Lord Weirlane
Regency Romance Novellas
The Four Lords’ Saga – Book 2
Second Edition
By
Gianna Thomas
Copyright © 2015, 2016 Gianna Thomas
All Rights Reserved. Published worldwide by NPC Pubs.
www.giannathomaspandp.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gianna-Thomas/1659543077608079
https://www.amazon.com/author/giannathomas
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover Design
Cover Design by Gianna Thomas and Andy Jazwinski
Acknowledgements
As always, my thanks and gratitude go to my publisher, Andy Jazwinski, for believing in me and supporting me in my writings. And I am most grateful we found #1 Amazon author, Kay Springsteen, to do my editing. Even when she nearly yelled at me about echoes (and other things), she has been wonderful in teaching me to be a better author and how to make my writings more interesting. If my books turn out well, it is due to the hard work of both these dear colleagues.
Thank You!
Thank you so much for downloading my book. I hope you enjoy it!
Please sign up to my Four Lords Readers List so that I can keep you posted about the next books in The Four Lords’ Saga Series, and my other historical romance writings, and share with you some of my work prior to publication. I am working on backstories to the Series, and you’ll get them free if you’re on my List. Matt and Janie, the backstory to Lord Windmere, is already finished and you’ll get that right away.
And if you like Pride and Prejudice Variations, then please take a look at mine here.
Please also visit with me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gianna-Thomas/1659543077608079. And please ‘Like’ my page.
My Other Books
Here are the books in The Four Lords’ Saga Series, as well as a backstory:
Lord Windmere - The London rake known as Lord Windmere, Matthew Edmund Fremont, is on the prowl for a wife. He has always liked the younger sister of his best childhood friend, Robbie Thornton, but will he even consider Lady Jane? After all, she’s too young and too innocent for someone like him.
But Lady Jane Anne Thornton has always had a tendre for her older brother’s friend, Matt. Their relationship, at a house party, seems to be going well until an enemy—who wants Lord Windmere for his wealth—interferes, and the consequences could be deadly. (Available FREE NOW!)
Lord Weirlane – The Duke of Weirlane, Crispin Alan Copley, is determined to attend a house party with a debauched reputation. Enraged to find his best friend from childhood attending, he vows to protect her from the reprobates that will also be in attendance—including himself—and will not hesitate to deflower an innocent. Unfortunately, the best-laid plans go awry.
Lady Catherine Benton is devastated to discover that her father has deliberately sent her to a gathering that could see her married to one who would purchase her for evil means. The only saving grace is that the man she has loved for years is also attending and has vowed to protect her. But is he able to do so? Or will he be the cause of her eventual downfall? (Available NOW!)
Lord Foxdown – Gareth Edward Russell, Lord Foxdown, is a victim of coup de foudre, love at first sight. The object of his love is the eldest unwed sister of his friend, the Duke of Weirlane. Gareth is determined to marry the young woman, and the duke is just as determined that Foxdown will not. And will the duke’s formidable temper cause him to call his friend out? After all, Crispin has fought two duels in the past for lesser reasons.
Lady Anna Marie Copley has also been struck by cupid's arrow and has fallen in love with Gareth and will wed no one else. However, her brother's opposition may prevent her from ever marrying the man she loves. And she has a secret that very well may kill the love affair when Foxdown learns of it. Add a suitor determined to have Anna’s dowry and you have a shocking mix of ‘who marries whom?’
(Available NOW!)
Lord Brookton – Jules Lagrant, Lord Brookton, may be the least handsome of the four lords, but he is the most popular with the ladies in London for his prowess in the bedroom. He is also the most temperamental and debauched of the four lords. Irritated that the friendship of the four young men has been broken up by the marriages of Lord Windmere and Lord Weirlane, he is finding that life is not as satisfying as it had been when carousing with his friends.
Endeavoring to save the life of a young woman, he finds himself with only a black eye instead of an expression of gratitude. He was lucky she didn't use the knife she had strapped to her thigh on him instead. Who was she? Would he ever encounter her again? And if he does, will it change his life forever? (Available NOW!)
Matt and Janie – A backstory to Lord Windmere. (Available NOW!)
Regency England: How did Matt and Janie become such good friends? And why did Janie develop a tendre for her brother’s friend who was ten years older than she?
Matthew Edmund Fremont (Lord Windmere) and Lady Jane Anne Thornton are to wed in Book 2 of The Four Lords’ Saga Series. These two have been friends since they were children, and Matt and Janie’s brother, Robbie, roamed both families’ estates.
Read the heartwarming backstory of Janie and Matt’s romance and discover how Matt became her knight in shining armor as well as her ‘Greek god.’
And please check out her website, at http://giannathomaspandp.com/, for Gianna’s other writings, especially her Pride and Prejudice variations.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
Chapter XII
Chapter XIII
Thank You!
Excerpt from Lord Foxdown
Other Books by Gianna Thomas
About the Author
Prologue
Having been hit in the head with a pistol, Crispin was disoriented but not unconscious. “Damien told me nothing.”
Grabbing a fistful of hair and holding the gun to the duke’s head, the man asked him again.
Catherine had been awaiting Crispin’s return and heard a noise in the hallway. As she headed for the door to investigate, the hairs on the back of her neck rose, and her close connection with her husband caused her to hesitate. Something was wrong. Going into her husband’s bedchamber, she very carefully opened his door to the hall and peeked out. She could see Crispin on the floor holding his head and someone standing over him. Getting one of the duke’s target pistols from the case, she quickly loaded it then sneaked through the door and tiptoed toward both figures.
Raising the gun, she commanded in a loud voice. “Turn around.”
The man jumped when she shouted at him and swung to face her with his gun. He couldn’t see what she was carrying but was sure his pistol would deter her. He smiled when he thought she was clad only in a nightgown and decided to ravish her after killing her husband. Then he would kill her as well. Stepping to Crispin’s side, he pointed the pistol at the duke’s head and laughed.
“Hallo, pretty lady. We meet again.”
“And where have we met before?”
“Ah, I am crushed. You do not remember me from the house party?”
“No, I’m afraid I do not.”
“Tis a shame, my lady, you were never able to sample my charms. I was willing to pay £500 fo
r one night with you.”
At this boastful comment, Catherine gasped.
“Yes, my lady, I would have put your husband to shame with my lovemaking, and you would never have gone back to him”
“I doubt that seriously,” she said with a sneer.
“Come here and let me show you the difference between your husband and a real man.”
“No.”
“I will kill your husband right now if you do not come to me.”
“All right, but I must warn you, I have a gun in my hand.”
As Catherine walked toward him, he saw the pistol aimed at him and swung his up to shoot her.
Chapter I
Two and a half months earlier
When Matthew Fremont, Marquess of Windmere, arrived back in London from visiting with his fiancée’s family, the first place he went to, after his own townhouse, was to see his parents and siblings to tell them the news of his engagement. He spent a lovely evening with his family who were delighted with the news of his pending marriage to a neighbor of their country estate by the name of Lady Jane Anne Thornton, daughter of the Earl and Countess of Covington. His sisters liked Janie, and his mother was ecstatic he had found a love match, one like she and his father had enjoyed.
Now it was time to inform his friends—The Duke of Weirlane, The Marquess of Foxdown, and Earl of Brookton—that he was engaged to be married within the next three months. Arriving at White’s the next day, he walked into the private dining room and found only Foxdown and Brookton were in attendance.
“Where’s Crisp? I have something I want to tell all three of you.”
Fox looked up, his eyes troubled. “I’m afraid we have not seen him since before he left for Lady Merry Widow’s house party.”
“You are unaware if he has returned?”
Jules answered this time. “I heard he had returned, but we haven’t seen him at White’s as of yet.”
“Well, I hope he comes today, because I have some good news to tell all three of you at once.”
Both men now peered more closely at him, then Fox declared, “My God, he’s in love. I knew he shouldn’t have gone to that house party. Lady Stockton is a first rate matchmaker. ”
Matt scowled and informed them that his hostess had done nothing of the kind.
“Then, what is your news?” Jules queried with an impatient gesture.
But Matt never got a chance to answer because Crispin walked in, and the Duke of Weirlane looked like he had lost everything in the world and aged ten years. All three men looked at him with concern, told him to sit, and they ordered him a large brandy before anyone spoke.
Finally, Jules inquired of his friend, “What happened at the house party?”
“You should have listened to us and not gone,” Fox muttered and hit the table lightly with his fist.
Crispin kept his head bowed, and he didn’t say anything for a moment. Then, raising his head, he finally responded, “Yes, I went to the house party, and something dreadful happened. I’m so ashamed.”
His friends looked on in shock as a tear ran down the face of the Duke of Weirlane, causing Matt to shut the door of the private dining room and hold back his good news.
***
Lady Meriweather’s House Party
The Duke of Weirlane arrived at Lady Meriweather’s country home in a state of anticipation. Damien Worthing—Lord Underwood—had promised him that there would be a number of beautiful young women ready and willing to be bedded throughout the weekend. Although, he had become a duke at the age of twenty-five due to his father’s death, Crispin Alan Copley, had not yet taken up the responsibilities of the title. Being far more interested in sowing his wild oats, he was gaining a more unsavory reputation as time progressed. He was the despair of his mother—who never doubted her son’s intelligence, only his ability to use it to make wise decisions—and he continued to pursue liaisons with a number of widows in Town. Taking a bride for himself, setting up his nursery, and behaving in a manner befitting a duke just didn’t appeal to him at the time, as he was young, virile, and quite happy with multiple partners. Hence, the appeal of this particular house party at Lady Merry Widow’s home, with all the willing women.
After his arrival, he and his valet had settled in, changed his clothing, and the duke headed for the large drawing room where tea and other refreshments were being served. As he almost reached the head of the stairway, he heard his name called by a young female who sounded familiar. He stopped, heard his name called again by that friendly, familiar voice, and discovered, when he turned around, that it was his friend Catherine Benton from a neighboring estate. They had been the best of friends since small children, but he was shocked nearly speechless to see her at this house party.
“Cat, what the devil are you doing here?” he growled as he grabbed one elbow and pulled her down the hallway to a small alcove. She gave a startled squeak, which he ignored. Pushing her inside, he grabbed her other elbow and gave her a rough shake. “Cat, I asked why are you here?”
Catherine finally found her tongue and snapped back, “If you will let me go, I’ll tell you.” When he did so, she began rubbing both elbows as he had pinched her skin when he grabbed her. Initially, she had been glad to see her friend until he handled her so roughly. Now, she wasn’t so happy he was here.
“Well, I’m waiting.”
Glaring at him, she explained, “Father is remarrying soon, and he made arrangements for me to come. He feels I will meet a number of potential husbands, and it’s his desire that I take the matter of marrying seriously should an offer be made.
Under his breath, Crispin cursed her father and called him the lowest piece of trash on earth for sending her to this party in particular. Lady Meriweather not only invited rakes and fast women to her house parties, she was reputed to also invite young women with large dowries who would be compromised and forced to marry fortune hunters who in turn paid a percentage to their hostess. Crispin was appalled to find the young girl he had protected all his life suddenly thrust into a situation in which the dregs of society would inevitably appear. Sighing deeply, he ran one hand through his hair, causing it to curl riotously. His mind raced as he tried to come up with a solution to having one he cared for deeply in such a mess.
Pacing, rubbing his chin, then running both hands through his hair—which his valet would kill him for—he finally concluded his week was ruined. There would be few women for him to bed—if any— as he would be nursemaid to his friend the entire week to keep her from being ravished by the scoundrels who would be looking for innocent flesh to ruin and exploit. His friend was totally an innocent, and Crispin worried how he would protect her the whole week. Her father had sent her without caring if she was raped, married to a libertine, and then abandoned. Is this her father’s way of getting her out of the house permanently because he is taking a new bride?
Crispin debated how to tell her what this house party was really for, and finally told her in as gentle a way and with as few specifics as possible. “That your father sent you here, Cat, is troubling.” His face flamed with the task he’d set himself. “Lady Meriweather’s house parties have a certain…reputation. The people who attend are…more than a little unseemly. They would sooner bed a woman than marry her, and those that would marry…they, well, they…would be looking for a certain financial gain.
His friend Cat was no fool and needed no further explanation of the activities to which he was referring. Horrified, with her eyes as big as saucers, she demanded, “If all the guests are horrible people, why are you here?”
His mouth dropped open, and he started to speak. Then he looked at his feet—because he couldn’t look her in the eye—and quietly replied, “Because…I am…one of these horrible people. I came looking for the same things.”
Catherine stood frozen in shock. She realized she was totally vulnerable, without protection, and anything could happen to her. She shivered in fear, and what little feeling she had for her father died forever. He
would never love her. And now he had sent her among wolves who would devour her if she didn’t find a way out…and soon.
“Catherine…Catherine.” The duke had to speak to her twice before he got her attention. Now she was shaking so hard in fear that he gathered her in his arms and said, “Shhh, Cat. I’m here. I’ll protect you like I’ve always done. I won’t let anyone hurt you.” He then recalled one of the bullies when they were younger who was chasing her through the woods just to scare her and reminded her how they got even with him.
She remembered what they did and giggled against his chest. But her mind wasn’t on the incident; her mind was on the fact that she was held fast in the arms of the man she had loved forever. The feeling was so beautiful, she would have let him do anything to her at that point, but especially she wanted him to kiss her. And when she lifted her head to look on her beloved’s face with tears glistening in her eyes, Crispin’s breath hitched. She was easily the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and he nearly kissed her. Then he mentally berated himself for wanting to ravish his friend. He had always protected her, and he wouldn’t stop now. He would even protect her from himself.
“Cat…Catherine, you must promise me you will not be alone with any of these people: man or woman. Except for your bedchamber, stay by my side the entire se’nnight. It’s the only way I can keep you safe. Otherwise...” He stopped speaking and just looked at her with worry in his eyes. “If you don’t, you won’t just be compromised; you will be raped and forced to marry for your dowry by one who will probably never love you. Promise you will be careful and wait for me each morning. Lock your door always, and I’ll escort you from your bedchamber downstairs and take you back at night. It’s the only chance I’ll have to keep you safe. Do you understand?”
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