“No,” the marquess gritted out. He lay there panting. Graham looked up. The soldiers he had brought had simply disappeared. The marquess’ breathing was very rapid until suddenly it just stopped.
“Oh,” Charlotte’s eyes filled with tears and Graham wrapped his arms around her.
“We could not help him,” he tried to console his wife.
“I know. I will truly feel safer without him in the world but it is hard to see anyone die.” Charlotte shuddered.
“That is why you are so good, my love.” Graham’s lips gently found Charlotte’s and they clung together for a few moments.
“Am I really your love?” Charlotte stared into his eyes searching his face.
He marveled to himself, wondering how she could possibly question the depth of his feelings. He sat bleeding from a number of wounds, nearly having lost his life. “I will never love anyone as much as I love you.” He kissed her again.
“I love you too. With all of my heart.” Charlotte laid her head on his shoulder.
The duke walked next to them. “You’re all right Papa?” Charlotte stood and embraced her father.
“It was not me who was in harm’s way. It was your husband.” He stroked his daughter’s cheek.
Will pulled his brother, Tom, up from the ground. Graham groaned. Every muscle in his body ached. “I missed all the fun.” Will smiled at his brother.
“You did a terrible job of guarding my wife,” Graham glowered
Will shrugged. He looked at Charlotte. She nodded her head. Will took a deep breath. “The wind whispered to us that Charlotte was needed outside.” Will rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.
Graham shook his head. “As long as I live I will never understand the forces at work here today.”
“We don’t have to understand them, just accept them and be glad.” Charlotte slipped her hands around her Graham’s waist. He leaned his weight on her and they began walking towards the doors.
Graham looked down at his wife and she looked up at him. “We have our forever.” Her eyes shone and Graham smiled down at her.
“We have our forever.” He couldn’t have been happier.
STEALING A LADY’S HEART
EPILOGUE
Charlotte lay exhausted in her bed at Harlington Manor. Graham sat behind her. He was cradling her and their newborn son in his arms.
A warm breeze blew in the open balcony doors, a rare warm day in early spring.
“My sweet wife. You did marvelously.” He kissed her sweaty temple, holding her closer.
“My handsome marquess.” She turned and smiled softly at Graham.
Graham chuckled. He had not gotten used to the new title that had been bestowed upon him by the Prince Regent. Nick and Tom had been made viscounts while Will had received the additional title of earl. Money and lands had been bestowed to each brother.
Graham had been shocked that the Prince Regent had been so generous just for saving his favorite cousin but Ewan had smiled. “He is the Prince Regent and aware of all forces in his kingdom. He knows the real service you have performed.”
Graham had been introduced to English society and the couple had spent a few months enjoying the season with the ton. But both had longed for a quieter life and Charlotte wanted their baby to be born in the north.
They had returned to help complete the repairs on the manor. Once done, they would begin building their own home.
Graham kissed his wife again. Her eyes drifted up to him with a sleepy expression. A coy smile spread across her lips. “For a locksmith who prided himself on honor, thieving has really worked out for you.”
A breeze blew in from outdoors, swirling around the couple.
“What are you talking about?” He held his wife tighter.
“You stole my heart.” She laid her cheek on his shoulder.
Graham laughed as the wind whipped around them, congratulating them on their new child.
“And you mine.” The wind swirled one more time and then softly closed the doors allowing the new family to fall asleep.
The Marquess of Huntly had never really stood a chance. For all his power and his magic, he was still only a man. How can one man fight the wind and the trees and the forces of fate that can’t be touched and always side with good?
NOTE FROM TAMMY ANDRESEN
While this story is far less known than many of the fairy tales featured in the set, I could not resist the action, adventure, and potential for romance that this story held. While a Regency romance could not have a dragon, it was perfect for a fierce villain with a hint of magic. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you so much for sharing this experience with me.
THE FOUR CLEVER BROTHERS
Told by the Brothers Grimm
Once upon a time, a beautiful princess was kidnapped by a powerful and fierce dragon. The King, her father, begged every knight in the land to rescue his daughter, but none would.
Finally, four brothers stepped forward. They were not knights, but simple tradesman. The first was a huntsman, the second a tailor, the third a stargazer, and the last a thief.
The stargazer used the night sky to navigate them to the dragon’s island home. The thief stole her back from the dragon, pulling her right out from under the beast’s sleeping body.
As they sailed home, the great dragon attacked. The huntsman killed him with a single arrow, but his massive tail laid waste to their ship. The tailor sewed their boat back together, sailing them safely home.
The king was so thrilled to have his daughter returned that he awarded each brother a great fortune, land, and titles.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
SAMANTHA GRACE
RITA-nominated historical romance author, Samantha Grace, discovered the appeal of a great love story at the age of four, thanks to Disney’s “Robin Hood”. She didn’t care that Robin Hood and Maid Marian were cartoon animals. It was her first happily-ever-after experience, and she didn’t want the warm fuzzies to end. Now that Samantha is grown, she enjoys creating her own happy-endings for characters that spring from her imagination. Publisher’s Weekly describes her stories as “fresh and romantic” with subtle humor and charm. Samantha describes romance writing as the best job ever. Part-time medical social worker, moonlighting author, and Pilates nut, she enjoys a happy and hectic life with her real life hero and two kids in the Midwest.
www.samanthagraceauthor.com
Titles by Samantha Grace
Uncle Charlie’s Angels
Secrets to a Gentleman’s Heart
Rival Rogues
The Best of Both Rogues
One Rogue Too Many
In Bed with a Rogue
Kissed by a Scottish Rogue
Beau Monde
Miss Hillary Schools a Scoundrel
Lady Amelia’s Mess and a Half
Miss Lavigne’s Little White Lie
Lady Vivian Defies a Duke
Novellas
Charming a Scoundrel
Twice Upon a Time
Box sets and Anthologies
Once Upon A Regency
Once Upon a True Love’s Kiss
A Summons From Danby Castle
AMANDA MARIEL
Bestselling author Amanda Mariel dreams of days gone by when life moved at a slower pace. She enjoys taking pen to paper and exploring historical time periods through her imagination and the written word. When she is not writing she can be found reading, crocheting, traveling, practicing her photography skills, or spending time with her family.
Amanda lives along the Lake Huron shoreline in northern Michigan with her husband and two kids. She holds a Master of Liberal Arts Degree with a concentration in literature and has a long-standing love affair with sugary junk food.
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/#!/AuthorAmandaMarie1
Twitter www.twitter.com/AmandaMarieAuth
Website: http://amandamarieauthor.wix.com/amandamariel
Newsletter: http://eepurl.c
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Titles by Amanda Mariel
Ladies and Scoundrels Series
Scandalous Endeavors
Scandalous Intentions
Kathryn Le Veque’s Kindle World of De Wolfe Pack
Love’s Legacy
Box sets and Anthologies
Once Upon A Regency
Romantic Beginnings
MEARA PLATT
Meara Platt is happily married to her Russell Crowe look-alike husband, and they have two terrific children. She lives in one of the many great towns on Long Island, New York, and loves it, except for the traffic. She has traveled the world, occasionally lectures, and always finds time to write. Her favorite place in all the world is England’s Lake District, which may not come as a surprise since many of her stories are set in that idyllic landscape, including her Romance Writers of America Golden Heart award winning story to be released as Book 3 in her paranormal romance Garden series, which is set to debut in 2016. Learn more about bestselling author Meara Platt by visiting her website at www.mearaplatt.com.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMearaPlatt
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MearaPlatt
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8521712.Meara_Platt
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/meara-platt
To my newsletter where you’ll also find a freebie Farthingale novella just for my readers called If You Kissed Me. Download your copy here: http://bit.ly/FreeRegencyNovella
Bestselling Farthingale Series
My Fair Lily (Book 1)
The Duke I'm Going to Marry (Book 2)
Rules for Reforming a Rake (Book 3)
A World of the de Wolfe Pack novella
Nobody’s Angel
ALLISON MERRITT
A love of reading inspired Allison Merritt to pursue her dream of becoming an author who writes historical, paranormal, contemporary, and fantasy romances, often combining the sub-genres. She lives in a small town in the Ozark Mountains with her husband and dogs. It's not unusual to find her lurking in graveyards, wandering historical sites, or listening to ghost stories.
Allison graduated from College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri with a B.A. in mass communications that's gathering dust after it was determined she's better at writing fluff than hard news.
Links:
Facebook - http://facebook.com/allisonmwries
Twitter - http://twitter.com/allison_merritt
Blog - http://havenovelwilledit.blogspot.com
Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/allisonmwrites
Book list:
The Treasure Hunter's Lady
The Sky Pirate's Wife
The Turncoat's Temptress
One Day In D.C. (contemporary novella)
The Convict and the Cattleman
Wildwood Spring
The Wrong Brother's Bride
Always, Cowboy in the Cowboy Up Box Set
Wystan (The Heckmasters, Book 1)
Good Ride, Cowboy in the Cowboy Up 2 Box Set
Eban (The Heckmasters, Book 2)
Her Heart's Surrender
A Midnight Clear (Christmas at Wilson's Creek) (novella)
Marry Me Again, Cowboy in the Cowboy Up 3 Box set
Tell (The Heckmasters, Book 3)
ARI THATCHER
USA Today Bestselling author Ari Thatcher is the naughty side of sweet romance author Aileen Fish. Ari has always loved sexy romance where love takes the leading role. Reviewers have called her work “captivating” and “compelling”, and her characters “intelligent, intriguing and realistic.”
Stay up to date through her website http://arithatcher.com, Facebook and Twitter @arithatcher.
http://authorsbillboard.com
https://www.facebook.com/Ari-Thatcher-Fans-160213747331441/
http://arithatcher.com
http://twitter.com/AriThatcher
https://www.pinterest.com/arithatcher
DAWN BROWER
Dawn Brower has lived in Michigan her whole life and currently resides in Midland, MI. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, a Master of Arts in Education, and is currently working on a Master of Arts in Liberal Arts with concentrations in Literature, History, and Sociology. She works as a substitute teacher and enjoys the flexibility it gives her to concentrate on her other endeavors.
Growing up she was the only girl out of six children. She is a single mother of two teenage boys; there is never a dull moment in her life. Reading books is her favorite hobby. There is nothing like a nice glass of wine and a good book to relax with at the end of the day.
There are always stories inside her head; she just never thought she could make them come to life. That creativity has finally found an outlet.
Website: www.authordawnbrower.com
SUE LONDON
Bestselling author Sue London created the beloved Regency romance series The Haberdashers. If you like your historical romance with a little action, a little humor, and a lot of strong-minded women, then this is the series for you!
Recent reader reactions:
“Sue London is a very gifted writer. I always enjoy reading her books.” ~ Annie
“It was so well written, and the storyline is wonderfully thrilling. If I could I would have rated this book a ten, but five is all they allow so that's what it is.” ~ Pattimari
“This witty love story enchanted me, and I look forward to reading more of the Haberdashers series.” ~ ReaderLady
Keep up with Sue and the Haberdashers on these websites:
Sue on Twitter: http://twitter.com/cmdrsue
Haberdashers on Twitter: http://twitter.com/haberdashersfic
Sue's author website: http://bysuelondon.com
Don't forget to connect with Sue on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/bysuelondon).
LYNNE BARRON
Lynne Barron always wanted to be a writer, if only she could decide what to write. Every Creative Writing teacher and college professor advised her to write about what you know. But what did she know? She knew she enjoyed the guilty pleasure of reading romance novels whenever she could find the time between studying, working and raising her son as a single mother. She knew quite a bit about women’s lives in the Regency and Victorian era from years spent bouncing back and forth between European History and English Literature as a major in college. She knew precious little about romance except to know it was more than the cliché card and a dozen red roses on Valentine’s Day. Then she met her wonderfully romantic husband and finally she knew. Passion, Love and Romance. And she began to write. Lynne lives in Florida with her husband, son and a menagerie of rescued pets.
Books By Lynne Barron
Pretty Poison
My Darling Gunslinger
Taming Beauty
Website: http://www.lynnebarron.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lynnebarron06
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LynneBarronRomance Author
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7251100.Lynne_Barron
Bookbub Author Page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lynne-barron
TAMMY ANDRESEN
Tammy Andresen lives with her husband and three children just outside of Boston, Massachussetts. She grew up on the Seacoast of Maine, where she spent countless days dreaming up stories in blueberry fields and among the scrub pines that line the coast. Her mother loved to spin a yarn and Tammy filled many hours listening to her mother retell the classics. It was inevitable that at the age of 18, she headed off to Simmons College, where she studied English literature and education. She never left Massachusetts but some of her heart still resides in Maine and her family visits often.
In addition to this set, Tammy has published two full length novels: Lily in Bloom and Midnight Magic
Links:
http://tammyandresen.com
https://www.facebook.com/tammy.b.andresen
https://twitter.com/TammyAndresen
https://www.pint
erest.com/tammy_andresen/
https://plus.google.com/+TammyAndresen/
Table of Contents
Once Upon a Regency
Copyright
Dedication
Resisting Romeo
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
Epilogue
Enchanted by the Earl
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
Wish Upon a Kiss
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Once Upon A Regency Page 98
