Regency Stories | Author, Jane Lark's stories

A #free short story… I’ll be telling it here, and it can also now be downloaded from Amazon.

Capturing the Earl’s Love

A Historical Romance story

Part Three

Part Seven

Part Eight

Part Nine

Part Ten

Part Eleven

Part Twelve

Part Thirteen

“Rowena—” Meredith began as she took her seat again, but her former friend just lifted her hand.

“I am not listening to you apologise, Meredith. He is my brother, and I love him dearly. I am too angry to speak to you. He deserves far more than to be trapped by—”

“I did not plan what I did, Rowena,” Meredith whispered. “It was not like that.”

Rowena leaned across the table, and with a vicious pitch, ignoring the footmen, accused, “Then how was it? He had no interest in you. You know he did not. I suppose you only became my friend so you might get close enough to him for this…”

“No! It is not like that! I fell in love with him after we became friends, but I have loved him for weeks… I know he does not like me, but my father had agreed a marriage with his business partner. Perrigrew is old, and bitter, and I did not—”

“Wish to marry him? And so you thought you’d force my brother’s hand. I will shop with you today, Meredith,” – Rowena stood up, dropping her napkin on the tablecloth – “but do not expect me to speak to you. I have no wish to be your friend anymore. Rupert warned me about you months ago. He said you only used my friendship. I wish I had listened.”

She walked away.

Meredith stood, a blush burning her cheeks as tears stung her eyes. “That is not true, Rowena! It is not true!”

The footmen, who stood at the edge of the room, looked away.

Meredith left her breakfast untouched, and returned to her chamber, to hide. The bridge Lord Morton had crossed last night stood between her and them again today, with a raging river of uncertainty and violent emotion flowing beneath it.

While Meredith was shopping with Rowena, and her cousin Ellen, they met Lord Kendrick on Bond Street, and he insisted on treating them to tea and cake at Gunter’s. Meredith was surprised to see Rowena smile warmly at him. But then he seemed to be doing his utmost to please her, and he was very solicitous and charming as he fussed over them all, his eyes frequently on Rowena. It was Rowena he offered his arm to, too, as they walked in and out of the shop.

Meredith was relieved by his presence. The tension which had begun at breakfast had persisted all day, and despite Lady Eleanor chatting merrily and questioning them both, trying to break the silence between them, Rowena had not conceded. Yet the trip to Gunter’s was only a brief reprieve. Once they returned home, Rowena immediately retired to her room and so, therefore, did Meredith. She was too unsure of everything to wander about the house alone.

It was there, Lord Morton – Rupert, she had to remember to call him that – found her later, as a maid was helping her prepare for the evening.

They were going out to the Foley’s ball. He’d sent word through her maid earlier, but Meredith was not dressed yet. She was standing in her underwear when he knocked on the door between their rooms, and he did not then wait for her response.

She jumped as he opened it immediately, and then he was in her room, as he had been last night, although this time he wore evening dress. Her heart thumped. She remembered very clearly how he had looked without it. His body had beautiful, muscular contours. They’d caught the candlelight as he’d made love to her, his skin shimmering.

His eyes lowered, looking at her stocking-clad toes, then his gaze skimmed up her body, until he looked into her eyes. He seemed to hesitate before speaking.

“Meredith, my mother wishes to meet you.”

Meredith’s mouth opened, but she did not know what to say. Lady Stanforth had not wished to see her yesterday. Rupert had told his cousin, his mother was too angry to face “the upstart” he’d wed. Meredith had overheard them speaking. She also knew Lady Stanforth was very ill, and rarely left her rooms. So, it meant they would not speak, unless his mother asked to speak to her.

If she tried to be nice, his mother would only respond as Rowena had done, though.

A blush crept up her neck as Meredith let the air slip out of her lungs. She could hardly refuse the meeting, and she had brought this on herself.

She wondered if the hostility between herself, him and his family would ever ease?

She nodded.

“Very well, be ready in a half-hour and I shall introduce you before dinner.” The words were blunt and sharp, though not disparaging, and not judgemental — just not warm.

Meredith thought of how Lord Kendrick had spoken to Rowena this afternoon, and longed for the same for herself. If only Rupert would treat her with the same concern and politeness.

Capturing The Earl’s Love is the story of two of the secondary characters from the 1st book in

the Marlow Intrigues Series

‘The Illicit Love of a Courtesan’

The Lost Love of Soldier

The prequel to The Illicit Love of a Courtesan

is available to pre-order

Go to the index

For

the story of the real courtesan who inspired The Illicit Love of a Courtesan,
another free short story, about characters from book #2, A Lord’s Scandalous Love,
the prequel excerpts for book #3 The Scandalous Love of a Duke

Jane Lark is a writer of authentic, passionate and emotional Historical and New Adult Romance stories, and the author of a No.1 bestselling Historical Romance novel in America, ‘The Illicit Love of a Courtesan’.

Click here to find out more about Jane’s books, and see Jane’s website www.janelark.co.uk to learn more about Jane. Or click ‘like’ on Jane’s Facebook page to see photo’s and learn historical facts from the Georgian, Regency and Victorian eras, which Jane publishes there. You can also follow Jane on twitter at @janelark

Jane’s books can be ordered from most booksellers in paperback

The Lost Love of a Soldier

The prequel to The Marlow Intrigues series

I am going to share some excerpts from The Lost Love of a Soldier, leading up to the release date July 17th

Dressing Ellen’s first husband in his Scarlet Military coat (The Illicit Love of a Courtesan)

and adding flesh, blood and bones to John’s father (The Scandalous Love of a Duke)

The Lost Love of a Soldier

Ellen’s stomach growled with hunger for the umpteenth time as she lay on her bed. She’d been confined to her room for four days, but this would be the last day… She was leaving. The thought clutched tightly in her heart. No one knew. In ten hours Paul would come to meet her. She’d not even told Pippa, she was too terrified her father would hear it from someone if she said the words aloud. Every detail of their escape, in Paul’s words, was safely tucked inside her bodice near her heart, pressing against her breast. “Eleanor.” “Eleanor!” The sound seeped through her bedchamber door; a deep heavy pitch that made her instantly wish to comply. Obedience had carved its mark into her soul – and yet she was about to disobey. Where on earth would her courage come from? “Father?” The key turned in the lock on the outside and Ellen scurried off the bed. When the door opened she stood by the bedpost, her hands gripped before her waist, her back rigid and chin high, but her eyes downturned. It felt as though she was one of Paul’s soldiers on parade when she faced her father. She did not feel like his flesh and blood. “Your Grace.” She lowered in a deep curtsy sinking as far as she was able, in the hope he would think her penitent and be kinder. She did not look up to meet his gaze in case it roused his anger. But she needn’t even look at her father to know when he was displeased; displeasure hung in the air around him without him saying a word. Yet he never showed his anger physically, apart from barking orders and offering condemning dismissals. Those cutting words and his exclusion were enough punishment though. He never looked at her as if he cared, never smiled… What I am planning will horrify him… Her father’s fingers encouraged her to rise, with a beckoning gesture. “Papa.” She lifted her gaze to his. Paul’s words, promising faithfulness, love and protection, pressed against her bosom as she took a deeper breath. A blush crept across her skin. She feared even the blush might give her away. Compared to her father, Paul was water to stone, something moving and living. Vibrancy and approachability – warmth – emanated from Paul. Her father hid beneath coldness and disdain. If there was any warmth in his soul she’d never been able to see it. He most often communicated in a series of bitter glares rather than words. Yet Paul had experienced awful things. Death. Illness. He had cause to be bitter. He’d seen friends die, and killed others for the sake of freedom in Europe. He never spoke of it though, even when she’d asked. He always spoke of good things. But she supposed his months in England were months to forget the Peninsular War. “Well? Have you thought about your behaviour, Eleanor?” Paul’s letter was warm against her heated breast. Yes, she had thought, and she had made a choice – to leave. “Yes, Papa.”

You can buy The Lost Love of a Soldier by clicking on the cover in the sidebar on the right hand side.

Go to the index

For

the story of the real courtesan who inspired The Illicit Love of a Courtesan,
another free short story, about characters from book #2, A Lord’s Scandalous Love,
the prequel excerpts for book #3 The Scandalous Love of a Duke