“I say, Ben,” Percy said, his tone reproving. “Watch the language. In a church, after all.” He shook his head, casting Ben a dark look. “Blaspheming … not the done thing.”
August watched in amusement as Ben reached for a hip flask and took a large swallow, obviously deciding this was safer than replying. Happily, they did not have too much longer to wait, as August was beginning to wonder if Percy would lose his mind entirely or Ben would hit him before he managed it.
They stood as Caro appeared in the doorway, on the arm of Major Dumfries, who had been asked to give her away as she had no male relations. The major looked puffed up with pride at the occasion, though August strongly doubted anyone was looking at him. Caro looked an absolute picture in a pale blue silk dress that brought out the colour in her eyes and made Percy gape like a halfwit.
“Close your mouth,” August muttered, elbowing the man sharply in his skinny ribs.
Not that August could fault him, everyone was staring at the lovely picture that Caro made, walking down the aisle to her betrothed. Everyone except him, that was. For August could not take his eyes off of his own wife, who was dabbing her eyes with a lace hanky, torn between laughter and tears as she clung to her step-mother’s arm and the ceremony began.
He felt a pang of remorse as he wondered if she regretted the manner in which they’d been married, all alone and miles away from home, rather than with her family around her. It had all been rather shabbily done, now he came to think about it, clandestine and scandalous, when it should have been a time of celebration for her. The repercussions were not over yet either. He was used to the whispers and pointing fingers whenever he appeared in public. Once upon a time, he’d even revelled in it, but that his reputation had tarnished Patience in any way made him feel rather sick.
He was brought back to the here and now as Ben gave him a shake.
“The ring, man, the ring,” the fellow hissed in his ear.
“Oh!” August replied, suddenly panic struck while Percy glared at him as he searched his pockets. “No, not that one,” he muttered, hearing the distinct sound of Patience trying to smother her laughter behind him. “Here it is!” he exclaimed at last, seeing Percy exhale as the vicar cast him a look heavy with disapproval.
His duty done, August sat back down with a sigh of relief and cast a look over his shoulder at Patience. She was biting her lip, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter as August grinned at her and winked. To his surprise, she blew him a kiss, eyes alight with pleasure, and August turned back to the wedding, pleased that she was happy. Even if it had been amusement at him being an idiot.
The rest of the wedding and the breakfast that followed went off without a hitch, and soon enough, it was time for Cilly and Patience to wave Caro - Lady Nibley, as she now was - off with her new husband.
Quite unable to resist the opportunity, August drew Percy aside. “I was just wondering if you needed any advice?” he said, giving the man a paternal pat on the shoulder and grinning broadly. “Big night and all that, after all. Is there anything you want to know about how things should proceed? I’m only too willing to enlighten you,” he added, as Percy blushed scarlet, and Ben, who had clearly been listening in, made a choking sound behind them.
“N-no, thank you, August,” Percy said with as much dignity as a man blushing that hard could muster. “I’m quite sure I will m-manage.”
“Stop teasing him, you dreadful creature,” Patience scolded as Percy scurried away, taking August’s arm as the happy couple climbed up into their carriage.
“Very well, love,” he said, with a devilish grin as he leaned over and nipped at her earlobe. “I’ll tease you instead.”
“Well, that’s a much better idea,” Patience replied, making him chuckle as they waved her sister and Percy off. She gave a heavy sigh as the carriage turned the corner and out of sight. and August slipped an arm around her waist.
“I’ve never said before, Patience, but … I am sorry.” Patience turned back to him with a frown. “For the way we married. I know this was probably more what you’d had in mind, after all,” he carried on, feeling rather guilty. “Having Cilly and Caro here and a proper breakfast and …”
“Stuff and nonsense,” she replied, interrupting him and rather taking the wind from his sails. “I wouldn’t have done it any other way,” she added with a grin.
“You wouldn’t?” he replied, startled and delighted by the glittering look in her eyes.
“Of course not, you foolish man,” she said, shaking her head at him. “It was dreadfully romantic and exciting and … thrilling,” she said, her voice lowering as she leaned closer.
August frowned at her, a little perplexed by this admission. “I don’t remember you saying that at the time,” he said, remembering instead rather a lot of cross words and a severe scolding before she’d simmered down and accepted her fate.
“Of course not,” she said with a little sniff. “I was angry with you. I was hardly going to admit to such a thing, now was I?”
“Well, you little wretch, and when I think of how you made me suffer too,” August replied with a tut of reproach.
“Oh, you still deserved it,” Patience replied with a shrug, still unmoving on that point.
“Yes,” August said, nodding, there was no getting away from the fact, after all. “I admit it.”
Patience looked up at him, adoration in her eyes, and August ducked his head, kissing her, as really, what else was a fellow to do when his wife looked at him like that? He’d forgotten, however, that they were standing in the middle of a public street. Giggling and whispering erupted from a group of young women who were walking past them at that moment. August recognised one of them as a young lady who’d made a rather indecent pass at him at a party when he’d first arrived in Bath, what seemed like a lifetime ago.
“Blasted gossip-mongers,” he muttered, staring after them with dislike.
“Oh ignore them, August,” Patience said, laughing and looking quite unperturbed by the fact that half of Bath were probably still tattling about them. “In fact,” she said, a wicked glint in her lovely hazel eyes. “I have a better idea.” With that, she reached up on tiptoes and hooked her arms around his neck. “Let’s give them something to talk about,” she whispered as she drew his mouth back to hers and, naturally, August was only too happy to comply.
The End…..for now.
Coming June 29, 2018 Lord Benjamin Lancaster's story in …
The Last Man in London
Rogues & Gentlemen Book 9
Dinah Osborne needs a husband and she needs one now.
Not just any man will do. To meet the terms of her rather eccentric grandfather’s will, she must be safely engaged to marry a man of worth before her twenty-first birthday or she’ll not receive a penny of her rather large inheritance. Sadly her social climbing grandfather’s notions of worth and her own are not in the least alike, and nothing but a Lord will satisfy the terms of his will. But Dinah is alone in the world and has no entry into the select ranks of the ton.
She does, however, know a thing or two about blackmail.
Lord Benjamin Lancaster is a determined rake, a hardened gambler, and the kind of man who fills Dinah with disgust. However a title is a title, and she’s quite content to use him for her own ends.
Yet her fake fiancé is not quite as easy to handle as Dinah had hoped, and he’s determined to have more for his trouble than the financial reward promised him. Dinah is not immune to his deep blue eyes or his dark charm, but it doesn’t change the fact that he’s the last man in London that she would ever give her heart to …
Pre-Order your copy now
The Last Man in London
Want more Emma?
If you enjoyed this book, please support this indie author and take a moment to leave a few words in a review. Thank you!
To be kept informed of special offers and free deals (which I do regularly) follow me on https://www.bookbub.com/authors/emma-v-leech
http://www.emmavleech.com/
Come and join the fans in my Facebook group for news, info and exciting discussion...
Emmas Book Club
Or Follow me here......
Emma’s Amazon Author page
Emma’s Amazon UK Author page
Emma’s Twitter page
About Me!
I started this incredible journey way back in 2010 with The Key to Erebus but didn’t summon the courage to hit publish until October 2012. For anyone who’s done it, you’ll know publishing your first title is a terribly scary thing! I still get butterflies on the morning a new title releases but the terror has subsided at least. Now I just live in dread of the day my daughters are old enough to read them.
The horror! (On both sides I suspect.)
2017 marked the year that I made my first foray into Historical Romance and the world of the Regency Romance, and my word what a year! I was delighted by the response to this series and can’t wait to add more titles. Paranormal Romance readers need not despair however as there is much more to come there too. Writing has become an addiction and as soon as one book is over I’m hugely excited to start the next so you can expect plenty more in the future.
As many of my works reflect I am greatly influenced by the beautiful French countryside in which I live. I’ve been here in the South West for the past twenty years though I was born and raised in England. My three gorgeous girls are all bilingual and the youngest who is only six, is showing signs of following in my footsteps after producing The Lonely Princess all by herself.
I’m told book two is coming soon ...
She’s keeping me on my toes, so I’d better get cracking!
KEEP READING TO DISCOVER MY OTHER BOOKS!
Other Works by Emma V. Leech
(For those of you who have read The French Fae Legend series, please remember that chronologically The Heart of Arima precedes The Dark Prince)
Rogues & Gentlemen
The Rogue
The Earl’s Temptation
Scandal’s Daughter
The Devil May Care
Nearly Ruining Mr. Russell
One Wicked Winter
To Tame a Savage Heart (March 23, 2018)
Persuading Patience (June 1, 2018)
The Last Man in London (June 29, 2018)
The Regency Romance Mysteries
Dying for a Duke
A Dog in a Doublet
The Rum and the Fox
The French Vampire Legend
The Key to Erebus
The Heart of Arima
The Fires of Tartarus
The Boxset (The Key to Erebus, The Heart of Arima, The Fires of Tartarus)
The Son of Darkness (2018)
The French Fae Legend
The Dark Prince
The Dark Heart
The Dark Deceit
The Darkest Night (May 12, 2018)
Short Stories: A Dark Collection.
Stand Alone
The Book Lover (a paranormal novella)
Interested in a Regency Romance with a twist ?
Dying for a Duke
The Regency Romance Mysteries Book 1
Straight-laced, imperious and morally rigid, Benedict Rutland - the darkly handsome Earl of Rothay - gained his title too young. Responsible for a large family of younger siblings that his frivolous parents have brought to bankruptcy, his youth was spent clawing back the family fortunes.
Now a man in his prime and financially secure he is betrothed to a strict, sensible and cool-headed woman who will never upset the balance of his life or disturb his emotions ...
But then Miss Skeffington-Fox arrives.
Brought up solely by her rake of a step-father, Benedict is scandalised by everything about the dashing Miss.
But as family members in line for the dukedom begin to die at an alarming rate, all fingers point at Benedict, and Miss Skeffington-Fox may be the only one who can save him.
FREE to read on Amazon Kindle Unlimited..Dying for a Duke
Lose yourself in Emma’s paranormal world with The French Vampire Legend series….. Book 1 is a FREE download on Amazon….
The Key to Erebus
The French Vampire Legend Book 1
The truth can kill you.
Taken away as a small child, from a life where vampires, the Fae, and other mythical creatures are real and treacherous, the beautiful young witch, Jéhenne Corbeaux is totally unprepared when she returns to rural France to live with her eccentric Grandmother.
Thrown headlong into a world she knows nothing about she seeks to learn the truth about herself, uncovering secrets more shocking than anything she could ever have imagined and finding that she is by no means powerless to protect the ones she loves.
Despite her Gran’s dire warnings, she is inexorably drawn to the dark and terrifying figure of Corvus, an ancient vampire and master of the vast Albinus family.
Jéhenne is about to find her answers and discover that, not only is Corvus far more dangerous than she could ever imagine, but that he holds much more than the key to her heart …
Free to read on Amazon Kindle Unlimited
The Key to Erebus
Check out Emma’s exciting fantasy series with hailed by Kirkus Reviews as “An enchanting fantasy with a likable heroine, romantic intrigue, and clever narrative flourishes.”
The Dark Prince
The French Fae Legend Book 1
Two Fae Princes
One Human Woman
And a world ready to tear them all apart
Laen Braed is Prince of the Dark fae, with a temper and reputation to match his black eyes, and a heart that despises the human race. When he is sent back through the forbidden gates between realms to retrieve an ancient fae artifact, he returns home with far more than he bargained for.
Corin Albrecht, the most powerful Elven Prince ever born. His golden eyes are rumoured to be a gift from the gods, and destiny is calling him. With a love for the human world that runs deep, his friendship with Laen is being torn apart by his prejudices.
Océane DeBeauvoir is an artist and bookbinder who has always relied on her lively imagination to get her through an unhappy and uneventful life. A jewelled dagger put on display at a nearby museum hits the headlines with speculation of another race, the Fae. But the discovery also inspires Océane to create an extraordinary piece of art that cannot be confined to the pages of a book.
With two powerful men vying for her attention and their friendship stretched to the breaking point, the only question that remains...who is truly The Dark Prince.
The man of your dreams is coming...or is it your nightmares he visits? Find out in Book One of The French Fae Legend.
Available now to read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited.
The Dark Prince
Acknowledgements
Thanks as always to my wonderful editor for being patient and loving my characters as much as I do. Gemma you’re the best!
To Victoria Cooper for all your hard work, amazing artwork and above all your unending patience !!! Thank you so much. You are amazing !
To my BFF, PA, personal cheerleader and bringer of chocolate, Varsi Appel, for moral support, confidence boosting and for reading my work more times than I have. I love you loads!
A huge thank you to all of Emma’s Book Club members! You guys are the best!
I’m always so happy to hear from you so do email or message me :)
[email protected]
To my husband Pat and my family ... For always being proud of me.
ale(100%); -moz-filter: grayscale(100%); -o-filter: grayscale(100%); -ms-filter: grayscale(100%); filter: grayscale(100%); " class="sharethis-inline-share-buttons">share
Persuading Patience Page 25