Lusting For The Broken Earl (Steamy Historical Regency) Read online

  Lusting for the Broken Earl

  A Steamy Regency Romance

  Olivia Bennet

  Edited by

  Robin Spencer

  Contents

  A Thank You Gift

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Epilogue

  Extended Epilogue

  An Untamed Governess for the Rogue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Also by Olivia Bennet

  About the Author

  A Thank You Gift

  Thanks a lot for purchasing my book. It really means a lot to me, because this is the best way to show me your love.

  As a Thank You gift I have written a full length novel for you called Daring Fantasies of a Noble Lady. It’s only available to people who have downloaded one of my books and you can get your free copy by tapping this link here.

  Once more, thanks a lot for your love and support.

  With love and appreciation,

  Olivia Bennet

  About the Book

  He showed her his scars and, in return, he let her pretend that she had none...

  Esther Nott, daughter of the Duke of Aishling, has dedicated herself to a life of charity rather than marriage. Having witnessed people’s capacity for deceit, she hides behind the walls she has built around herself to protect her virtue from dishonourable intentions.

  Allan Blaksley’s past as a soldier has left its marks on both his body and soul. With a long scar across his back that he considers hideous, the broken Earl of Wiltshire is constantly reminded of his failures.

  But despite their personal obstacles, both Esther and Allan manage to enter each other’s hearts…

  Until a mysterious woman suddenly appears claiming that Allan is the father of her child. Unbeknownst to them, even though the woman’s motives seem purely greedy and materialistic, she will be proved to be only a puppet.

  A puppet carrying out someone else’s well-planned scheme...

  Chapter 1

  The Earl of Wiltshire was having a flashback. Allan realized he was having it, yet it was never easy for him to come back to reality. After fighting in the Battle of Waterloo and seeing the terrors of war, his entire life was shaken.

  Allan struggled against the visions in his head. He could hear the rattling echoes of muskets and almost feel the vibration from the ground as he flashed back to cannons going off in the distance.

  “My Lord?”

  The voice brought Allan back quickly to the sitting room, where he had been lounging in the afternoon and staring out of the window. He turned towards the sound. It was his butler, Clark. He was a tall, thin man, who was beginning to grey, though his hair was full and thick. He had worked for Allan for many years.

  “Ah, Clark, you caught me off guard,” said Allan.

  “You seemed deep in thought, My Lord,” replied Clark, who was used to finding his employer staring off into space since he returned from the Napoleonic Wars. The butler walked across the room to stand by Allan.

  “It’s simply a beautiful day, and I was taking it all in,” explained Allan, a bit embarrassed that he had obviously been caught in the middle of one of his flashbacks.

  “Yes, it certainly is,” agreed Clark. “I have a letter for you, My Lord.” The butler presented a silver tray to Allan with the letter, which had the familiar crest of his cousin, the Edward, Duke of Daftwood, stamped into the wax seal.

  “Thank you, Clark,” Allan said, as he pulled open the letter and began to read it. Edward was getting married, and he was inviting Allan to the wedding celebrations.

  Allan looked at Clark and forced a smile. “It seems my cousin is to marry. Another joyous occasion for my family.” The truth was, though Allan loved his family, including his cousin Edward, since his time at war he seemed to have lost the spirit and charm that he had been known for most of his life. Some would even say he was a shadow of the man he used to be.

  “That is wonderful, My Lord,” replied Clark. “We will begin preparing for your travels.”

  “Thank you, Clark,” said Allan. “The wedding will be in a week’s time,” he added, glancing back at the letter. I am confident that I will never marry.

  Allan sighed, and stood from the chair he was sitting in. “Weddings certainly are wonderful occasions, Clark, and I am hoping that attending will be a perfect opportunity to spend time with my family. I have missed them.”

  “Yes, My Lord,” replied the butler as he nodded. “It has been a long time since you have seen most of them.”

  Since Allan’s father had passed, and he had become the Earl of Wiltshire, he hadn’t involved himself in family affairs. “Very true. I am happy for my cousin, though, and I would be honored to attend the wedding celebration.”

  “Very good, My Lord,” said Clark with a nod. “Do you require anything else?”

  “No, no,” said Allan waving the man away. “I don’t require a single thing. I’m happy for my health today and now I have time with my family to look forward to.”

  “Thank you, My Lord,” replied Clark. He then bowed and walked out of the sitting room, leaving Allan alone once again.

  Allan sat back into the chair and looked out of the window. The day was beautiful, as he had mentioned to his butler, and the sun was shining through the glass panes. The rays warmed his pale skin, and he could imagine that his ginger hair was looking its brightest. He was a handsome man with broad shoulders. He was tall and certainly looked as if he would make a good addition to the British Army.

  He was often lonely while at the estate. Though he had many members of staff, some he greatly trusted, it would be nice to have more time with friends and family. He had a lot of responsibilities as Earl, which also made the free time he had very precious, indeed.

  The way the sun was shining into the room reminded Allan of the moment he really awoke after his battle injury. He had been caught up in an artillery fight and one of the blasts hurled him several feet through the air, causing several serious injuries, including a terrible laceration from the top of his left shoulder and down his entire back until it ended at the right side of his lower back near his hip. It was hideous, at best.

  Every time he thought back to that point in his life, he could never quite separate reality from his dreams. He was given opium for his intense pain, and because of that, his weeks of recovery were cloudy in his memory. But the one thing he remembered clearly was the first time he felt the sun on his face in his sickbed, with Bridget Crampton leaning over him.

  Bridget’s dark blonde hair and dark eyes were illuminated by the light of the sun, and her smile brought him a sense of relief, as it would any soldier who had been recovering from war injuries. He found Bridget to be quite attractive, and he suspected the same feelings from her.

  Over the weeks, Bridget had
nursed him back to health in the makeshift military clinic, though much of their time together was still cloudy to Allan, simply because of the medications he was taking for pain. She was the unmarried daughter of the physician who was caring for Allan, and because there were so many injured soldiers, she was helping to lessen the load.

  He did remember pieces of their interactions and looked back on those memories fondly…though Allan often wondered if those things actually happened or if it was simply a trick of the mind due to the opium.

  Once again, Allan brought himself back to the present and glanced at the clock, which hung against the wall of the sitting room. He had some obligations to attend to this afternoon, and he also wanted to see his friend, Oliver Blackmore, an officer in the British Army he had met during his military days, who had become Allan’s best friend. Oliver was a bit older than Allan, and his years in the military had aged him beyond his years. He was balding and imposing, and for those who didn’t know him, he was intimidating. However, he had very kind eyes, and Allan found friendship in them each time they interacted.

  Allan stood up and the footman standing near the door that led out of the room opened it for him as he approached. Clark was standing outside of the door, and Allan turned to him and said “Clark, I need to see General Blackmore. Please summon him when you can. It’s nothing important, more of a social visit. Make sure he knows that.”

  The butler nodded. “Of course, My Lord.” He turned from Allan and walked towards the side hallway, which connected that wing of the house with the other.

  Allan knew it would be some time before Oliver would arrive, so he decided he would absorb himself in some work. After all, he had been so distracted earlier, that he could certainly spend some time catching up on tasks he had neglected.

  * * *

  “My Lord?”

  Allan was sitting at his desk fully engrossed in his paperwork. He looked up and his butler was standing before him.

  “Yes, Clark?”

  “General Blackmore has arrived. I have shown him into the sitting room.”

  “Very good, Clark,” said Allan with a smile. “I was just wondering when it would be appropriate for a break.” Focusing on something other than his past had put Allan in a happy mood. Though, seeing Oliver always temporarily made him flashback a bit. “Please let the General know that I will join him in a moment.”

  “Yes, My Lord,” Clark said, then he walked out of Allan’s office. Allan placed the papers which he had been reading in a neat pile and turned down the lamp. He was done working for the day. He neatened his shirt and cravat and wiped off his boots with his handkerchief. Oliver was a regimented military man, and even though he and Allan were close friends, Allan always liked to make sure to look his best when around his war contacts.

  Satisfied that he was well put together, Allan opened the office door, which was located on the second floor of his home, and walked towards the stairway, which would lead him to the entrance of the sitting room once he descended them. As he approached the sitting room, a waiting footman opened the door and Allan walked in.

  Oliver was standing facing the window, his back towards Allan. “General Blackmore,” said Allan in greeting. Oliver turned at the sound of Allan’s voice, and smiled. The men shook hands and exchanged greetings.

  “I’m happy you could take some time to visit,” said Allan as he gently slapped his friend on the shoulder. “It’s great to see you, Oliver.”

  “And you, Allan,” responded Oliver. “I was happy to see your invitation. It has been too long since we have seen each other.”

  “Yes, it certainly has,” exclaimed Allan, as he was approached by a footman with a tray carrying two glasses of red wine. Allan took a glass, had a sip, and watched as Oliver did the same.

  There was always a bit of unnecessary awkwardness between the men when they reunited. Allan simply never knew how to act around the man who had literally saved his life. He would not be standing in the sitting room at all if Oliver hadn’t put forth some very heroic efforts on the battlefield. As Oliver always said, though, Allan would have done the same thing for him if he had seen his comrade’s body flying through the air after the blast.

  “Please, have a seat, friend.” Allan gestured towards the ornate sofa in the center of the room. “Join me for a conversation.”

  Allan watched as his friend sat down, and once settled, he began to speak. “How have you been?”

  “I have been well,” Oliver responded. “And you?”

  Allan paused briefly. He wanted to tell Oliver about his flashbacks but was hesitating. He knew if anyone would understand, it would be Oliver, but he also didn’t want to seem weak. “I am wonderful,” said Allan with a bit too much gusto.

  Oliver didn’t look convinced, but Allan kept talking. “There are many reasons to be content. For instance, my cousin Edward, the Duke of Daftwood, is to be married. It will be a delightful occasion, to be sure.”

  “I have met him,” said Oliver. “He has a brother, also?”

  “Yes, Harry is his brother,” explained Allan. “They are both my cousins, of course, but I have always been closer to Edward. He is an upstanding gentleman and a man of good morals. We have always gotten on very well. His brother, however, and I have never quite seen eye to eye.”

  “Family relations can be difficult,” agreed Oliver. “But family does have meaning. Look at your situation. You no longer have your parents, and you have no siblings, so it makes sense that you would grow close with your cousins.”

  “Yes,” stated Allan. “And I have close friends, like yourself.”

  “Ah, yes,” responded Oliver, lifting his wine glass in a small toast and smiling.

  “Speaking of friends,” said Allan, “Do you remember Miss Bridget Crampton? The physician’s daughter from the war who helped me recover?”

  Oliver thought for a moment, and then said. “Of course. I could never forget a gorgeous woman, especially one who saved my friend’s life.”

  Allan smiled. “I was thinking about her today.”

  “Oh?” Asked Oliver. “What made you think of her?”

  Again, Allan was silent on the fact that his flashbacks had been occurring with a vengeance. “I’m not sure,” he said, trying to look as sincere as possible.

  “Perhaps it’s just the fact that it is time for you to settle down with a wife,” said Oliver. “After all, it may not be a coincidence that you would think of Miss Crampton on the same day you received your cousin’s wedding announcement.”

  Allan must have had a strange look on his face because Oliver quickly added, “I didn’t mean that you had marrying her on your mind, of course.”

  “No. I have no plans to marry the physician’s daughter,” said Allan with an uncomfortable laugh. “Though, perhaps you are right. It is something I must do…settle down, I mean.”

  “There will be time for that, friend,” said Oliver. “Perhaps you will meet a lovely lady at your cousin’s wedding.”

  Allan chuckled now. “Perhaps, but I wouldn’t place a bet on that.”

  Chapter 2

  In all of her five-and-twenty years, Lady Esther Nott had never allowed society to tell her what to do. As her peers aged into adulthood, met their husbands, and started to have children, Esther was spending her days caring for orphans and living a life devoted to charity.

  She was the eldest daughter of the Duke of Aishling, and being the daughter of a Duke afforded her the luxury of being able to spend her time as she pleased. Yet she knew that others believed that she should have taken a different path in her life, similar to the one her sisters were leading. In fact, her sister Mary was preparing for her upcoming wedding to Edward, the Duke of Daftwood.

  With Mary’s wedding at the forefront of family conversations, Esther was constantly reminded that the choices she had made were unconventional. This might have bothered other ladies, but Esther was not like most ladies.

  Both she and her sisters were pretty, and they had man
y opportunities to find a suitable partner. Esther had thick, flowing chocolate brown hair and amber eyes, which could easily calm anyone who chose to look into them. She was full-figured, yet well-proportioned, and tall.

  Mary had found her partner, and Esther’s youngest sister, Ruth, had begun courting the oldest son of an Earl. Yet, Esther remained focused on her charity work, and her mind was still very far from marriage.