by Dawn Brower
Scandalized by My Prince
Linked Across Time Book Eight
Dawn Brower
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Scandalized by My Prince Copyright © 2017 Dawn Brower
Cover art and edits by Victoria Miller
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
Created with Vellum
Contents
Foreword
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Epilogue
Excerpt from Scheming with My Duke
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
About the Author
Books by Dawn Brower
Dr. Aubriella Byrne isn’t the adventurous sort. The most daring thing she’s ever done is travel to visit her cousin in Kent to research her doctorate. Until she catches a glimpse of a man in another era through a mirror—she takes a leap of faith and goes to his time to find him.
* * *
Killian Lynwood, Earl of Thornbury finds Aubriella wandering the lands outside his castle. She has an ethereal beauty and frailty that makes him want to protect her. Safeguarding those he loves has been his duty since he was a small boy, starting with his mother. Aubriella quickly becomes a female he cares deeply for.
* * *
Aubriella isn’t sure if she should tell him who she is, or more importantly where she’s from, but secrets and lies have a way of unraveling. Killian has a few of his own he doesn’t want to come to light. The decision to trust each other is a hard one. Sometimes love isn’t enough and their secrets might destroy everything.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Love is a funny thing. It is the one word that has so many distinct connotations for different people and things. A lot of my characters don’t believe they deserve love, and yet love deeply. Killian, more than any of them, fits that description the most. He needs and craves love, but is equally afraid of it.
The lesson from this story is when you find love don’t let your fear stop you from accepting it. Sometimes the greatest gifts come to you when you least expect them; as well as, need them the most.
This book is for all my readers. You are the best. I hope you enjoy Killian and Aubriella’s story. Thank you for reading the stories that won’t leave my head. It’s wonderful to hear how much you love this world.
Prologue
Dr. Aubriella Byrne pulled up in front of Weston Manor and blew out a breath. She was on a mission and Trenton Quinn would let her help whether he liked it or not. Her cousin, Genevieve had been missing for too many years now. Eve, as everyone called her, was more than family to her. She was her best friend, and Aubriella had sorely missed her. It was time to bring her home where she belonged.
She slid open the front door and peeked around. No butler and no residents to be found. Sneaking wasn’t something she usually did, but desperate times meant she’d do a lot she normally wouldn’t. Where would Trenton be in this mausoleum? The library would be the best choice for someone studying—at least, that was where she’d be in his place.
After she’d heard from a mutual acquaintance, a certain professor at Oxford, that Trenton was studying the Marquess of Seabrook’s family journals, she high-tailed it to Weston to confront him. Why wouldn’t he have told her what he suspected happened to Genevieve? He was well aware how close she and Genevieve were. If her cousin was still alive, Aubriella had a right to know about it.
Aubriella took quiet steps down the hall, heading toward the room she believed Trenton to be in. She didn’t want to alert anyone to her presence before she had the opportunity to talk to him. He’d probably throw her out immediately, but it was a risk she was willing to take. This was too important for her to give up easily.
“This is useless,” Trenton shouted as he picked up a leather-bound journal and tossed it against a nearby wall.
“Easy, tiger,” Aubriella said and ducked in the doorway as she dodged the flying journal. She held up her hands and walked into the room slowly. “I come in peace.”
Trenton closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She had no idea what was going through that thick skull of his, but his emotions were broadcasting loud and clear. He was frustrated and about to give up. Whatever was in that journal he’d thrown against the wall hadn’t been the enlightenment he’d hoped to gain. Lucky for him, she was here now. Maybe she would be able to decipher something he had been unable to. At least she hoped to.
Trenton opened his eyes and faced her. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m not welcome at Weston Manor any longer?” She lifted a brow and then snapped her fingers. “That’s right, I never really was, but too bad. I’m here to help you even though you keep turning me down. This is what I did my dissertation on, remember? History is my thing.”
“I don’t want you here.” Duh. Aubriella refrained from saying that aloud and stared at him as he reiterated his lack of intelligence. He glared at her. The muscles in his jaw twitched and then Trenton hammered home the final blow, “I’ve been clear on that point.”
Yeah, he had—many times. As a rule, she didn’t believe in listening to idiots. She’d respected his wishes at first, but the time had come to toss that aside. He hadn’t brought her cousin home, and she was tired of waiting for him to.
“And I believe I vetoed that already.” She walked over and picked up the journal he’d thrown. “Is this any way to treat a priceless artifact? I have half a mind to tell the Marquess of Seabrook how you’re treating his family’s journals.” The book was old, and his mistreatment could very well destroy it. His carelessness could be the reason Genevieve was never found.
“That one doesn’t belong to him,” Trenton said. If it didn’t belong to the Marquess of Seabrook, who owned it? She was about to ask him when he held out his hand and demanded, “Give it to me.”
She ignored him and opened the journal. If he didn’t want her to look at it, of course she had to. She might discover something, and that was all the incentive she needed. He wasn’t going to get rid of her as easily as he had before. She’d dog his heels until he had no choice but to let her in. Aubriella wanted to find her cousin, or at least, aid in helping.
She scanned the pages, reading each word. This was absolutely amazing. The historian in her was thrilled to read a firsthand account from that time period.
“You just found this?” Excitement thrummed through her like electricity buzzing on a live wire.
“Why do you ask?” he asked in a cautious tone.
She flipped through the pages more rapidly now. “Oh, this is so interesting—if I’d had this when I wrote my thesis…” Aubriella chewed on her bottom lip and stared down at the pages. “Do you know what this means?”
Amazing… How long had he had this journal?
“Why are you still here?” He reached for the book and almost managed to snatch it out of her hands. She jerked back before he fully grasped it.
“I’m not done reading this.”
She lifted her hand and brushed one of her rose-gold locks behind her ear. Her focus was on the journal. She was completely engrossed in the contents. Trenton’s presence started to disappear as she studied the words on the page. This
was her specialty and she had an accounting of something she’d theorized on. She’d studied history as an undergrad and finished her doctorate after Genevieve disappeared. She’d believed time travel to be possible, but hadn’t been able to figure it out. It was hard to prove something that was more a concept than a reality. She liked the idea of time travel, and that was why she’d studied the possibility of it. The problem was that even though she’d researched it she hadn’t fully believed it possible. This journal though—no better key existed than it. If she had an idea of what time period her cousin had traveled to, she might be able to find her.
“Aubriella” The sound of her name being said echoed in her ear, but she ignored it. Continuing to read the journal and discovering its secrets were far more important. Trenton shouted, “Damn it, Brie, give me the journal.”
Her head jerked up and she met his gaze. The cobwebs of her engrossment still threaded through her mind. She blinked several times clearing her thoughts. Trenton hoped to go back to find her cousin. “You want to travel though the mirrors.”
She wasn’t sure if he understood what he’d read. Time travel was not only possible, but her cousin seemed to be lost somewhere in the past. At least, that is the gist of it. Why hadn’t Trenton explained any of this to her?
“According to this journal, Elizabeth Kendall had the ability to push her hand through the mirror here at Weston Manor, but she never did more than that. It freaked her husband out.” She frowned. “I can’t say I blame the guy. Anything of a supernatural nature must have been disconcerting to someone in the nineteenth century.”
“Actually, he was from the eighteenth century,” Trenton said drolly.
“Come again?” She raised an eyebrow. He must have read something incorrectly. “The date on this journal clearly says 1840. That’s the nineteenth century. Are you sure you read this right?”
The corner of his lip quirked upward. He lifted his hand over his heart and said, “I’m wounded. You think I’m dumb?”
She narrowed her eyes and studied him. “Are you drunk?”
He sighed. “Lady Elizabeth Kendall married the Duke of Whitewood, otherwise known as Captain Jack Morgan, a time traveling pirate from the eighteenth century.” He moved toward her and snatched the journal. “And no, I’m not drunk.”
She practically danced in place as she asked, “How do you know this?”
A movement at the door caught her eye. She turned as Regina, the new Duchess of Weston, entered the room, platinum blonde hair falling down her back in waves. She was heavily pregnant and waddled a little as she walked. She glanced back and forth between them. “What are you doing?”
“Brie has a keen interest in your niece and her husband.” Trenton jerked his hand toward Aubriella.
“Niece?” Aubriella’s head turned toward Regina. How was that even possible? “Lady Elizabeth Kendall is related to you?”
“In a roundabout way,” Regina said as she rubbed her belly. “I suppose she’s related to Bradford several times removed.”
Aubriella had so many questions. She was surprised Trenton allowed her to stay long enough to ask the ones she had. Did he finally realize she would be a use to him? It was about damn time… Still, she had to understand this new development before she could move forward. How was Elizabeth Kendall related to Regina?
“I’m so confused,” Aubriella said. “Can we start at the beginning?”
“You’re slowing me down,” Trenton scoffed. “I thought you wanted to help.”
Trenton had his now famous glower settled onto his face. His impatience was rubbing on her last nerve. If he’d allowed her to help from the start, then she wouldn’t be so far behind with the details. She wanted to hear the tale of Elizabeth Kendall and her pirate husband. Aubriella wanted to know it all and study it down to the last detail. History had always fascinated her and now there was time travel too. It was all of her dreams rolled into one.
“My parents adopted Alys when they thought they couldn’t have children. I was a surprise blessing. So technically, yes, Elizabeth is my niece, as she is my sister’s daughter.” Regina bit her lip. “I know it is all rather confusing. Alys travelled through time in a similar manner as Genevieve. Trenton’s been studying it for quite a while now.”
Aubriella’s mouth fell open. “So you all believe time travel is for real? I thought that, this entire time, Trenton had lost his mind. I honestly came here to humor him and help him accept reality. Genevieve wouldn’t want him to suffer.” She had wanted to believe time travel existed, but a small part of her had thought it was a pipe dream. One she’d never have the chance of discovering, let alone participating in.
“I deserve it,” Trenton said adamantly. “I failed her, and until I make that right, it isn’t fair for me to have any happiness.”
His emotions hit her like a wave crashing to shore. Hard, fast, and consuming—pain, longing, and sorrow mixed into one big ball of regret. Aubriella blocked them with a wall before they brought her to the ground. Sometimes her gift was more of a curse. She hated that other people’s emotions ruled her at times.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Regina said. “I think Aubriella is right. Torturing yourself is not the answer, and you can’t tell me that is what Genevieve would have wanted for you.”
“She wouldn’t.” Aubriella nodded. “She loved—loves—you. If she is truly lost in time, that wouldn’t have changed.” She tilted her head a moment and then reached for the journal in Trenton’s hand. “Give that to me. Something I read makes me think I know how the mirror works.”
Trenton handed it over reluctantly. She flipped through it and was scanning the pages. She glanced up at Regina and said, “This doesn’t make sense to me. You told me Alys traveled to the nineteenth century. What does that have to do with the pirate duke? Are you certain it’s the same man?”
“My mother confirmed it,” Regina said. “When she saw his portrait in the gallery. They met when he and his pirate crew plundered a ship she was sailing on.”
Her mouth fell open. Aubriella closed the book and looked at Regina. “Does everyone in your family travel through time?” Why couldn’t she be that fortunate?
“Um, no,” Regina said sheepishly. “Well, almost all of them. I’m the one hold out. I’m happy where I am. My father found my mother in 1722 and brought her back to his time. Alys—well, you know about her.”
“And your niece has the ability too,” Aubriella said. “And her husband?”
“It’s all convoluted, isn’t it?” Trenton said. “I’ve had a lot of time to study it all, and it still amazes me.” He turned to Regina. “I forgot to tell you. Captain Jack is actually your uncle.”
“What?” She groaned. “Maybe this time traveling stuff is in our blood. How is he my uncle?”
“He’s your mother’s half-brother,” Trenton explained. “A by-blow from their father’s indiscretions—and one he never claimed. Elizabeth put it in detail in her journal.”
Aubriella studied the journal and didn’t pay attention to most of what they had said. She heard it, but her mind filed it away for examination at a later date. The journal and its contents held her immediate attention. She read a passage several times and something popped out at her.
The mirror calls to something inside of me. A part no one else sees but is ingrained in blood—like a song someone like me can hear.
Did Elizabeth have a psychic gift of some sort?
“I think I know how to do it,” Aubriella said excitedly.
“You do?” Trenton turned to her and quirked a brow. “How?”
“The person in control of the mirror has to have some kind of psychic ability. Eve is a telepath if the person is receptive to it,” Aubriella said. “I have empathic abilities. I wonder if that is enough.”
“Eve’s a telepath?” Trenton said.
Aubriella debated telling him about Genevieve’s gift, but Regina beat her to it. “Yes,” she said. “She used to talk to me.”
That’s interesting… If her cousin could talk to Regina, why hadn’t she tried to talk to her? What made Regina so special? Jealousy clawed through her, but she pushed it down. Now wasn’t the time for it.
“Explain,” Trenton demanded.
Regina fidgeted under Trenton’s stare. He clenched his jaw and kept his hands fisted at his sides. His anger managed to seep through the shield Aubriella had erected. If he didn’t calm the fuck down, she’d have to step in. She hated to do that and hoped it didn’t get that far.
“I didn’t tell anyone. It sounded so crazy…” Regina chewed on her bottom lip.
“Quit stalling, Gina,” he said. “Tell me what you know.”
“I don’t know a lot. It was after our marriage was over. I was on my way here the first time she contacted me. It was almost like a dream. She couldn’t stay long and her messages were all so cryptic. To make it short, she wanted someone to save her. I eventually figured out she wanted me to reach out to you. That’s why I’ve been helping you so much.”
Trenton swore and paced the room. His anger dissipated without any help from her. She breathed a sigh of relief. A mirror on the other side of the room caught her attention. It was floor-length and something about it called to her. It could be the mirror Elizabeth wrote about. Without any conscious thought, she walked over to it. Swirls of mist filled the reflective glass.
“Can you see this?” Aubriella stared into the mirror. “All the fog, and oh my…”
A man with long dark hair and warm brown eyes came into focus. He strolled across a field, heading toward a towering castle. A river roared in the distance. His emotions were powerful enough to break through every shield she had in place. His pain was even greater than Trenton’s, and the need to make it go away was difficult to ignore. She could take that away from him and give him a sense of peace, but she had to go to him to do it. If she did that, she wouldn’t be around to help find Genevieve. Aubriella had to make a decision and fast.
