife hunting? She could just picture the darkly handsome earl prowling through the underbrush, rifle at the ready to hunt ladies who fluttered in autumn-colored gowns like a dozen pheasants. The image was silly enough to make her bite her lip to hide her smile. But then she focused on what the nurse had said. Forres had been married. His wife had died.
Rowena cuddled the excited child closer in her arms as she realized the little babe had no mother. All children should know a mother’s love. She squeezed the girl in a hug. Rather than squawk as other children might, the little girl ceased her bouncing and settled more firmly in Rowena’s lap. It felt…right in a way Rowena couldn’t explain, and her longing for children of her own grew even stronger.
“She likes you. Blair doesn’t like most women and hasn’t had a chance to be around too many besides myself and the staff.” The nurse was smiling widely now, a glimmer of hope in her eyes that Rowena didn’t understand.
“Blair?” Rowena said, and the little girl lifted her head to stare back.
“That’s me!” The child beamed at her.
“Nice to meet you, Blair.” Rowena smiled back, then turned her attention to the nurse. “He’s wife hunting here in England? Why not take a bride closer to home?”
“I suppose,” the nurse mused, “he doesn’t want someone that reminds him of the previous Lady Forres. He doesn’t share much of his heart; he’s quiet, but a good man. He needs his heart healed. A good woman would do well for him.”
Rowena brushed her fingertips over the curls by Blair’s cheeks, tousling them. They were as soft as silk and as fine as a baby bird’s feathers. She pondered over the nurse’s speculations. Lord Forres was hunting for a wife to heal his broken heart? Her own heart twinged in pain at thinking of how lonely he must be. He sounded like a man who loved deeply. Rowena couldn’t help but feel drawn to him now, knowing he bore such pain. It was rather romantic, in a sad way.
Before she could speak again, a man burst around the hedgerows, sprinting toward them. It was Lord Forres. His dark hair was in wild tangles about his head as though he’d dragged his hands through the strands, and his lips were peeled back in an almost feral snarl.
He skidded to a halt just a few feet away when he spotted the nurse first.
“Mrs. Finch!” he bellowed at the nurse. “Where the devil have you been? I’ve searched the entire house for you and Blair…” As he stared at his child, safe in Rowena’s arms, the wild look in his eyes softened slightly.
“She’s safe, my lord,” Rowena said as she stood, tucking Blair against her right hip.
“Papa!” The little cherub smacked her hands together, wriggling in Rowen’s hold.
“Oh, my wee heart.” The earl strode over to Rowena and plucked Blair out of her arms before she could even protest.
Blair’s cheeks pinkened and her little lips quivered when she seemed to notice her father’s distress.
“There, there,” Forres shushed the babe.
“She’s fine, truly. I was able to catch her before she fell in,” Rowena assured him.
“Fell in?” Clear eyes, gray as a winter’s sky, met hers. A tremor rippled through her. How had she forgotten what looking at him made her feel? Dizzy, excited, and a little anxious. Of course, last night they’d had a dozen people between them, and all manner of candles, dishes, and other things to block them from speaking directly. Yet there had been one moment, when he’d joined in the toasting for the evening and he’d raised his glass. His eyes had traveled from face to face, lingering only on hers.
“Yes, she was climbing onto the edge of the fountain when I found her.”
“Good God,” he muttered. “I only knew she’d wandered away from the nursery.” He gave Blair a kiss on her forehead before looking toward Rowena.
He combed his fingers through hair that was a little too long for the current fashion. There was something different about him, as though the suit he wore was a costume. With his broad shoulders, great height, and muscled form, he was more fit for the role of a Scottish warrior of old than a gentleman in a garden. The thought of him in a kilt, brandishing a sword, like a man out of her deepest, secret dreams…another shiver rippled through her and she swallowed hard. She was still young enough to have silly daydreams about handsome lords whisking her away to castles.
“Thank you, Miss Rowena. I apologize for my…harsh reaction.” Forres gripped little Blair’s head gently with one strong hand as he clutched his daughter to his chest. He closed his eyes and nuzzled her soft curls.
“No need to apologize,” Rowena said. She smoothed out her skirts, feeling a little embarrassed at witnessing such a strong show of emotion from a man who the nurse had said guarded his heart.
Forres met her gaze. “I went to check on Blair and when she was gone, I panicked…A footman said he thought he’d seen her leave the house.” He shook his head as though to banish dark thoughts. “I’m just glad she’s all right.”
“’Course she is, my lord. The young lady caught her right quick. The wee bairn was safe in her care,” Mrs. Finch told Lord Forres.
“Why don’t I take the lass inside for a bite to eat and a nap?” Mrs. Finch reached for Blair, but Forres didn’t immediately hand his daughter over. When he finally did, it was with a sigh and great reluctance.
“Be a good girl, Blair.” He chucked her under the chin and the little girl bobbled up and down in her nurse’s arms.
Rowena watched this familial intimacy, her heart flipping inside her chest. Mrs. Finch started to walk back toward the main house, and as she passed by Rowena, Blair reached out with one chubby little hand and waved at her before resting her cheek on Mrs. Finch’s shoulder. A strange pull in her made her want to rush after the child.
The Earl of Forres cleared his th
roat and Rowena came back to herself.
“Have you been enjoying the house party, Lord Forres?” she asked, hoping that was the right course of conversation. It was the first time she’d been alone with a man besides her father or servants.
Alone with a man…
Rowena’s heart tripped and she had to collect herself before she panicked. Her sister Milly had just gotten engaged early this morning, against her will, because a fortune hunter had snuck into her room the previous night and been caught by their mother. Nothing beyond that had happened, but it had been enough to scandalize them into marriage. Was being alone with Forres like this enough for a scandal?
“The party has been a pleasant distraction,” Forres admitted.
She nodded. “Yes.” She swallowed. Why was she so nervous? Normally she loved conversation and could talk about almost anything. Being alone with him left her tongue-tied and tingling as he drew near.
He held out the crook of his arm in silent invitation. The gesture was gentlemanly, but also natural and masculine.
The heat of a blush worked its way to her cheeks and Rowena didn’t know what to do.
“Oh, come now, Miss Rowena, ’tis only my arm. I won’t bite.” He grinned at her and chomped his white teeth together in a mocking way.
A giggle escaped her, startling them both. Then he laughed, too, but there was a surprise in his expression as though he was astounded at his own amusement. The sound of his laugh was rich and warm and oddly comforting, given that he was a complete stranger. After only a brief hesitation, she placed her arm in his. Little tingles shot up her skin at the point of their connection.
“Allow me to escort you back to the house.” Forres nodded toward the massive tan stone edifice of Hampton House. It reminded her so much of Pepperwirth Vale, her family estate only four miles away. Two ancient families, the Grahams and the Pepperwirths, had been neighbors for nearly two hundred years.
She and Forres walked in silence for a few steps before Forres spoke.
“I wish to thank you again for rescuing my daughter. Blair is…” He paused, and Rowena peeked up at him, noticing a slight ruddiness to his cheeks. “Blair is very precious to me. I’m afraid I’m overly protective of her.”