Christine Merrill - A Kiss Away From Scandal

If the truth comes out...

...there will be scandal!

In this Those Scandalous Stricklands story, Hope Strickland must find the lost items of her family’s estate. Mysterious Gregory Drake, expert at fixing the problems of the aristocracy, is hired to help. As they embark on the search, Hope finds herself drawn to the handsome stranger. He may not be a gentleman, but Hope’s tempted to put aside her marriage prospects for a forbidden night—in Gregory’s bed!

Those Scandalous Stricklands miniseries

Book 1—A Kiss Away From Scandal

Look out for the next book, coming soon!

“Readers will enjoy the strong characters, swift pace, lively wit and the wickedly fun escapades that stubborn lovers can get into.”

—RT Book Reviews on “Her Christmas Temptation” in Regency Christmas Wishes

“Merrill pens another winner.”

—RT Book Reviews on The Wedding Game

CHRISTINE MERRILL lives on a farm in Wisconsin, USA, with her husband, two sons and too many pets—all of whom would like her to get off the computer so they can check their email. She has worked by turns in theatre costuming and as a librarian. Writing historical romance combines her love of good stories and fancy dress with her ability to stare out of the window and make stuff up.

Also by Christine Merrill

The Wedding Game

A Convenient Bride for the Soldier

Regency Christmas Wishes

The Sinner and the Saint miniseries

The Greatest of Sins

The Fall of a Saint

The de Bryun Sisters miniseries

The Truth About Lady Felkirk

A Ring from a Marquess

Those Scandalous Stricklands miniseries

A Kiss Away from Scandal

And look out for the next book

Coming soon

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

A Kiss Away from Scandal

Christine Merrill

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-07374-5

A KISS AWAY FROM SCANDAL

© 2018 Christine Merrill

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

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To Clara Bloczynski: there can be only one.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Extract

About the Publisher

Chapter One

‘I have a problem.’

In Gregory Drake’s experience, most conversations began with exactly those words. But that was to be expected, given the unusual nature of his profession.

Gregory fixed things.

Not in the usual sense. Watchmakers fixed watches. Tinkers mended kettles. But Gregory was not a tradesman as much as a student of human nature. He fixed lives. When members of the upper classes were confronted with a situation that was difficult, embarrassing, or simply tedious, they came to him.

He made their problems go away. Quickly, quietly and without another word.

It was why he was welcome in the reading rooms at Boodle’s and White’s and most of the other clubs in London. He could claim membership in none of them. But he was so often found in attendance at them, sharing hushed conversations with important people, that no one dared to ask the reason for his presence. Though society might see him as an underling, even its most august members kept a respectful distance from him, not wanting to embarrass their friends. More importantly, they did not want to annoy the fellow who could be counted on to rescue them when trouble arose.

Today, Gregory stretched his legs towards the fireplace to warm the January chill from his bones. Then he looked expectantly to the man in the opposite chair. ‘Does your problem involve a woman?’ Until his recent marriage, James Leggett had been a well-known rake who courted scandal almost as actively as he chased the females that embroiled him in it.

At this, Leggett laughed. ‘It involves several women. But none in the way you probably expect, given my reputation.’

‘If not an affaire de coeur , then what could it be?’

‘It concerns my wife’s family,’ Leggett said, with a sigh. ‘Lovely ladies, all. But there are far too many of them for one man to handle.’

‘That is why you are speaking to me,’ Gregory said, with an understanding nod.

‘The branches of the Strickland family tree are so full of women that it is all but dead. My darling Faith has two sisters and a grandmother.’

‘The Dowager Countess of Comstock,’ Gregory supplied, to prove he was well aware of the circumstances. ‘The Earl had no brothers and all three of his sons are dead. But, I understand the Crown has found an heir to the earldom. There is a cousin of some sort, several times removed and living in America.’

Leggett nodded. ‘This leaves the ladies in a somewhat precarious position.’

In a just society, it would not. In Gregory’s opinion, men should be required by law to make provision for the future of female relatives and property should be divided equitably amongst all siblings, regardless of sex. But no one gave a damn for the opinion of a fellow without inherited wealth, nor did it make sense to argue reform with a man who had benefitted from the current system. Instead, he described the situation at hand. ‘The last Earl left them a pittance and the ladies fear that the new one will take even that away from them.’