For the Lust of a Rogue
A Steamy Regency Romance
Olivia Bennet
Contents
A Thank You Gift
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Epilogue
Extended Epilogue
Preview: Improperly Enticed by the Rascal Earl
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Also by Olivia Bennet
About the Author
A Thank You Gift
Thanks a lot for purchasing my book. It really means a lot to me, because this is the best way to show me your love.
As a Thank You gift I have written a full length novel for you called Daring Fantasies of a Noble Lady. It’s only available to people who have downloaded one of my books and you can get your free copy by tapping this link here.
Once more, thanks a lot for your love and support.
With love and appreciation,
Olivia Bennet
About the Book
She yearns for his lips, firmly against her, with all the unspoken promises they would never be able to utter...
Lady Caroline Beauchamp has a scandalous secret.
Publicly expressing her views on society through articles and an alias has forced her to turn down several suitors.
Estranged from his father, Mr. Jasper Langley is an ambitious lawyer with a single goal: establish his business and face his colleagues' hostility towards him. Until the day his crosses paths with the most alluring lady he has ever met.
Passion and longing brew beneath their skin, a fire that starts where the heart is.
With Jasper's office lost to a fire, and Caroline forced into an arranged marriage, realization dawns: destruction is never a coincidence. The only one who can help Jasper escape death and save Caroline from making the worst mistake of her life is a stranger. A woman who has left no tracks to find her...
Chapter 1
The carriage rumbled forward, every now and then bumping harshly from unevenness in the country road. Lady Caroline Beauchamp, the daughter of the Earl of Brighney, moved in her seat, feeling nauseous from this seemingly endless journey.
She had made the mistake of trying to read for the remainder of the trip to London, which had caused her stomach to turn violently. Caroline brought her muslin handkerchief to her delicate face, her pallor even paler than her usually lily-white complexion.
"Caroline, whatever is the matter, child?" Philip Beauchamp, the Earl of Brighney, observed his daughter over his reading spectacles, holding a folded letter in his right hand.
"It's nothing, Father," she said, mustering a smile. "I do wish we arrive in London soon." She pulled the small burgundy curtain back and peered out of the carriage window. The sunshine blinded her eyes, but she could clearly see the outlines of the countryside. The ride was still far from over.
How long will I be trapped inside here?
Caroline groaned softly, causing her father to chuckle good-naturedly.
"Cheer up, poppet. I'll read you the latest development from Her Grace’s predicament with the ton." Her father shook his head and began reading the letter his sister, the Dowager Duchess of Winfair, had sent them prior to their journey. Caroline giggled, pulled back the curtain, and enjoyed the soft timbre of her father's voice. Inevitably, this journey would end.
Caroline was returning to London for the Season, after a quiet and uneventful winter. Unlike many other young ladies, Caroline had never been interested in marriage. During the last Season, she had turned down several hopeful suitors, much to her father’s chagrin. She was sure her Aunt would be overbearing once they finally arrived.
The Dowager Duchess lost her husband from a sudden illness three years ago, and as she had never had any children, she always treated Caroline as her own daughter.
The carriage halted, startling Caroline. She sat up straight and could hear the hustle and bustle outside their carriage. Lord Brighney folded the letter he had been writing.
I must have fallen asleep. Goodness, I must look an absolute mess!
One of the footmen opened the carriage door and assisted her father out. She was still disoriented from her slumber and half-blinded by the stark contrast from the brightness outside and the dark interior of the carriage.
"Lady Caroline?" The timid voice of Caroline's young lady's maid, Madeleine, was barely audible.
"I'm coming," Caroline responded as she stepped out, inhaling the scent of the city. There really was no other place like London.
Brighney Manor was filled with life once more. All around were footmen and housemaids carrying luggage, disappearing through the service quarters. Caroline sat in the parlor with her Aunt, who was pouring her tea.
"How was the journey, dear?" the Dowager Duchess asked. "You look rather pale," she added sternly. The Dowager Duchess was very concerned about appearance, and Caroline often felt that nothing she did was quite right.
"Come now, let the child be." Lord Brighney had just entered the parlor, looking far more awake and energetic than Caroline felt. The Dowager Duchess looked irritated, but she did not let it bother her. "We will go over to the linen draper tomorrow," she said casually, then added with a pointed glance at Caroline. "I desperately require a new ball gown, and judging by the state of your travel gown, the same goes for you, My Lady."
"Certainly, Your Grace." Caroline dreaded it already. Now, if her aunt would have said, “We should spend tomorrow perusing the vast library,” that would have been ideal. Yet the idea was almost ludicrous. How Caroline could lose herself when surrounded by books. She had been fortunate to have been educated well, her father saw to that.
Caroline was well-versed in French and literature, as was expected of young ladies of her stature. However, she held a keen interest in law and politics, but was careful never to make that apparent. It was not fit for a lady to study such things, as the purpose of a young lady’s education was to prepare her for married life.
The Earl of Brighney was the Lord Chief Justice, and Caroline had been sneaking into his office to read his law books for as long as she could remember. It fascinated her immensely, and her thirst for knowledge was unquenchable. The mere idea of marriage was enough to make her insides twist.
None of the suitors she had met during the previous year had sparked the slightest interest with her. Some had been rather polite, young sons of Earls and
Barons, others—to her horror—were widowers who were around the same age as her father. Caroline was sure she would not be permitted to reject all the suitors during this Season, not with the constant emphasis on marriage from both her aunt and her father.
The following morning, Caroline lay in her four-poster bed, her blonde locks surrounding her head like a halo. She turned to her side as she contemplated the night's dream. It had been a strange one—she had been standing at the altar in a bridal gown, which was made out of pages from books.
As she turned to see who she was marrying, she saw no one, but had been certain someone had been there before. Caroline sat up and the book she had been reading before she fell asleep fell to the ground. She knew she'd better not let the Dowager Duchess see what she'd been doing.
Heaven forbid that I find some true solace around here. This endless discussion of courting and marriage is making my head hurt!
The dinner last night had been not so much a family meal, as a prolonged monologue from her aunt about the upcoming ball at Almack’s, which was supposedly going to be much grander than the previous one. The Dowager Duchess was one of the Patronesses of Almack's, the committee which consisted of a few of the most distinguished ladies of the ton.
A soft knock on the door made her turn around. "My Lady, are you ready?" The soft-spoken lady's maid stood in front of her bedroom door, and Caroline wondered whether she was ever going to stop quivering around her. Madeleine had been in her service for only a few months now, recently emigrated from France.
Caroline supposed she was a good lady's maid, but she did not feel close to her, not like her previous maid, Emma, who had turned in her notice rather unexpectedly the past year. Emma had been a wonderful companion, loyal and faithful through and through.
"Lady Caroline?" Another knock.
"I'm ready," called Caroline.
The sooner this day starts, the sooner it will be over. At least I hope so!
Caroline sat at the breakfast table and had barely finished her egg and bread roll when her aunt snapped her fingers, and a maid scurried forward to remove her plate, her head bowed.
"A lady must be mindful of her waist," the Dowager Duchess said sternly. "It would be a great shame if you would gain too much weight during this most important time in your life. Even you, with your slim figure, need to be careful."
Caroline stared at her aunt, biting her tongue to stop her retort. Instead, she smiled sweetly, "You're right, Your Grace, of course."
"Mrs. Wilson," the Duchess called.
"Your Grace." The housekeeper of Brighney Manor stepped forward. Mrs. Wilson was rather short, with a round figure and a kind smile. She was a gentle and warmhearted woman, who had been Caroline's confidant and supporter all her life.
As usual, she had her flaming red hair, which was now speckled with gray, tied in an elegant knot at the back, two unruly curls framing her face. The sight of her helped quell Caroline's frustration. Mrs. Wilson often seemed to be the only one that truly understood her.
"Tell the coachmen to have the barouche ready." The Dowager Duchess stood up gracefully.
"Of course, Madam."
"Luckily, we are to see the tailor, my sweet Caroline. You cannot be seen wearing these out-of-date gowns." At that, the Duchess left the room. Caroline sighed loudly.
"Don't you fret, Lady Caroline," Mrs. Wilson said softly. "Her Grace cares about you a great deal. You know she's only concerned for your well-being, dear."
"Thank you, Mrs. Wilson." Caroline inhaled deeply before standing up.
Oh, dear, I fear this is going to be a long day.
Thankfully, the carriage ride to the linen draper wasn't long, and with the open compartment, Caroline didn't feel at all queasy. She actually rather enjoyed being back in the hustle and bustle of the city. All around were people walking, chatting on corners, and the sound of horses’ hooves and children playing filled the air. Spring was here!
The Dowager Duchess was droning on and on about the upcoming ball, still, and Caroline had to try her hardest to be polite and proper. Especially when they passed a bakery with the most decadent looking pastries on display in the shop window.
Caroline's mouth watered at the sight. After a short ride, the barouche came to a gentle stop, and the coachman jumped from his raised high box seat to help them down.
What seemed like an eternity later, Caroline stood inside the small dress boutique. Her feet and back ached from standing in front of the seamstress, who had just finished measuring for her new gowns. They had been to the haberdashery to choose trimmings.
At the linen drapers, the Dowager Duchess had picked out for her a pale primrose that suited Caroline's fair complexion very well, and a Pomona green color, which Caroline thought was much too bold. Still, she agreed with her aunt's every choice, lest this day be longer than absolutely necessary.
"You may step down, Lady Caroline," the dressmaker said before turning to the Dowager Duchess to discuss her new ball gown. Caroline walked to the back of the shop, followed by Madeleine. She knew that her aunt would be preoccupied for a while, which gave Caroline an idea.
I should pop by the bakery—I am absolutely famished. I'm sure Her Grace will not notice that I have gone. I need to get away from her fussing, if only for a brief moment.
She looked surreptitiously at her aunt. As she had suspected, all focus was on the Duchess' new gown, with all the shop assistants tittering around her and the seamstress. This was Caroline's opportunity. Very carefully, she opened the shop door and slipped outside. Madeleine followed her looking shocked, but thankfully did not utter a word. Caroline looked at her lady's maid curiously and then hurried forward.
The bakery was not far away, but Caroline would need to be quick. Heaven knows what would happen if her aunt realized that she was gone. Although she could have spent half a day just perusing and inhaling the sweet scent inside the shop, Caroline quickly chose her pastry and left the shop.
Just as she was debating whether she ought to engulf the sweet now or wait until she returned home, something knocked into her, causing her pastry to fly away, and her to fall to the ground. Madeleine shrieked, and Caroline was utterly confused about what happened. The next thing she noticed was a figure in front of her with an outstretched hand, and eyes of such a breathtaking shade of hazel-green that she felt her breath quicken.
The man helped her stand up with ease, and as Caroline stood, to her surprise, she felt her cheeks burn crimson, staring at the handsome stranger in front of her.
Chapter 2
"Are you all right? That was quite the stumble." The tall man looked with concern at Caroline. He had a neatly trimmed beard, which was a shade lighter than his chestnut brown hair, which had fallen slightly over his eyes as he bent down to help her.
He had a chiseled jaw, and his strong arms were clearly visible through his fitted, deep green tailcoat. Caroline didn't know what was happening. Her heart was racing, and she didn't seem to be able to look away from this man.
"Are you hurt?" The question brought her back to her senses, and at once, it was as if the volume of the surroundings had been amplified.
"Oh, no, I’m all right," Caroline mumbled, looking around her. "I'm just confused about what happened."
"I'm afraid the pickpocket that I saw running down the street did not see you," the man said.
"Pickpocket?" Caroline gasped, and immediately her hand shot to her neck. Her necklace was still there, and everything seemed to be in place. As she relaxed, she noticed that she was still holding his hand from when he helped her up. She let go of it, immediately missing his warmth.
"I do beg your pardon," the man apologized, taking a small step back, "I haven't even introduced myself." He bowed his head, not looking away from her.
"Langley. Jasper Langley." Caroline felt a strange warmth fill her insides, as his name echoed over and over in her heart.
Mr. Langley.
"Lady Caroline Beauchamp," she finally replied. Caroline n
oticed Madeleine looking at her sharply, no doubt judging her improper introduction and their prolonged eye contact, which was on the border of indecent.
For the Lust of a Rogue: A Steamy Historical Regency Romance Novel Page 1
