Louise Allen - Unlacing Lady Thea

*Those Scandalous Ravenhursts **The Transformation of the Shelley Sisters †Danger © Desire ‡Linked by character

and as a Mills © Boon ®special release:REGENCY RUMOURS

and in the Silk © Scandal mini-series:THE LORD AND THE WAYWARD LADY THE OFFICER AND THE PROPER LADY

and in Mills © Boon ®Historical Undone ! eBooks:DISROBED AND DISHONOURED AUCTIONED VIRGIN TO SEDUCED BRIDE ** * Those Scandalous Ravenhursts ** The Transformation of the Shelley Sisters † Danger © Desire ‡ Linked by character and as a Mills © Boon ® special release: REGENCY RUMOURS and in the Silk © Scandal mini-series: THE LORD AND THE WAYWARD LADY THE OFFICER AND THE PROPER LADY and in Mills © Boon ® Historical Undone ! eBooks: DISROBED AND DISHONOURED AUCTIONED VIRGIN TO SEDUCED BRIDE ** Did you know that some of these novels are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk

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

Contents

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

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter One

London—June 3, 1814

The skeleton clock on the overmantel struck four. No point in going to bed. Besides, he was thoroughly foxed, although not drunk enough to keep him from lying awake, wondering what had possessed him to make this insane plan. And worse, to follow through with organisation so ruthlessly efficient that to cancel now would throw his entire staff, financial team, estate management and social life into disorder—and make it seem he did not know his own mind.

‘Which I do not,’ Rhys Denham informed the ragged-eared ginger tom that sat on the hearthrug eyeing him with the disdain that only a feline or a dowager duchess could muster. ‘Know my own mind, that is. Always do, just not this time.’

The appearance of the kitchen mouser on the principal floor, let alone in the study of the third Earl of Palgrave, was unheard of. The household must be stirring already, too distracted by their master’s imminent departure for the Continent to notice an open door at the head of the servants’ stair.

‘It seemed a good plan at the time,’ Rhys mused. The brandy at the bottom of the glass glowed in the candlelight, and he splashed in more and tossed the lot back. ‘I’m drunk. Haven’t been this drunk in years.’ Not since he had woken up one afternoon and realised that drink was never going to blot out the disaster of his wedding day, restore his faith in friendship or his delusions about romantic love.