A Gentleman's Promise

A Gentleman’s Promise

Scandalous Series

Novella One

BY

Tamara Gill

A Gentleman’s Promise

Scandalous Series

Novella One

Copyright 2013 by Tamara Gill

First Published 2013

Editing by Serena Tatti

C
over Art by

The Killion Group. Inc.

Hot Damn Designs

Published by Tamara Gill

www.tamaragillromanceauthor.com

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a database and retrieval system or transmitted in any form or any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the owner of copyright and the above publishers.

DEDICATION

For Beverly
.

Chapter One

Somerset England, 1818

Charlotte
waded out into
the
lake
that ran behind her father's Somerset estate
and swam toward the middle of the pond.
The chilled water cooled her skin and was a welcome reprieve from the scorching summer
heat,
which
England was experiencing
that year
.

Heat bore down on her head from the sun and she shrugged off the thought that she would freckle
.
It
mattered little
what she looked like anymore. Her future was as set as the seasons.
The water was
a
refreshing
change
after a morning stuck in the stifling hot drawing room with
M
ama, going over invitations
for the forthcoming season in London.
Not that Charlotte cared who called or invited them to their events. Her
father’s
decision
was made
and the
marriage contracts were signed.

Charlotte floated onto her back and looked up at the endless blue sky above her. Not a cloud
marred the horizon
to hint a
break
in
the
endless
heat wave
. Not that she
minded,
for
as long
as
this hot weather held, the longer her mama would demand
that
they stay in Somerset.
And
the longer
she
c
ould remain unmarried.

The sound of a branch breaking underfoot pulled her from her musings and Charlotte tread
ed
water
while
trying to find the source of the noise.
Please let it not be Gus
.
Her
eleven
-year-old
cousin
was the most annoying, vexing boy. Forever reminding Charlotte
that
he w
as her father's heir and
the
future master
of her
home
once
th
e estate passed into his hands
, following the demise of her father
.

The little rascal
seemed to forget
she would be long married by then
and that he wasn’t inheriting a title, merely land
,
and a home
.
Little
tyrant.
Heir
or not, she
sometimes
had the urge
to bend
him over her knee and spank him until he
howle
d.

“Apologies, Miss King
.
I did not
realize that you were swimming
. Forgive my intrusion.”

Charlotte shut her mouth with a snap at the sight of
Lord
Helsing's naked abdomen. His skin glistened
and s
weat beaded down the middle of his chest, just waiting for the cool
spring water to wash it away.

Still unable to speak, her
attention wavered to his lordship
’
s
skin
-tight
breeches
,
which
were very
snug
indeed...
Charlotte
turned away and splashed some water on her face, hoped that the
heat she felt beneath her skin
was solely from the sun
and not
from seeing
the
man
standing behind her
on the bank.

“
No apology required,
my lord
.
Being as hot as it is today
,
I
had
thought to
come for a
cooling
dip
.
”
She paused and wondered what he thought of her
staring at him.
Hoped against hope he did not
realize
what a profound reaction she always had when
she was
around him.
Her stomach twisted in
to
knots
and her mouth dried, usually resulting in her inability to form words.
Blushing was the least of her problems.

“
Well, I will
take your leave
. Good day, Miss King.
”

Charlotte turned about
, savoring the vision of his
back, which
was
indeed
as
pleasing
as his front.
“
I was just about to
leave
.
You may stay and swim if you wish.”

His
dark, hooded gaze fixed on her and Cha
rlotte fought not to
die of embarrassment. They had been friends once.
Had
in fact
been
neighbors
since
they
were children.
But school and social circles soon placed a wedge between their friendship. As was the case for many children in such circumstances.

“
If you're sure
, Miss King
?
I wouldn’t w
ish
to
impose upon you
.”

“
If my lord
would be kind enough to
turn
for a mome
nt to afford me some privacy, I could emerge from the water,
” she said, swimming toward the shore.

Lord Helsing turned around and waited for her. Charlotte wrung out her
soaked shift
as best she could before pulling on her summer gown that buttoned up at the front. Her
dress
clung to her and
was
uncomfortable against her skin but she ignored it. The fact that Lord Helsing, one of the most popular
gentlemen
in town was making conversation with her was too good an opportunity to
believe
.

“I’m
ready
, my lord.”

Lord Helsing
looked over his shoulder and met her gaze. He smiled and turned before making his way to the bank of the lake and
sitting started to take
off his boots. Charlotte watched as he slid his stockings off, his long feet oddly different to hers. She’d never seen
a man’s
feet before.

“Do you mind if I take a swim, Miss King?” he asked, his brows raised.

Charlotte shook her head and then cleared her throat. “No
,
of course not.”

Charlotte bit her lip
as she watched h
is lordship dive under
the water before emerging with a sigh of pleasure.
A well-muscled arm
came out of the water and pushed back a lock of hair that had fallen over his brow
and t
he breath in her lungs seized.
Never had she be
en so close to a
man only half dressed, not to mention a man
who
unsettled
her with just a glance.

“
Delightful,
”
he said.

She couldn’t h
ave worded her thoughts better.

“I thought you would be in town, Miss King. Is this not your debut year?”

Charlotte
hid her
stockings
in her pocket
and looked about for her shoes. “We’re due up any day. As soon as this
dratted
hea
t abates
,
Mother will take me to London.
” She frowned. “I’m
engaged
to
be
marr
ied
,
my lord
. Did you know
?
”

He swam toward the bank, the shock of her statemen
t easy to read on his features.

“I had not heard. Congratulat
ions.” He paused. “May I ask who the lucky
fellow
is?”

“Viscount
Remmick
, my lord.” Charlotte watched
to see if
Lord Helsing
showed
some sort of reaction to her words. Or more truthfully, hoped he would. Yet, his easy smile at her words dashed
any
hopes
she may have had that
he may
have
f
oun
d the
news un
acceptable.
Hopes that he w
ould
,
in fact, run from the water, pick her up and declare
his
un
dying
love to her.

Instead, he swam back into the centre of the pond and
d
ived
out of sight. By the time he
had
resurfaced, Charlotte was ready to leave.

“It was
a pleasure to see
you again,
my lord
. It had been a long time. I hope we may
meet
again in town
?
”

“I may see you tomorrow as I have business with your father. But if not, perhaps our paths will cross in London as you say.”

Charlotte
discreetly
drank in one last sight of him before
s
he turned and walked away. Made sure that she didn’t look back. Not once.

Chapter Two

Mason
handed his
horse to the waiting
groom
and looked up at
the red brick
Tudor
mansion
which
Charlotte
called home. Granted the house was not as grand as his estate, Dellage, but
it was beautiful
,
with the ivy
vines and hollyhocks that grew wild on and around its base.

He breathed
in
deep the smells of
a home he knew as well as his own
and hoped the
missive he
’d
sent around yesterday to call on Mr King had been received.

Mason
met the
welcoming
gaze
of the footman
,
who opened the door
. “Lord Helsing to see Mr. King,” he said.
The cooling
air of the
foyer
was a welcome reprieve from the heat outside.

The footman having not taken two steps, stopped when
Mr King, a tall,
stout
man
,
stepped out of the library
. When he was young, Charlotte’s father used to scare him with his size and boisterous
ness
, but not anymore. Now, the older gentleman seemed jolly instead of
daunting
. Welcoming instead of annoyed at his presence.

“
Welcome, my lord.
Please,
”
Mr King said, gesturing
him
toward the library.
“
Join me.
”

Mason
followed
Mr King
into the
room
. Books littered the
walls
, along with scrolls and papers pla
ced on any available
surface
.
Un
able to see a chair
under the assortment of paper work
,
Mas
on
stood before the desk
instead.
Mr King laughed and picked
up the papers from a chair, allowing him t
o sit.

“
Thank
you,
”
Mason
said,
taking a seat.

“
What brings you to our humble establishment,
my lord
?
I hope everything is well at Dellage.
”
Mr King sat behind his desk and steepled his fingers over his rotund stomach.

Mason
cleared his throat.
“
Very well, thank you, no
reason for concern on that score,” he replied. “
No, my business today
involves your daughter, Miss King. It’s come to my attention she’s to marry Lord
Remmick
and I’m here as an old family friend and
neighbor
to urge you caution and perhaps persuade you to break the marriage contract.”

Mr King sat
shocked
into silence
,
his face an awful
pasty-white
color
that didn’t bode well for the gentleman’s health.

“
Are you
un
well
?
”
Mason
asked, becoming concerned when Charlotte
’
s father reached out for his brandy
,
d
owning
it in one gulp.

Mr King coughed.
“
Confused
is all
. How is it you
care what
Charlotte
does and who she marries
?
You do understand she has
been promised
these past two months to
Viscount
Remmick
.
It’s a little late for
neighborly
concern now.”

Mason
nodded.
“
I’ve been away on my estates and came home as soon as I’d heard the
rumor
. I had hoped your daughter would make a
more suitable
match
, and with all due respect, Mr King,
Lord
Remmick
is not.” The thought of the lovely Charlotte married to a rogue and o
ne
whose
past
was as sketch
y
as his health sent shivers of revulsion down his spine.

“
Lord
Remmick
met Charlotte in London
before her debut
and
travelled down here and
proposed
only two months past
. She accepted him
,
of course. How is it,
”
Mr King said,
rising
from his chair to refill his brandy glass
,
“
t
hat an Earl, no matter how close a
neighbor
,
would care what my daughter did with her life
?
We have not entertained
in the same circles and I have not seen
much of
you since you left for Eton
and
then Cambridge. It does seem odd
that you should
take a
n
interest now,
my lord
.”

Mason
took a moment to gather his wits. His mind whirred with the
truth of Mr King’s words. True, he hadn’t had a lot to do with his neighbors
in recent years
, but that didn’t
change
the fact that Charlotte
had been
his closest childhood friend. They
were
no
longer as close as they
had been
due to the fact they’d grown up, moved in different circles and had vastly different friends, but
that
didn’t mean he did not care
for
her.

“
My lord
?
”
Mr King prompted.

Mason
took a calming breath and met the
speculative eyes of Charlotte
’
s
father
.
“
I suppose as children
,
when my parents were alive and
we stayed at
Dellage
,
a friendship formed between Miss King
and myself
.
I care for her and do not wish to see her hurt in any way. My concern stems from my knowledge of Lord
Remmick
. He is
un
suitable
match for
Charlotte.”

“Charlotte
, my lord
? You mean, Miss King.”

Mason refused to squirm under Mr King’s inquisitive stare. “Of course, Miss King,” he said.

Mr King sat back in his chair and
sighed.
“You are asking me if Charlotte can rescind her
agreement
due to the fact Lord
Remmick
does not meet your standard of husband for her
.
”

“That is exactly what I’m asking. I’m sure you’ve heard the
rumors
about
Lord
Remmick
. Now, I’m not the type of man to sully a
nother’s
reputation, but when it comes to your daughter
’
s choice in husband, I think it only right I let you know the
r
umors
are
true. To think of Miss King subjected to his way of life would be something
I would
not
wish
on
such a gentle and sensitive young woman
.
”
Mason
watched surprise then distaste flow over Mr. King’s visage.
He was aware that the way
he was speaking was very
insulting to Charlotte’s betrothed
and could be termed forward at best, yet Charlotte deserved better than a marriage filled with immoral
behavior
,
mostly achieved around the streets and lanes of Covent Garden
and the
Cyprians who paraded their wares
there.

“The contracts have been signed. There is nothing to be done. Charlotte will be Viscountess
Remmick
by the end of
the
season.
I’m confident my daughter is happy with her choice.” Mr. King rang a bell on his desk and stood. “I understand your
concern,
my lord. But I think
as her father that I know what is best for her. She will be in safe and loving hands I assure you.
”

Mason
remained seated
, tried and failed at keeping his opinions to himself
.
“
I
apologiz
e if
you think I’ve spoken out of turn, but when the happiness of
your daughter
is at risk
,
I’m sure you wouldn’t wish to ignore my concerns. Are you not the least worried by
Lord
Remmick
’s seedy lifestyle?
He’s a rogue. A man
rumored
to have
caught an unspeakable infection.
How could you give
your permission, Mr. King?”
Mason
felt his temper getting away from him and he took a calming breath.

Mr. King waved the footman
away
who came
in
at
the raised voices
. He
sighed.
“It was her choice. I’ve always raised my children
to be of independent thought. Lord
Remmick
asked
for her hand
and Charlotte
said yes, it was simple as that.” Mr King
smiled, the action
bordering disdain
.
“I am aware of his
misdemeanors
and he has promised to remedy his lifestyle
. That is enough for me
.
”

Mason
snorted. “And you believed him.” He paused
and ran a hand through his hair. How could the fellow be so blind
?
“Does Charlotte know he’s
poor?
He may be titled but all but his pockets are for rent.”
Mason
caught a flicker of anger in Mr. King’s eyes, although whether over his questioning or enlightening of
Lord
Remmick
’s s
ituation he couldn’t tell.

“She knows.
Fortunately
for Charlotte
, her dowry will amply provide
for them both
and therefore there is no reason for concern. Now, if you’ll excuse me,
my lord,
I have a luncheon with my family to attend.”

Mason
stood. “This is a mistake. You’re letting your eldest daughter make the biggest
blunder
of her life. I hope, Mr King
,
that she doesn’t live to regret her choice.” He walked
out of
the room without another word. The man didn’t seem to have any principles. It made
Mason
wonder if they’d really told
Charlotte
the truth of
Lord
Remmick
’s
situation.

He opened the front door and started when the man himself stood
at the threshold
about to tap the knocker. “
Lord
Remmick
,”
Mason
said, stepping past him.

His lordship smiled and turned. “
Lord
Helsing,
I was unaware that
you were to join us for lunch
eon
.
”

“I’m
just leaving
,”
Mason
said, relieved to see his horse being led from
the stable.

“Please, do no
t
leave on my account.”
Lord
Remmick
laughed. “You know, given enough blunt I’m always willing to share.” His lordship winked, before stepping inside.