Sarah Mallory - The Regency Season - Blackmailed Brides

SARAH MALLORYwas born in Bristol, and now lives in an old farmhouse on the edge of the Pennines with her husband and family. She left grammar school at sixteen to work in companies as varied as stockbrokers, marine engineers, insurance brokers, biscuit manufacturers and even a quarrying company. Her first book was published shortly after the birth of her daughter. She has published more than a dozen books under the pen-name of Melinda Hammond, winning the Reviewers’ Choice Award from www.singletitles.comfor Dance for a Diamond and the Historical Novel Society’s Editors’ Choice for Gentlemen in Question. As Sarah Mallory she is the winner of the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s RONA Rose® Award for 2012 and 2013 for The Dangerous Lord Darrington and Beneath the Major’s Scars .

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Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

About the Author SARAH MALLORY was born in Bristol, and now lives in an old farmhouse on the edge of the Pennines with her husband and family. She left grammar school at sixteen to work in companies as varied as stockbrokers, marine engineers, insurance brokers, biscuit manufacturers and even a quarrying company. Her first book was published shortly after the birth of her daughter. She has published more than a dozen books under the pen-name of Melinda Hammond, winning the Reviewers’ Choice Award from www.singletitles.com for Dance for a Diamond and the Historical Novel Society’s Editors’ Choice for Gentlemen in Question. As Sarah Mallory she is the winner of the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s RONA Rose® Award for 2012 and 2013 for The Dangerous Lord Darrington and Beneath the Major’s Scars .

The Scarlet Gown The Scarlet Gown Sarah Mallory

Back Cover Text WHAT IS HE HIDING FROM HER? When impoverished Lucy Halbrook arrives at Lord Adversane’s estate she knows her assignment is unusual—not only will she act as hostess at his Midsummer’s Eve play, she must also pretend to be his fiancée! What Lucy doesn’t know is that Ralph is hiding something dark and dangerous. He must uncover the truth behind his wife’s death—and Lucy is the key. She challenges him at every turn and, as each day passes, unlocks a little more of Ralph’s guarded heart….

Dedication To Cecilia and David, thank you for preserving the moor that inspired a large part of this story!

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

Lady Beneath the Veil

Back Cover Text

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

Copyright

The Scarlet Gown

Sarah Mallory

WHAT IS HE HIDING FROM HER?

When impoverished Lucy Halbrook arrives at Lord Adversane’s estate she knows her assignment is unusual—not only will she act as hostess at his Midsummer’s Eve play, she must also pretend to be his fiancée!

What Lucy doesn’t know is that Ralph is hiding something dark and dangerous. He must uncover the truth behind his wife’s death—and Lucy is the key. She challenges him at every turn and, as each day passes, unlocks a little more of Ralph’s guarded heart….

To Cecilia and David, thank you for preserving the moor that inspired a large part of this story!

Chapter One

Mrs Killinghurst’s register office was well known as the saviour of many a gently bred young lady who had fallen upon hard times and needed to earn a living. Mrs Killinghurst specialised in finding employment for such young ladies as companions, governesses or even seamstresses, depending upon their accomplishments. Her offices occupied a suite of rooms above a hatter’s shop in Bond Street, and young ladies wishful of finding employment could slip along the narrow alley beside the shop and through the freshly painted doorway with its discreet brass plate.

Miss Lucy Halbrook had already made one visit to Mrs Killinghurst’s establishment and now, a fortnight later, she was returning to the office, as instructed by the proprietress herself, with high hopes of obtaining the gainful employment she so desperately needed. When her father had died twelve months ago Lucy had been prepared for life to change for herself and Mama, but it was only after the funeral that Lucy discovered just how poor they really were. They had been taken in by Mrs Halbrook’s invalid sister, but Lucy soon realised that although Mama had found a niche as nurse-companion to Mrs Edgeworth, she herself was constantly harassed by Mr Edgeworth. Lucy had always thought it a little odd that the female servants in her aunt’s house were all rather mature, but within days of moving in she knew the reason for it. She had so far managed to evade her uncle’s lascivious attentions but she must find somewhere else to live, and soon. If she was honest with herself, she also wanted a little more independence. Her father’s death had been painful, but her mother’s sudden revelation that they were penniless had been even harder to bear. They had never been rich, and it was not just their poverty, but the knowledge that Mama had kept the situation from her. And what of her father, a man she had adored? To find that he was not the hero she had thought him was a severe blow. If only they had told her. After all, it was not as if she was a child. Surely they could have trusted her with the truth when she reached her majority, three years ago? She might even have been able to help. By finding employment, for example, as she was doing now.

Lucy hurried along New Bond Street, dodging between the crowds of fashionable ladies and gentlemen who were taking advantage of the mild spring weather to stroll along, giving more attention to the shop windows than to where they were going. At last she reached the hatter’s and stepped quickly into the alley. It was darker than she had expected and it took her a moment to realise this was because someone was standing at the far end, blocking the light.

Her step faltered, but she pressed on. After all, Mrs Killinghurst was expecting her and she was not to be put off. She might wish she had worn a veil, but since there was no help for it, Lucy continued towards the door. The man—for it was undoubtedly a man—had apparently just emerged from Mrs Killinghurst’s door, so he was either looking for work or for someone to employ. The latter, she thought as her eyes grew accustomed to the shadows and she took in at a glance his coat of blue superfine, buckskin breeches and black boots. In fact, he might well have purchased his coat from Mr Weston’s hallowed portals in nearby Old Bond Street, for it fitted him perfectly with never a wrinkle to mar its elegance. His boots, too, shone with a smooth, highly polished gloss. The buckskins may well have been similarly free of creases, but Lucy had felt a frisson of something she did not quite understand when she had first observed the man and now she dared not let her eyes dwell on those muscular limbs.