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An Unexpected Countess
Laurie Benson
‘Dash it, Miss Forrester, what are you doing up here?’The Earl of Hartwick delights in scandalising the Ton with his behaviour. But it’s his turn to be scandalised when, on one of his escapades, he bumps into Miss Sarah Forrester—in the rain, at night, on a rooftop!Sarah is hunting for a diamond, and the last thing she needs is the infuriating Hart distracting her. But he’s looking for the jewel too! They might be rivals, but the sparks between them are uncontrollable. And soon Sarah finds herself longing for another treasure—becoming Hart’s countess!
“Dash it, Miss Forrester, what are you doing up here?”
The Earl of Hartwick delights in scandalizing the ton with his behavior. But it’s his turn to be scandalized when, on an escapade, he bumps into Miss Sarah Forrester—in the rain, at night, on a rooftop!
Sarah is hunting for a diamond, and the last thing she needs is the infuriating Hart distracting her. But he’s looking for the jewel, too! They may be rivals, but the sparks between them are uncontrollable. And soon Sarah finds herself longing for another treasure—becoming Hart’s countess!
Secret Lives of the Ton (#uc2ee4661-aed7-58d1-b37f-1d9105148723)
What Society doesn’t know...
Meet Julian Carlisle, the Duke of Lyonsdale, Gabriel Pearce, the Duke of Winterbourne, and Phineas Attwood, the Earl of Hartwick.
In the eyes of the Ton, these three gentlemen are handsome, upstanding men who—mostly!—play by the rules. But what Society doesn’t know is that behind closed doors these three men are living scandalous lives and hiding scandalous secrets!
Read Julian’s story in
An Unsuitable Duchess
Read Gabriel’s story in
An Uncommon Duke
And read Hart’s story in
An Unexpected Countess
All available now!
Author Note (#uc2ee4661-aed7-58d1-b37f-1d9105148723)
Hart and Sarah weren’t supposed to fall in love. When I started writing An Unsuitable Duchess I simply intended them to be the best friends of my hero and heroine. But as I wrote that book it became obvious to me that these two would be perfect together. They needed their own story, and that story would open with them running into each other on a rooftop in London in the middle of the night. I just needed to figure out why they were there!
Around that time I read an article about the Sancy Diamond. This diamond was once part of the pre-Commonwealth Crown Jewels of England, but was sold by James II to Cardinal Mazarin in 1657. In 1792 the Sancy, along with the rest of the French Crown Jewels, was stolen when the Royal Treasury was stormed during the French Revolution. The Sancy Diamond disappeared, and its whereabouts was unknown until Prince Demidoff, a Russian nobleman, bought it from an unnamed source in 1828. The mystery of where it had been for thirty-six years was too intriguing to pass up, and it gave me a reason to put Hart and Sarah on that roof.
I hope you enjoy reading their story. For information about my other releases visit my website at lauriebenson.net. While you’re there you can also search my blog to find information about some of the other interesting historical titbits I uncovered while doing research for this book.
An Unexpected Countess
Laurie Benson
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
LAURIE BENSON is an award-winning historical romance author and Golden Heart® Award finalist. She began her writing career as an advertising copywriter, where she learned more than anyone could ever want to know about hot dogs and credit score reports. When she isn’t at her laptop, avoiding laundry, Laurie can be found browsing in museums or taking ridiculously long hikes with her husband and two sons. You can visit her at lauriebenson.net (http://www.lauriebenson.net).
Books by Laurie Benson
Mills & Boon Historical Romance
Secret Lives of the Ton
An Unsuitable Duchess
An Uncommon Duke
An Unexpected Countess
Visit the Author Profile page
at www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk) for more titles.
For Lori, who crossed an ocean with me and let me drag her around London in search of hiding places. And for Mia, who has been on Team Hart from the beginning. This one is for the two of you.
A big thank-you to my editor, Kathryn Cheshire, for helping me bring Hart and Sarah to life. You’re a gem! And thanks to the rest of the team at Harlequin, especially Krista Oliver, Linda Fildew, Tilda McDonald, Miranda Indrigo and Lucy Gough for all you’ve done for me.
I’m very thankful to my agent, Courtney Miller-Callihan with Handspun Literary Agency, for helping me fulfil my dream of publishing all three books in this trilogy.
To my family–thanks for your support and encouragement while I worked on this book. I’m sorry about the dust bunnies and the empty refrigerator. At least we know a good pizza place that delivers. I love you guys!
And, last but far from least, thank you to my readers. Your enthusiasm and kind words about my books have truly touched my heart.
Contents
Cover (#u3cf7d9a3-490d-5bb2-9108-1a2a6fd5b529)
Back Cover Text (#u7724f24a-c07d-5ccc-bdda-1e08e6b10c99)
Secret Lives of the Ton (#uddc5df9b-5b97-5dc1-bac6-916152aae863)
Author Note (#u299f1f1d-f435-59b4-9524-03800a4735e7)
Title Page (#u9db5469f-9129-5fcc-b91c-0b6139b9e9c2)
About the Author (#ube49e24d-80c4-54a0-bd34-10f2b343eafc)
Dedication (#u8a251737-630f-57dc-8043-167a986e27e0)
Chapter One (#udf15c312-d815-5c04-a03f-378665e47c9c)
Chapter Two (#u158d99f2-b91f-5640-bc73-8acbe1c372ad)
Chapter Three (#uf036c914-6af7-54e9-8395-3f4acda77f73)
Chapter Four (#u4cdb7f23-3b63-5123-ad5d-f791efd9bab1)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seventeen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eighteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nineteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One (#uc2ee4661-aed7-58d1-b37f-1d9105148723)
London—1819
This wasn’t the first time Phineas Attwood, the Earl of Hartwick, had stepped onto a London rooftop at night in the rain—however, it was the first time he discovered he wasn’t alone.
Hart had to drag himself from Theodosia’s resplendent tester bed on such a dreary night. He wished he could have taken her once more, but there wasn’t time. Her husband would arrive home soon and Hart had no interest in running into the man. He could have been brazen and left by the front door, but there was nothing like the thrill of finding alternative ways to escape the town houses of his female companions—even if one was forced to do so during a downpour.
Shielding his eyes from the cold raindrops pelting his face, he stepped to the very edge of the roofline. Taunting death, he leaned over. It was a straight drop to Mount Street below, four storeys with nothing to grab on to or brace his feet against to climb down. It would also be in view of any approaching carriages.
To his left, the adjacent rooflines of the next three buildings ended at an alleyway that led to Reeves Mews. That appeared to be his best option. The building at the far end might have some architectural mouldings to aid his descent. Just as he was about to have a look, movement to his right caught his eye.
A slim, dark figure about fifty feet away was walking along the roof towards the back of an adjacent house. Apparently it was time for all assignations to come to an end. This gentleman was smart enough to wear a cape and cleric’s hat to shield himself from the rain, although Hart would wager he was no priest.
‘Fine weather for ducks,’ Hart called out.
His interruption startled the fellow so much the man lost his footing. Skidding over the slippery slate tiles, Hart caught him by the forearm the moment the man fell over the edge. It would be a long drop to the back gardens below.
Hart dug his fingers into the stranger’s arm and prayed he wouldn’t be pulled off the roof by the counterweight. ‘I have you,’ he ground out. ‘I won’t let you go.’
Even through his sleeve, Hart wouldn’t be surprised if the man’s nails were drawing blood as he held on to Hart for dear life while he dangled precariously over the edge. He didn’t have much meat on him, which made him appear more of a boy than a man. It didn’t take much effort to tug him back onto the roof.
A light mist was now falling, replacing the earlier downpour. A thank you was in order, however the huddled form next to him was silent as stone, probably mute with fear or shock. Pushing his hair away from his eyes, Hart surveyed his companion—and wished the rain would have continued to obscure his view.
‘Dash it, Miss Forrester, what are you doing up here?’
The daughter of the American Minister to the Court of St James sat up. The cape she wore parted just enough to reveal the open neckline of a gentleman’s black shirt and the curves of her breasts. He recalled seeing her wearing those clothes about a year ago at the Finchleys’ masquerade, where she’d had the nerve to dress as a highwayman, which had also been his costume of choice that night. Now her shapely legs were stretched out before her, encased in black trews and top boots. Those legs were just as enticing as he remembered.
‘Do not tell me you are leaving a masquerade from up here,’ he said, tearing his attention away from those legs to stop himself from imagining them wrapped around his waist.
She arched one of her finely shaped dark brows. ‘I’d ask where you’re coming from, but I can already guess. Is this the time your assignations typically come to an end?’
An unmarried woman should know nothing of assignations. In the few times he had been in her presence, he had noticed that Miss Sarah Forrester enjoyed unnerving people with her candour. He was not about to let her best him.
‘I’m coming from seeing a business associate. More important, does Katrina know you’re prowling the rooftops of London at night?’ he asked to regain the advantage. Katrina was the Duchess of Lyonsdale, a dear friend of Miss Forrester.
‘No.’ She looked away too quickly. Apparently his friend’s wife knew exactly what this chit was up to. He wondered if Katrina would have told Julian.
‘How were you planning on getting down from here?’ she asked, interrupting his thoughts.
‘That is the beauty of leaving in such a manner as this. It forces you to consider multiple options.’ The fact that he hadn’t decided how he would make it off the roof was inconsequential in this discussion.
The clomping of horse hooves and the rumble of carriage wheels on the street below caught their attention and they both crawled to the edge of the roof. A black lacquered carriage rolled to a stop directly below the house next to them and a footman from Theodosia’s house darted towards it, carrying a large black umbrella. Hart had left her bed just in time and smiled at his luck.
‘That might have been a bit awkward, if you remained longer with Lady Helmford,’ she said.
He had momentarily forgotten the pest was beside him.
She leaned closer and the faint scent of lilacs filled the damp air. Her brown eyes held amusement mixed with curiosity as she looked up at him. ‘Have you ever been caught?’
He scoffed at the absurdity of her question. ‘No.’
‘Never?’
‘Not once.’ His chest puffed up at his declaration, then he realised what he had revealed. Damn!
She sat back and removed her hat. The rain had stopped and she casually brushed the droplets off the brim and crown. ‘I hadn’t realised Lady Helmford was a business associate of yours.’
He hated when she found ways to use his habit of bragging against him. While she might believe she had the upper hand, it hadn’t escaped Hart’s notice that she had avoided his question.
‘And what brings you to this rooftop? You never did say.’
She shifted her gaze momentarily. ‘I’m intrigued by architecture.’
‘Architecture?’
