Taming Her Forbidden Earl

By Catherine Hemmerling

Everyone knows William Bredon, the earl of Pembroke, has a reputation as a captivating rogue, determined to never marry until his duty to produce an heir requires it. So when he invites Lady Hannah Rochester to dance, Hannah vows to keep her distance. But the undeniably gorgeous William, with his dark humor and seductive gaze, draws her in nonetheless.

Of course, Lady Hannah is not completely what she seems, either. A member of the dowager Lady Lancaster's Garden Society, she secretly spends her days solving mysteries and uncovering intrigues, and when she brings William into the fold, a sinister plot develops that brings the two closer together. William's protective nature ensures he remains by Hannah's side, but he will not surrender his anti-marriage stance. Can intrigue, passion, and maybe even a little bit of scandal reform the most notorious of rakes?

Each book in the Lady Lancaster Garden Society series is STANDALONE:
* Taming Her Forbidden Earl
* Romancing His English Rose
* Tempting Her Reluctant Viscount
* Enticing Her Unexpected Bridegroom
* A Rogue For Emily

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Dec 3, 2012
• ISBN: 9781622668175

Book preview

Table of Contents

Dedication

Author’s Note

Prologue

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

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Discover more historical romance from Entangled…

A Matter of Temptation

The Lord Pretender

Much Ado About Dukes

Never Cross a Highlander

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Copyright © 2012 by Catherine Hemmerling. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.

Entangled Publishing, LLC

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Shrewsbury, PA 17361

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Scandalous is an imprint of Entangled Publishing.

Edited by Stacy Abrams

Cover design by Liz Pelletier

ISBN 978-1-62266-817-5

Manufactured in the United States of America

First Edition December 2012

This book is dedicated to my sister, Christie, who was so excited about it being published, I hung up the phone feeling very well hugged. Thanks, Sis

Author’s Note

A Custom House or Customs House was a building housing the offices for the government officials who processed the paperwork for the import and export of goods into and out of a country. Over the centuries, a number of Custom Houses came and went in London, all occupying the same general location on the docks.

The old Custom House featured in this story served sufficiently until the end of the eighteenth century, but with the growing trade, the opening of the docks, and the vast increase in the Customs Duties in the period of the French wars, it had become insufficient for the business of the revenue.

Under the authority of a special Act of Parliament, the Crown purchased the Legal Quays to the west for the express purpose of providing a site for a new structure that would serve its purpose for many generations. During the building of this new Custom House, the old Custom House caught fire and was destroyed.

The Custom House fire of 1814 is an actual historical event. And while certain key plot points in this book are based on what little is known about the fire, the rest of the story is entirely a figment of my imagination.

Because really…don’t the best stories always start with a grain of truth?

Prologue

Looks can be deceiving.

- The Duke of Lancaster

By all appearances, the group of young ladies gathered around the dowager Duchess seemed like nothing more than the attendees of a high-society tea party. All were dressed in their afternoon best, all were sedately sipping tea and nibbling on biscuits, and every lady in the room had a pleasant smile on her face.

The room in which they sat was bustling with activity. The butler was directing two kitchen maids in the delivery of a fresh pot of hot tea and a delectable selection of finger sandwiches. The refreshments were settled on a truly exquisite table from the French Renaissance period, complete with intricate scrollwork and gold leafing.

The ladies all felt completely at home in the presence of the duchess and her beautiful surroundings, but currently they were the souls of complete propriety, with perfectly rigid posture and the most impeccable manners.

Until the last of the servants left the room.

Then the five young ladies immediately relaxed their spines and expressions, set down their tea and biscuits, and leaned forward expectantly.

So, what news have you heard, Lady Lancaster? Hannah asked eagerly.

Hannah and the four other young women seated in Lady Lancaster’s Blue Salon were visiting under the pretense of a weekly Young Ladies’ Garden Society meeting. As far as anyone knew, Lady Lancaster hosted the social gathering for these select young ladies—all of high ranking and highly respected families—out of the kindness of her heart, as was common of the society matrons of the aristocracy. Surely everyone thought the dowager Duchess was imparting her knowledge of deportment, social etiquette, and of course her gardening tips (Lady Lancaster’s garden was renowned across London) to the debutantes; however, this would not be nearly the case.

In fact, the dowager Duchess was using her status and connections to learn of deserving people in need of help and then, with the assistance of her girls, was providing them aid.

While many of the deeds were charitable and completely acceptable endeavors for ladies of the ton, more recently, as whispers of their Society spread, the women were being asked to do more than just provide food to the hungry and garner jobs for those undeservedly released from employment.

Many of their efforts now turned to the solving of mysteries and crimes.

The duchess learned long ago that gently bred young ladies were virtually invisible in most situations and, if they kept their eyes and ears open, they often could find themselves in the right places at the right times to learn all sorts of interesting things.

Most men thought women too unintelligent to understand even the simplest of business dealings or intrigues and, therefore, did not always watch their tongues when a demure young lady may be standing by.

It was with such knowledge that Lady Lancaster herself had assisted her husband, the Duke of Lancaster, in solving many war crimes in his role with the war office. He was a remarkable man who appreciated her acumen and insight when it was clearly not fashionable to do so.

After the Duke’s passing, Lady Lancaster found she was bored and in need of a new project to keep herself busy. She came up with the idea of the Young Ladies’ Garden Society after helping her maid’s family out of trouble with a tyrannical landlord. It is safe to say, that landlord no longer lorded over much of anything anymore, land or otherwise, except perhaps the four walls of his cell at Newgate Prison.

The sense of accomplishment she felt at seeing justice done inspired her to find young women with fire and wit who she could recruit to her Society. She began to watch the young ladies of the ton carefully, seeking signs of intelligence and streaks of independence in their demeanor. So many of the debutantes were reticent and meek—as was expected of them—but she knew, if she looked closely, she would see signs of something more in a few of the girls, and those would be the ones she would approach.

Now, nearly a year later, Lady Lancaster was pleased with her selections.

There was quiet bespectacled Rose Warren: a pretty girl who managed to remain relatively unnoticed by the ton due to her extreme shyness. However, for all her demure ways, she hid a logical mind and a keen eye that noticed everything.

She was seated next to Hope Stuckeley. On the surface, Hope was passably attractive and clearly a people-pleaser; however, there was a side to her that most never saw. Hope had a way with numbers that would rival any Cambridge graduate and a smile that could light up a city. Lady Lancaster planned to make everyone, including Hope, see how much more the young lady had to offer.

The farthest away, in a chair relatively clear of other furniture and decorations, sat tall and clumsy Sarah Jardin. She had a habit of always saying the wrong thing and was a bit of a wallflower, but she also had boundless empathy for other people’s plights and an unending willingness to help. Lady Lancaster was loath to leave her to the society wolves and already, with her help, Sarah was starting to turn heads on the dance floor (and not for eliciting yelps from her partners after stepping on their toes…anymore).

A surprising member of the group was Emily Moss. Stunning, graceful, and petite, Emily was this season’s Diamond of the First Water. Not the type Lady Lancaster thought would meet her criteria, but this society prize was a master of disguises and was already helping the poor by posing as a maid to deliver food and goods to the underprivileged. It was an easy decision to bring her into the fold.

Then, of course, there was Hannah. Hope and Hannah were cousins; however, it was Hannah who Lady Lancaster first invited to join her. Daughter of an earl, Hannah was privy to all walks of society. She was very pretty, with dark blond hair and intriguing blue-green eyes. Lady Lancaster had seen her potential during the Waltham Ball, when she rescued a gentleman being ripped to shreds after he asked one of the more popular ladies to dance. The invited girl was most unkind in her refusal of Mr. Pomfret, a gentleman short of stature and even shorter of hair, causing her friends to snicker directly at Mr. Pomfret’s already painfully red face.

Lady Lancaster had silently cheered as Hannah swept in and asked Mr. Pomfret to dance—against all confines of social etiquette! The girls stood aghast as Hannah and the gentleman took to the dance floor.

This girl, and the other four, all had personality traits that reminded the duchess of herself. And really, what better recommendation was there?

As it happens, Lady Lancaster began, I have heard from one of my boys about something disturbing regarding your brother, Hannah.

My brother? Hannah burst out. What on earth could your boys have found out about David? He hasn’t even been home from his travels a fortnight!

That is apparently enough time to be found where someone ought not be found, Lady Lancaster imperiously intoned, and that is precisely the case here. Roddy was down near the docks watching the building of the new Custom House when he saw your brother and another young man—I believe the brother of the Earl of Pembroke—lurking near the docks by the old Custom House. Do you know of any reason for your brother to be in that area of the city?

Hannah groaned. Nothing that does not bode ill for David.

I have been reading in the papers about the increase of smuggling in that area, Hope said. It has been affecting the stock market, so I have been making note of it. The old Custom House would certainly be a prime location for such activities.

The old Custom House was in deplorable condition, and a decision had been made to build a new one immediately to the west of the old building. As a result, there was a lot of activity in that area, and with so few custom officers on duty, smuggling goods and alcohol was a common occurrence.

Smuggling? wondered Hannah. That doesn’t sound like David at all. While he has a penchant for trouble, lately his interests have been more focused on gambling and women.

A coughing sort of gasp was heard coming from one of the girls, and all heads swiveled toward Sarah, who was sitting in a pearly blue damask wingback chair situated at the far end of the conversational seating arrangement. With a sheepish look, Sarah mumbled something about biting her tongue and waved her biscuit as if to say, See, just chewing on a biscuit over here. But her face was burning with such a blush, no one truly believed her.

Lady Lancaster felt for Sarah. Everyone there knew Sarah was desperately in love with Hannah’s brother, and as she and Hannah had been best friends since childhood, Sarah got to watch the love of her life grow up and, as of late, try to do everything in his power to become the most notorious rake in all of London.

Clearly embarrassed, Sarah motioned with her hand to signal that the conversation continue.

Hannah turned to Lady Lancaster. So what do you think I should do? Was Roddy able to find out anything else?

The dowager shook her head. There were too many dock guards around for Roddy to do anything other than observe, but it is clear to me that those boys are up to no good. Hannah, you need to question your brother and try to find out what is going on. If it is smuggling and he gets caught, he and his friend could end up in more trouble than a little gambling or women could bring.

With a morose nod of her head, indicating her acceptance of the assignment, Hannah and the ladies turned to their tea and began the gossiping and talk of fashion that was more typical of such a gathering. However, throughout most of the conversation, Hannah remained noticeably—though not surprisingly—quiet.

Chapter One

All men are brothers, like the seas throughout the world; so why do winds and waves clash so fiercely against each other?

- The Duke of Lancaster

William Bredon, the Earl of Pembroke, glanced around the room with a look of studied boredom. What on earth had possessed him to attend the grandest—and therefore most crowded—ball of the year?

Oh, yes, he thought dryly, as he spotted his mother talking excitedly with some other marriage-minded mama whose daughter would surely be added to her ever-growing list of suitable wives for her eldest son. He came because he couldn’t bear to break a promise to his mother.

Bloody hell, why couldn’t he be like all the other sons out there? He had seen plenty of men successfully ignore their mothers without even a backward glance. No force on earth could get one of them to set foot in this den of decorum against his will.

But William supposed he wasn’t built the way other men were. Just the thought of hurting his mother sent a dagger to his heart. Perhaps it had to do with the way he grew up. His father had been a cruel and overbearing man, and William had watched his mother, so kind and open with him, fade away completely when his father was near, so afraid that one small move would set off his lightning-quick temper.

As William grew older, he began to protect his mother—and later his little brother—by stepping in and taking upon himself the brunt of the Earl’s rage. But he couldn’t be there all the time to shield them, and when he was gone, William knew it was his mother who took the beatings.

Every term, as he headed off to school, William was always afraid that when he returned he would find his mother dead. As fate would have it, it was not his mother who passed away while William was at school, but his father—from a heart attack.

It had taken years for his mother to stop jumping at the slightest noise or bang of the door, and even longer still before the light came back on in her eyes. But now, finally, she was enjoying life again, and William was loath to do anything to bring her more pain, even if it meant enduring the ton every now and then.

Of course, the whole reason his mother wanted his attendance at such affairs was to present eligible lady after eligible lady to William in hopes he would find a girl with whom to settle down…get married, have a baby or two, become the picture of a perfect family. But William had seen what marriage could be—and he knew deep down that it was never pretty. The chance that wedded bliss could deteriorate into hell till death parts you was not a chance he would take lightly…

If ever.

With a sigh, William decided to put off greeting his mother for the moment—not yet up to being displayed like a high-quality piece of meat—and instead he looked around for a good place to hide.

…

Hannah had been keeping an eye open for David since the minute she arrived in the Chattam ballroom that evening. Her mother had been inundating her with a parade of eligible men for over an hour, all of whom politely complimented her on her appearance—with very little variation in delivery—and added their names to her dance card before making their escapes.

Hannah chose to believe the swiftness of their departures was in an effort to avoid her mother, rather than the alternative. Shrugging, she turned her attention back to the task at hand. She hoped she would locate her brother before the dancing began. It would be nearly impossible to find him from the middle of the floor.

Finally, she spotted him across the room. He was standing with his good friend from university, Alexander Bredon. They were whispering and grinning wickedly about something and appeared to be up to mischief, even from across the room. Hannah squared her shoulders and began to make her way over to them.

Navigating the ballroom took a bit longer than she intended, as she was stopped numerous times by guests wanting to greet her or engage her in conversation. She extracted herself as politely and quickly as possible, all the while keeping one eye on her brother.

She ignored the startled looks from Hope and Sarah when she passed them with barely a nod. Normally the three of them would be standing together providing subtle commentary on the activities of the party guests, but clearly tonight was not destined to be normal.

All of them had been out for at least two years now and the excitement of the first season had since worn off. While they still enjoyed attending the events of the ton, it was no longer with the giddiness of a green girl going to her first dance. These days they felt more like the elderly chaperones sitting on the fringe of the action, simply observing.

Of course, that wasn’t precisely true. Aside from Sarah and perhaps Rose, none of Lady Lancaster’s girls were wallflowers by any means. They all received multiple requests for dances and were still on the lists of those seeking brides, but the first glorious bloom had faded and they had settled into a comfortable rhythm of behavior—and invariably that behavior found them all huddled together off to the side of the dance floor discussing their latest mission with the Society or a recent scandal brought to their attention during their careful observation of the ton, while seemingly ignoring the party going on around them.

The Chattam ball was always a popular event of the season. And normally the mad crush of a party appealed to Hannah; it allowed her to blend into the background while engaging in her favorite pastime, watching people. The time spent in this endeavor honed Hannah’s skill in reading people and their body language. She prided herself on hearing beyond what the people were saying verbally. And much to everyone’s dismay, she was very often successful at ferreting out much more than they had planned to impart.

Hannah intended to use all her powers of observation in the conversation with her brother. David had been a sweet boy when he was younger and their mother was prone to doting on him. Plus, as heir to their father’s estate, the boy could do no wrong in the earl’s eyes. This resulted in David feeling perhaps that he was a little better than everyone else and certainly that he should always get his own way.

He was a charming, precocious boy who knew that with a smile and a kiss on the cheek, he could get away with pretty much anything. By the time Hannah’s father and mother realized they were creating a thoroughly spoiled brat, it was quite too late to do anything about it.

Hannah had been hoping that David’s time at university would help him grow up, but clearly all it had done was introduce him to a more adult environment in which he could stir up trouble. He and his friends had spent all their free time during term breaks at the

Reviews for Taming Her Forbidden Earl

[arlenadean · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

By: Catherine HemmerlingPublished By: Entangled Published: ScandalousAge Recommended: AdultReviewed By: Arlena DeanRating: 4Book Blog For: GMTASeries: Lady Lancaster Garden Society #1Review:"Taming Her Forbidden Earl" by Catherine Hemmerling was a good historic romantic mystery read that was the first from this series: Lady Lancaster Garden Society #1. I loved the suspense in the good romantic mystery, The characters were so well developed and this style of writing(language) that this author used for this historical time was very good. This was definitely one of those reads that you will have it all wrapped up...'espionage, historical romance and the strong and intelligent women.' We must remember at this time in the Regency London historical time....during the 'Garden Society'....."Women were not allowed to read, or even see, touch, or buy a book.-People of the ton had maids and butlers at all times to be at their service. They even need assistance taking a bath and putting on their clothes and combing their hair! Hah! -Two people of the opposite sex walking in public without a chaperon (maid or otherwise) must be married immediately!" Now, moving on to the romance part in this read which doesn't really come into play much until the end of the read. This will be where I will say you must pick up the good read to see completely what this read is all about. It does get even better toward the ending. Were women allowed to do that? If you are interested in historical novels I would recommend this one and it may even put a smile on your face.