Earl of Darby_Wicked Earls' Club by Aubrey Wynne

Author:Aubrey Wynne [Wynne, Aubrey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance
Goodreads: 47973352
Publisher: Plato Publishing
Published: 2019-11-19T00:00:00+00:00

Pendleton townhouse

* * *

Hannah settled into the overstuffed chair and picked up her book of poems. Shelley was one of her favorites, and it was a perfect afternoon for reading. Aunt Bertie worked on a dissected map puzzle of Africa.

After an hour of companionable silence, Aunt Bertie called her over to the table. “Come help me with this puzzle, my dear, and we can talk. We need to discuss some things you might overhear in the future.”

“Yes, Mama said to ignore any gossip about our family.”

The older woman rolled her eyes. “Your family skeletons have long been swept under the carpet. There have been hundreds of scandals to replace the Pendleton’s Public Disgrace as it was once called.” She gave Hannah’s fingers a squeeze as she sat down in front of the lower half of Africa. “One day, your mama and I will sit down and have a long talk. It’s past time she put aside her resentment of my brother and myself.”

“What do you mean?” asked Hannah. A nervous excitement filled her. Would she finally learn the details of her father’s death? Of the whispers that had made her mother avoid London as if the plague still lurked in its streets and alleys?

She only knew the barest of facts. Father had been unfaithful to Mama, caught with a married woman, and challenged to a duel. Since he’d never been a good shot, it had not ended well. He’d died a few days later from a chest wound.

“Nathaniel informed me before he left that your mother has taken her share of responsibility for the tragedy. You should know what has been said, and what is the truth, before you hear any exaggerations.”

“The truth?” A disquiet settled over the room as Hannah studied her aunt’s face.

“Yes, and the beginning is the best place to start.” She pushed back from the table, resettled the cap on her head, and placed her hands in her lap. “Did you know your mother was first pursued by your uncle? My oldest brother?”

Hannah shook her head.

“It never reached a formal betrothal before his accident, so many did not know. My oldest brother was not as handsome as your father. He was a rigid man and good with figures. The estate prospered under his care.” She paused.

“He would have made a good husband for your mother. She had certain expectations, and he would have fulfilled them. It may not have been a love match, but the marriage would have been successful in many other ways. They were…compatible.”

“And my mother and father were not?”

Aunt Bertie pursed her lips then let out a heavy sigh. “No, I’m afraid not. Your father was never raised to take on the title, and he had no head for accounts or the running of an estate. He was a generous soul, to be sure, and tended to give away money to help the tenants rather than make the estate prosperous to benefit everyone.

“Your mother was captivated by his looks and easy charm at first.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.