The Marriage Act
Page 30
He rubbed his chin. “So where does all this leave me?”
“Unfortunately, if Lady Radbourne’s baby should be a boy, his birth divests you of the title and estate. Of course, it’s quite possible the baby will be a girl.”
“Or Lady Radbourne could miscarry,” Mr. Channing said.
Both Win and Mr. Niven winced at his oddly optimistic tone, though the lawyer inclined his head smoothly in agreement. “Yes, that’s also a possibility. So you see, your odds are actually a little better than even, Mr. Vaughan. And even if the child should be male, you’ll remain next in line until such time as the boy fathers a son of his own.”
“But for now, I really have nothing.”
“What’s that?” Freddie’s voice came from the doorway, sharper than his usual absent-minded tone. “What do you mean, you have nothing?”
Win glanced over his shoulder to find his brother peering owlishly at the tableau he and the other men presented. “It looks as if I may not be the new earl after all.” He spoke as lightly as he could manage. “Our cousin left a widow behind, and it appears she’s in an interesting condition.”
Freddie’s mouth dropped open. “You’re joking.”
“Unfortunately not.” Win made the necessary introductions, then gave Freddie a brief and expurgated version of what Mr. Niven had told him.
For once, Freddie actually seemed interested in a matter that had nothing to do with pigeons. Though he didn’t precisely stare at the lawyer—Freddie had a bewildering tendency to look off into space when addressing someone—his brows drew down in a disbelieving frown. “So we’ve come here on a fool’s errand?”
“Yes and no,” Mr. Niven said. “At this point your brother can’t prove his right to the title, so he can’t apply for a writ of summons or take a seat in the Lords. But for the time being, he’s the legal heir. While the trustees of the estate won’t allow him to run it into ruin, he’s entitled to the use and occupancy of the property, at least until Lady Radbourne’s delivery. The rest depends on the countess and her baby.”
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Copyright © 2014 by Alyssa Everett
Acknowledgments
I wish to thank historical romance author Sandra Schwab for her generous help with the German in the book, especially Leitner’s Viennese expressions. Sandra warned me that the word torschlusspanik was too modern for the setting, but I have a weakness for interesting words, so I decided to exercise a little poetic license, which is a prettier way of saying it’s my anachronism, so don’t blame Sandra. Authors Lisa Chaplin and Anke Fontaine also volunteered their help with translation, so I appreciate their generosity, as well.
My continued thanks to my knowledgeable and creative critique partners, Susanna Fraser, Vonnie Hughes, Rose Lerner and Charlotte Russell, and to my wonderful editor, Deborah Nemeth. I couldn’t finish a book without their help, and any errors in this story are solely my own. My parents provided the perfect sounding board when I got stuck halfway through. And, finally, I owe my amazing husband special thanks for his patience while I worked on this story. He’s the best.
Also available from Alyssa Everett
and Carina Press
Ruined by Rumor
Lord of Secrets
A Tryst with Trouble
An Heir of Uncertainty
About the Author
Alyssa Everett grew up in Florida, where from an early age her favorite books typically had dukes in them. As a teen she worked in an amusement park, doing just about every kind of odd job a person can do, from collecting garbage to captaining an African boat cruise.
She met her future husband at Harvard University. They currently live with their three children and a spoiled springer spaniel in small-town Pennsylvania.
The Marriage Act is her fifth Regency romance. If you’d like to know more about Alyssa’s books, please follow her on Twitter, @alyssa_everett, like her Facebook page, www.facebook.com/thealyssaeverett, or visit her website, alyssaeverett.com.
Another passionate Regency romance from Alyssa Everett is just a click away! RUINED BY RUMOR is available now!
After waiting five years for her fiancé to return from the war and marry her, Roxana Langley has been jilted! She may have longed for excitement, but this was not what she had in mind...
Who could possibly throw over a woman as beautiful and vivacious as Roxana? Certainly not Alex Winslow, the Earl of Ayersley, who has spent years trying in vain to forget his unrequited love. When he learns she’s been abandoned by her cad of a fiancé, he finds himself offering a shoulder for her to cry on. Comfort soon turns into a passionate kiss—and scandal when they are caught in an embrace.
Only one thing will save Roxana from certain ruination: marriage to the earl. The match may save her reputation, but responsible, tongue-tied Ayersley is a far cry from her dashing former fiancé. She’s convinced Ayersley is merely doing his duty...while he’s sure Roxana is still in love with another man. Are they trading one disaster for another?
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Go back in time for more historical romance?
Don’t miss AN INCONVENIENT KISS by Caroline Kimberly!
AN INCONVENIENT KISS
The Ashford Brothers Series, book one
India, 1820
Georgiana Phillips always conducted herself according to the rules of polite society. So catching Simon Ashford in a compromising position should have been shocking. Instead it was...arousing. And kissing him herself was absolutely delicious—until it led to her ruination.
That perfect, scandalous kiss has haunted Simon for six years. He doesn’t regret it, though he’s tried desperately to restore Georgie’s reputation. When he’s ordered to look after her in the wilds of India, it’s an opportunity to finish what he started. But he’s no match for Georgie’s adventurous spirit—she seems set on getting herself killed, diving in after hungry crocodiles and braving monsoons to hunt for lost treasure.
Georgie wouldn’t trade her exciting new life for anything in the world, including marriage. And yet Simon seems determined to rein her in, rewarding her brief moments of propriety with kisses far more exotic than any tribal ceremony or archaeological expedition. How can he convince her that she’s so much more than a beautiful obligation?
The Ashford Brothers Series continues with AN INCONVENIENT WIFE and AN INCONVENIENT MISTRESS—both available now!
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Is a chance at love worth life and death? Find out in
THE FIGHTER AND THE FALLEN WOMAN
By Pamela Cayne
London, 1883
“People like us don’t get happy endings.”
In twelve years as a bangtail, Lady has never feared a man’s kiss. Owned by the ruthless Hannibal Adams, the “Earl of the East End,” she’s
draped in jewels and dead inside. Lady learns fear, however, when she kisses Mr. Adams’s best fighter for luck—for King sees the real woman locked away behind finery and falsity.
King’s life is made of fists and scars, the only things that have ever felt real to him. Even his name came from the man who owns him—the man who turned him into a champion. From the moment Lady’s kiss sends him reeling, King resists wanting what he can’t have. Mr. Adams never gives up what he owns.
When Lady is sent to nurse King through the tournament, she finds a new strength through the one man who’s never treated her like a whore. King discovers that the woman who shares his dark world might also be the one to lead him out. And as the tournament comes to a violent finale, Lady and King must decide—stay spoiled and shackled, or break free and risk what happens when fear and dreams collide.
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ISBN-13: 9781459290037
The Marriage Act
Copyright © 2015 by Alyssa Everett
Edited by Deborah Nemeth
All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
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