“I saw three men loitering out front when I arrived. I had my driver drop me three streets away and then I snuck through the neighbor’s garden to get into the house through the kitchen. Forgive me, Miss Bright, but time is of the essence.”
That seemed to spur her on, and she spun and marched behind the screen, the maid following.
He saw the veil drape over the screen first and he had the most ridiculous urge to see what her face looked like.
It didn’t matter.
And besides, they really did need to hurry.
He supposed it was natural for a man to want to see his future wife but her looks were of no consequence. The honest truth was this was a business arrangement. One where he was provided an heir and she received a future as a countess, and he avoided having to participate in society for a season to find a wife.
But telling her all that now would only delay their departure.
He packed the essentials into a satchel and then turned to find her dressed in a simple gown of black, the veil back over her face. He frowned. “You’re going to travel in your mourning weeds?”
She shrugged. “It has the added advantage of hiding my identity.”
He raised his eyebrows. That was true and damned smart if one cared about hiding one’s identity. Not that she needed to. She was about to become his wife.
And no one would question the match. She was the daughter of a baron, granted one who had squandered his entire fortune, but the rest of society needn’t know that. When they returned to London in six months, it would be said that Bash and Isabella came for a nice visit with Isabella’s cousin where a match was made. End of story.
He supposed it did aid their charade if her identity was kept secret on the way to his home. She was right. The veil should stay.
With a shrug, he picked up the satchel and offered his arm. “Now we need to discuss how we’re leaving the house.”
“Are we sneaking through the garden?” she asked. He couldn’t quite tell, but he thought she might have smiled.
He trailed his gaze down her trim figure, noting that she was quite shapely in all the right places.
He gave his head a shake. What she looked like beneath her clothes was of no consequence. “I thought we might. My driver is waiting just down the street.”
She gave a nod. “Once we get outside, I’ll remove the veil just so that I don’t trip.”
He cleared his throat. “You might as well remove it now.”
He saw her hesitate for the briefest second and then she reached up pulling the fabric away from her face.
Chocolate brown hair met his gaze first, thick and shining in the candlelight. Large brown eyes were next, fringed with dark lashes. Her small, straight nose came into view, along with her pink cheeks, and finally rosy, full lips that might make a man ache.
He closed his eyes, his features growing tight. She was lovely. Which under normal circumstances wouldplease a man to no end. His bride was pretty. More than that. She was delicately beautiful in a way that called to him.
But he wasn’t happy. Not at all. He didn’t want a gorgeous bride and certainly not one whose beauty aired on the side of vulnerable. He didn’t want to feel anything for this woman. Because feelings complicated everything.
Want to read more? Find Earl of Infamy on all major retailers!
Also in this latest round of the Lords of Scandal series:
Earl of Gold
Earl of Baxter
Duke of Decadence
Marquess of Menace
Duke of Dishonor
Baron of Blasphemy
Viscount of Vanity
Earl of Infamy
Laird of Longing
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About the Author
Tammy Andresen lives with her husband and three children just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. She grew up on the Seacoast of Maine, where she spent countless days dreaming up stories in blueberry fields and among the scrub pines that line the coast. Her mother loved to spin a yarn and Tammy filled many hours listening to her mother retell the classics. It was inevitable that at the age of eighteen, she headed off to Simmons College, where she studied English literature and education. She never left Massachusetts but some of her heart still resides in Maine and her family visits often.
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Other Titles by Tammy
Romancing the Rake
When only an Indecent Duke Will Do
How to Catch an Elusive Earl
Where to Woo a Bawdy Baron
When a Marauding Marquess is Best
What a Vulgar Viscount Needs
Who Wants a Brawling Baron
When to Dare a Dishonorable Duke
Lords of Scandal
Duke of Daring
Marquess of Malice
Earl of Exile
Viscount of Vice
Baron of Bad
Earl of Sin
The Wicked Wallflowers
Earl of Dryden
Too Wicked to Woo
Too Wicked to Wed
Too Wicked to Want
How to Reform a Rake
Don’t Tell a Duke You Love Him
Meddle in a Marquess’s Affairs
Never Trust an Errant Earl
Never Kiss an Earl at Midnight
Make a Viscount Beg
Wicked Lords of London
Earl of Sussex
My Duke’s Seduction
My Duke’s Deception
My Earl’s Entrapment
My Duke’s Desire
My Wicked Earl
Brethren of Stone
The Duke’s Scottish Lass
Scottish Devil
Wicked Laird
Kilted Sin
Rogue Scot
The Fate of a Highland Rake
A Laird to Love
Christmastide with my Captain
My Enemy, My Earl
Heart of a Highlander
A Scot’s Surrender
A Laird’s Seduction
Taming the Duke’s Heart
Taming a Duke’s Reckless Heart
Taming a Duke’s Wild Rose
Taming a Laird’s Wild Lady
Taming a Rake into a Lord
Taming a Savage Gentleman
Taming a Rogue Earl
Fairfield Fairy Tales
Stealing a Lady’s Heart
Hunting for a Lady’s Heart
Entrapping a Lord’s Love: Coming in February of 2018
American Historical Romance
Lily in Bloom
Midnight Magic
The Golden Rules of Love
Boxsets!!
Taming the Duke’s Heart Books 1-3
American Brides
A Laird to Love
Wicked Lords of London
