Song for a Scoundrel

By Emma Brady

Jasper Heade was the second son of the second son of a baron, which meant very little in the world. He was a sharp man, with big ideas and lots of ambition but could only get as far as being secretary to his cousin, the earl. One day, his cousin offers a contest with a sum of money larger than Jasper would ever see. The goal: woo the pretty little songbird that sang at the Raven Club. 

Charity Walsh had grown up a dirt poor nobody and she refused to live her entire life that way. The Irish redhead had convinced the owner of the Raven Club to let her perform and she was a success, but she wanted more. She longed to sing for a bigger stage and a more distinguished audience. To reach that goal, she will need to prove not only her musical skill but also her spotless reputation. That becomes difficult when she is bombarded with suitors. 

Jasper decides to assume a secret identity to win the money, but what does he do when he loses his heart? 
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Emma Brady
• Release date: Mar 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393347804

Book preview

Chapter One

JASPER HEADE WAS THE second son of a second son of an earl and that meant he had very little hope of an ambitious future. He was lucky enough to get a position acting as secretary to his cousin, who was in line to become the next earl. It was basically just keeping the young man out of as much trouble as possible and paying the young lord’s bills. He was also responsible for keeping the current earl apprised of his son’s activities, but still managing to keep Harold in his father’s good graces. It was a delicate juggling act.

Tonight, Jasper followed Harold to a popular gambling hell, called the Raven. Harold was celebrating his birthday and doing so by causing as much trouble as he could with a group of his friends. They were not fond of his nosy secretary and Jasper wasn’t fond of the influence they had over his cousin. Harold on his own was a decent chap, but he was too easily swayed by the opinion of others. That was usually what got him into a predicament with his father.

The gambling hell was crowded, even more than normal. That was due to the people who showed up there to see the new singer perform. Flyers had been put up all over London about her. Charity Walsh, the Irish nightingale. The woman was a sensation before even singing a single note.

Finding Harold wasn’t difficult, because His cousin was almost seven feet tall, making him easy to spot. That gave him a foot long advantage over Jasper and he enjoyed mentioning it. Harold was already well into his cups and speaking with grand gestures. That always meant trouble.

I am still a young man in my prime. Harold was telling his handful of cohorts. My father has told me that I should be looking to settle down, but I’m not ready to give up the variety I enjoy now.

You must not have same the definition of variety that we do. The occasional housemaid hardly counts. One of his friend chuckled as Harold turned red in the face.

I have a long list of lovers.

Do they know they are on that list?

Harold sputtered. This was a good time to interrupt him with business talk.

My lord, Jasper said, stepping closer to the group so that they would see him. I brought you those papers your requested.

The ones I told you I would sign in the morning? Harold’s eyebrows pulled together.

They are needed to be filed in the morning, so there won’t be time. Especially considering the kind of evening he was planning to have. Your father is expecting them.

One mention of his father and Harold wouldn’t give him any more argument about it. Jasper produced the papers and a pen from his bag and Harold signed his name quickly. Jasper might be going home early for a change. The lights dimmed and a spotlight drew his attention to the stage. After that, Jasper lost sight of the rest of the world.

A beautiful woman stepped out on stage. Her pale skin glimmered in the stage lights and her auburn hair fell in waves down her back. That was impressive, but not enough to amount to the drawing power she held. It was the intensity in her gaze as she looked out over the audience. The sheer force of her personality that blanketed them, making it impossible to look away. It felt like watching a force of nature come alive.

Once the audience was under her spell it fell into a hush. Her lips parted and she started to sing. The words were gaelic, but the melody was sweet and he didn’t need to know the meaning to feel the emotion. Jasper was as enthralled by her as the rest of the men in the room. He was aware that in the background a piano was being played and that the songs changed from one to another. Each was sweeter than the last until the final song brought tears to his eyes. The stage lights were extinguished and the regular lights came back on, revealing the singer was gone.

That was worth coming out for. Said one of Harold’s ridiculous friends. I think I’m going to go around back and introduce myself.

You won’t even get past her guards. Jasper said, looking at the large men standing in front of the door to the changing rooms.

She will be looking for a protector. I can at least leave my card.

You couldn’t afford the position. Jasper knew how shallow the pockets of his cousin’s friends were, because he so often covered some of their bills on his behalf. If she is looking for someone to provide for her, she will want someone who can at least provide for themselves.

The other men laughed. Harold was amused enough to laugh until he doubled over from it. One side of Jasper’s mouth pull up into a smile.

I guess if money were the only consideration, I would have the upper hand. Said Harold. Perhaps I should leave her my card instead.

Money won’t be the only thing that matters. Women can be persuaded by a pretty face or a charming personality. Any one of us could woo her into being their paramore. Said another friend. Jasper never bothered to remember their names.

"True. A woman’s heart can be fickle. No one knows exactly what they might