Anne Herries - Protected by the Major

For duty, for honour, for love

Bound by honour and family ties, three brave men fought for their lives in France…

Now, back in the drawing rooms of England, they face a new battle as three beautiful women lay siege to their scarred hearts!

PROTECTED BY THE MAJORJanuary 2014

DRAWN TO LORD RAVENSCARFebruary 2014

COURTED BY THE CAPTAINAlready available

This is the second of the Ravenscar cousins’ trilogy. Hallam helped Adam when their cousin Mark Ravenscar was murdered. Now that they have caught the culprit Adam and Jenny are married and Hal turns his mind to his own problems. He has never been able to forget Madeline, the girl he asked to wed him before he joined the army. She turned him down to marry a wealthy lord, but now he has discovered that she is desperately unhappy. Should he forgive her for the pain she caused him and help her in her time of need?

I hope my readers will enjoy this second book. The third is coming soon.

Love to you all.

Protected

by the Major

Anne Herries

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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I would like to dedicate this, the second of the cousins’ trilogy, to my editors at HM&B past and present for all the help they have given me over the years.

Anne Herrieslives in Cambridgeshire, where she is fond of watching wildlife and spoils the birds and squirrels that are frequent visitors to her garden. Anne loves to write about the beauty of nature, and sometimes puts a little into her books, although they are mostly about love and romance. She writes for her own enjoyment, and to give pleasure to her readers. Anne is a winner of the Romantic Novelists’ Association Romance Prize. She invites readers to contact her on her website: www.lindasole.co.uk

Previous novels by the same author:

THE RAKE’S REBELLIOUS LADY

A COUNTRY MISS IN HANOVER SQUARE * * A Season in Town † The Melford Dynasty ** Secrets and Scandals ‡ Officers and Gentlemen And in the Regency series The Steepwood Scandal: LORD RAVENSDEN’S MARRIAGE COUNTERFEIT EARL Did you know that some of these novels are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk AN INNOCENT DEBUTANTE IN HANOVER SQUARE * * A Season in Town † The Melford Dynasty ** Secrets and Scandals ‡ Officers and Gentlemen And in the Regency series The Steepwood Scandal: LORD RAVENSDEN’S MARRIAGE COUNTERFEIT EARL Did you know that some of these novels are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk THE MISTRESS OF HANOVER SQUARE * * A Season in Town † The Melford Dynasty ** Secrets and Scandals ‡ Officers and Gentlemen And in the Regency series The Steepwood Scandal: LORD RAVENSDEN’S MARRIAGE COUNTERFEIT EARL Did you know that some of these novels are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk THE PIRATE’S WILLING CAPTIVE FORBIDDEN LADY † * A Season in Town † The Melford Dynasty ** Secrets and Scandals ‡ Officers and Gentlemen And in the Regency series The Steepwood Scandal: LORD RAVENSDEN’S MARRIAGE COUNTERFEIT EARL Did you know that some of these novels are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk THE LORD’S FORCED BRIDE † * A Season in Town † The Melford Dynasty ** Secrets and Scandals ‡ Officers and Gentlemen And in the Regency series The Steepwood Scandal: LORD RAVENSDEN’S MARRIAGE COUNTERFEIT EARL Did you know that some of these novels are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk HER DARK AND DANGEROUS LORD † * A Season in Town † The Melford Dynasty ** Secrets and Scandals ‡ Officers and Gentlemen And in the Regency series The Steepwood Scandal: LORD RAVENSDEN’S MARRIAGE COUNTERFEIT EARL Did you know that some of these novels are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk FUGITIVE COUNTESS † * A Season in Town † The Melford Dynasty ** Secrets and Scandals ‡ Officers and Gentlemen And in the Regency series The Steepwood Scandal: LORD RAVENSDEN’S MARRIAGE COUNTERFEIT EARL Did you know that some of these novels are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk BOUGHT FOR THE HAREM HOSTAGE BRIDE THE DISAPPEARING DUCHESS ** * A Season in Town † The Melford Dynasty ** Secrets and Scandals ‡ Officers and Gentlemen And in the Regency series The Steepwood Scandal: LORD RAVENSDEN’S MARRIAGE COUNTERFEIT EARL Did you know that some of these novels are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk THE MYSTERIOUS LORD MARLOWE ** * A Season in Town † The Melford Dynasty ** Secrets and Scandals ‡ Officers and Gentlemen And in the Regency series The Steepwood Scandal: LORD RAVENSDEN’S MARRIAGE COUNTERFEIT EARL Did you know that some of these novels are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk THE SCANDALOUS LORD LANCHESTER ** * A Season in Town † The Melford Dynasty ** Secrets and Scandals ‡ Officers and Gentlemen And in the Regency series The Steepwood Scandal: LORD RAVENSDEN’S MARRIAGE COUNTERFEIT EARL Did you know that some of these novels are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk SECRET HEIRESS BARTERED BRIDE CAPTAIN MOORCROFT’S CHRISTMAS BRIDE (part of Candlelit Christmas Kisses) A STRANGER’S TOUCH † * A Season in Town † The Melford Dynasty ** Secrets and Scandals ‡ Officers and Gentlemen And in the Regency series The Steepwood Scandal: LORD RAVENSDEN’S MARRIAGE COUNTERFEIT EARL Did you know that some of these novels are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk HIS UNUSUAL GOVERNESS PROMISED TO THE CRUSADER COURTED BY THE CAPTAIN ‡ * A Season in Town † The Melford Dynasty ** Secrets and Scandals ‡ Officers and Gentlemen And in the Regency series The Steepwood Scandal: LORD RAVENSDEN’S MARRIAGE COUNTERFEIT EARL Did you know that some of these novels are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk

*A Season in Town †The Melford Dynasty **Secrets and Scandals ‡Officers and Gentlemen

And in the Regency series The Steepwood Scandal:

LORD RAVENSDEN’S MARRIAGE

COUNTERFEIT EARL

Did you know that some of these novels are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk

Contents

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Afterword

Prologue

‘Please do not do this,’ the handsome young cavalry officer begged, catching at the girl’s arm as she started to walk away. ‘If you marry him you will break my heart and I know he cannot make you happy, Madeline.’

She blinked back her tears as she looked at him, her green eyes misty and filled with an appeal that caught at his heart. She was lovely, with her long, naturally wavy hair brushing her shoulders and her soft mouth that had always smiled for him. In her eyes he saw the love she had once declared beneath this very apple tree, but her words were cold and dismissive.