Real Earls Break the Rules (Infamous Somertons)

by Tina Gabrielle

  Brandon’s eyes narrowed as they traveled from Arnold to Begley. “What the hell is going on here?”

  “They’ve conspired against you!” Amelia’s voice was edged with panic. “They sabotaged the power looms to keep you in debt so that you’d be forced to turn over the factory and the land. There’s coal on Rosehill’s land. Coal!”

  Edward Arnold looked like he was going to take off for the woods. Brandon must have sensed it, and he stepped past Amelia to grasp Arnold by the collar and thrust him against the brick wall. “You sabotaged the looms? For coal?”

  The color drained from Arnold’s face as Brandon shook the man. “My father was drunk and desperate when he came to you, wasn’t he?”

  “Aye, he was a sodden fool. He kept blabbering about an abundance of coal on his land.”

  If Brandon was surprised by this news, his expression remained unflinching. “You feared I would be able to pay off the loan, didn’t you?” Brandon ground out.

  Arnold unsuccessfully tried to pry Brandon’s hands loose. “It’s true. I paid Begley to keep the looms from working,” Arnold spat. “Your father had been an easy mark, my lord. But Begley assured me you weren’t as foolish. I couldn’t allow the textile mill to be productive or for you to pay off the loans.” He glared at Amelia. “We would have gotten away with it, too, if it wasn’t for the bitch.”

  Brandon’s expression turned murderous. Tightening his grip on Arnold’s collar, he lifted the man from the ground. “I’d let the constable deal with you, but you threatened Amelia. You threatened my fiancée. And for that reason, I have no mercy.”

  Arnold’s eyes bulged as his air supply was restricted, and he clawed at Brandon’s fist.

  “Brandon! No!” Amelia shouted.

  Brandon pulled back his fist and punched Arnold square in his nose. Blood splattered across Arnold’s cravat and jacket. He howled in pain as he cradled his broken nose with both hands.

  “Despite wanting to kill him, I won’t.” Brandon’s narrowed gaze then turned to Begley.

  The manager’s eyes were wide at the sight of Edward Arnold bleeding and sobbing, but he visibly flinched when Brandon turned his attention to him.

  “Why?” Brandon asked tersely.

  “I’m so…sorry, my lord. My mother’s ill, and Mr. Arnold promised he’d pay for the surgeon with the money from the coal,” Begley blabbered.

  “You could have come to me,” Brandon said.

  Begley hung his head. “Mr. Arnold said no one would be hurt. All I had to do was tamper with the looms.”

  “Get out of my sight,” Brandon snapped. “The constable will deal with both of you.”

  …

  An hour later, Amelia was in Rosehill’s drawing room. She sat on a velvet settee with her wrapped ankle resting on a padded footstool.

  Brandon knelt at her side, a look of concern etched on his features. He lifted the hem of her dress and cradled her foot in his hands. “Does it still hurt?”

  The sharp pain was now a dull ache. “It’s much better now.”

  He studied her face unhurriedly, feature by feature. “Amelia, my heart stopped when you hobbled around the corner of the factory with Begley and Arnold in hot pursuit. And when I learned of their intent to harm you and how close I came to losing you, I was terrified. You are precious to me. I need you, and I can’t imagine life at Rosehill, London, or anywhere without you by my side.”

  He rested his head in her lap. Her heart leaped in her chest, and her fingers threaded through his thick hair. “I was afraid, but even more than fear, I was furious at the betrayal.”

  He raised his head and met her eyes. “You mean at Begley?”

  “No. He acted horribly by sabotaging the power looms even after you promoted him to factory manager, but he was under duress from his mother’s illness. He should have come to you, of course, but it wasn’t his betrayal that angered me.”

  “If you’re speaking of Edward Arnold, I never knew the man before he arrived at Rosehill with my father’s IOU.”

  “I didn’t mean Mr. Arnold. I meant your father’s betrayal. He knew there was coal on Rosehill and he never told you. Why?”

  A cold expression settled on Brandon’s features. “Nothing surprises me about my parent. My father never bothered to mine the coal. He kept the knowledge secret because he knew he would need the money to satisfy gambling debts. It worked just as he wanted. Edward Arnold increased the amount of the loan after learning about the coal. Arnold knew the old earl couldn’t pay off the loan, and he wanted the land and the coal. My father’s death caused concern, of course. If Arnold was to get his hands on the coal, he needed to ensure that I wouldn’t be able to pay off the loan so he sabotaged the power looms.”

  “What about your grandfather? Surely he knew.”

  “My grandfather knew when he purchased the land, but he died when I was young. The only person he told was my father.”

  “The dowager had no idea about the coal?”

  “Just like my own parents, my grandparents couldn’t stand to be in each other’s presence for more than an hour. My grandfather wouldn’t have shared the information with my grandmother.”

  She shook her head regretfully. “Oh, Brandon. I’m sorry for everything.” He was worthy of affection and deep love, and she vowed to show him just that every day of their marriage.

  “Don’t be sorry. I’m not going to repeat either of their marital mistakes.” His look was purposeful and tugged at her heart.

  “What will happen to Mr. Begley and Mr. Arnold?” she asked.

  “The constable arrested both men for their crimes. They will be dealt with by the law.”

  She was afraid to ask the question, but she needed to know the truth. “What about the IOU and the money owed to Mr. Arnold?”

  “The document conveniently disappeared.”

  She took a quick breath. “What do you mean?”

  A mischievous gleam lit his eyes. “There are no copies and the constable couldn’t find it.”

  “You picked Edward Arnold’s pocket?” she asked incredulously. She recalled Brandon throwing Arnold against the factory wall and twisting his cravat until the man had trouble breathing. Had Brandon managed to steal papers from his jacket pocket?

  He flashed a smile. “Not all skills are learned in the rookeries.”

  “Lord Vale, you are a devil!”

  “The land, the coal, and the factory will remain part of the earldom. I predict a school will open for the children of the textile mill as early as this summer,” he said.

  Joy bubbled in her laugh. “That’s wonderful!”

  “I’ll need someone to help oversee the school, of course.”

  “Do you have anyone in mind?” She gave him a sly look.

  His lips twitched. “I do, but the person in question must be part of the family.”

  A warm glow flowed through her, and she gloried in the shared moment. “Then it’s good I’ve already accepted your marriage proposal, my lord.”

  His expression turned serious, and he took her slender hand in his. “I sent for a special license days ago, but the wedding will have to wait at least a week. The physician gave strict orders for you to keep off your feet,” he said.

  She looked at him beneath lowered lashed. “Whatever shall I do until then?”

  A smoldering invitation lit the depth of his eyes. “I can think of many pleasurable ways to occupy your time.” Leaning forward, he brushed his mouth against hers with exquisite tenderness. She returned his kiss and sighed against his lips. “Thank goodness I chose a man who takes his duties very seriously.”

  Epilogue

  “Come see, mama! It’s your paintings.”

  Amelia smiled at her three-year-old son, Nicholas, and let him take her hand and lead her into the gallery where her paintings hung on the walls.

  Brandon followed behind Nicholas, and a little girl clung to his leg. “Papa promised me a puppy.”

  Amelia held her arms open and her two-y
ear-old daughter, Isabella, ran from her papa’s leg into her embrace.

  “A puppy?” Amelia kissed Isabella’s forehead. Isabella had the same coloring as Amelia with auburn curls and blue eyes.

  “He did!” Isabella insisted.

  Nicholas joined his mother’s side. His green eyes sparkled with excitement. “He said he would buy us one if we behaved well for your exhibition. What do you think, mama?”

  Goodness. Young Nicholas was quite a charmer, just like his father. Amelia had her hands full with him already.

  “Did he now?” she asked, trying to appear serious and consider their request.

  Both Nicholas and Isabella enthusiastically nodded.

  The children were dressed in their finest clothes, and their faces beamed with excitement. They were perfect and Amelia adored them.

  Brandon came close and grinned. “I did promise them a puppy. Do you mind?”

  Amelia’s cheeks colored under the heat of her husband’s gaze. “How can I say no? Rosehill needs a dog. Springtime is perfect.”

  Rosehill was lovely in the springtime, and they planned a trip after the exhibition. There had been a huge vein of coal on the property, and the money from its sale had paid off all of the former earl’s creditors and then some. It seemed a long while since her frightful ordeal at the textile mill. Amelia had learned that both Begley and Arnold had been tried and convicted for their crimes. At Brandon’s request, the magistrate had shown mercy toward Begley, and he would soon be released to care for his ill mother. Edward Arnold was not as fortunate and would serve a long jail sentence.

  Brandon had sold off all his father’s business ventures except for the textile mill and the dress shop. Amelia’s powers of persuasion were strong, and Brandon had taken her advice and asked Caroline to help him oversee the dress shop. She was thrilled and was able to design gowns for the seamstresses to sew. She’d adopted an anonymous French name for her designs, Madame Fleur, and the ladies of the beau monde flocked to her dress shop to order gowns from the “famous” French dressmaker.

  The textile mill had become more profitable then either of them had predicted. Together, they had built a school for the children and hired a teacher. The factory had become so successful that Brandon had invested in more power looms. He never had to worry about money again.

  “Are you ready for your first art exhibition, darling?” Brandon asked.

  “I can’t believe it’s finally happening.” She still had butterflies every time she glanced at her paintings hanging on the walls. Each work showed the everyday conditions and harsh realities of the laboring poor and paupers of London. Deep down, she knew, they would make a difference.

  After she’d had lessons from Samuel Stirling, the master painter at the Royal Academy, she had improved her technique and caught the attention of several critics. She’d been offered a chance to have her own art exhibition. Huntingdon, as an influential art critic himself, was to make an appearance. A newspaperman from the Times was expected to attend as well.

  Amelia was thrilled not only to be able to display the paintings of her own choice, but she had signed all of the works as Lady Vale.

  It was everything she had ever wished and hoped for. But her biggest accomplishments were before her. Her children. Her husband.

  She sighed as Brandon gathered her into his arms. “Thank you. My dreams have finally come true.”

  He placed a sweet kiss on her lips. “So have mine, my love.”

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  Acknowledgments

  Writing a book takes much support from family, writing partners, and professionals. I couldn’t have done it without my wonderful husband, John. A special thank you to my longtime friend and grammar queen, Maryliz.

  Thank you also to my supportive agent, Stephany Evans, for her wonderful feedback on my books. A note of thanks to my editor, Alycia Tornetta, at Entangled Publishing as well.

  I’m also eternally grateful for my readers. Without you there would be no books!

  About the Author

  Bestselling author Tina Gabrielle is an attorney and former mechanical engineer whose love of reading for pleasure helped her get through years of academia. She often picked up a romance and let her fantasies of knights in shining armor and lords and ladies carry her away. She is the author of adventurous historical romances for Entangled Publishing and Kensington Books. The third book in the Infamous Somertons series, The Duke Meets His Match, will be released from Entangled soon.

  Publisher’s Weekly calls her Regency Barrister’s series, “Well-matched lovers…witty comradely repartee.” Tina’s books have been Barnes & Noble top picks, and her first book, Lady Of Scandal, was nominated as best first historical by Romantic Times Book Reviews. Tina lives in New Jersey. She loves to hear from readers. Visit her website to learn about upcoming releases, join her newsletter, and enter free monthly contests at www.tinagabrielle.com.

  You can also find Tina at:

  Twitter: @tinagabrielle

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