Carole Mortimer - The Lady Confesses (Harlequin Historical)

A scandalous secret...

Having run away from home to avoid an unwanted betrothal, Lady Elizabeth Copeland must keep her disguise as an elderly ladys companion at all times. Even when shes called upon to nurse the ladys nephewwho rather infuriatingly happens to be the most incredible-looking man shes ever seen....

Elizabeth yearns to break out of Betsys drab dresses to reveal that shes of the same blue blood as the rakish Nathaniel. But she must not! Unless Nathaniel gets under her guard, and elicits a confession....

Nathaniel viewed Betsy Thompson through narrowed lids. You have not been a paid employee for very long, have you?

A delicate blush colored those ivory cheeks. What makes you say that, my lord?

The mere fact that she was daring to question him like this was reason enough! You do not appear to know your place.

Those blue eyes sparkled with what he knew without doubt to be a fierce temper. My place, my lord?

Had he ever had another conversation like this one? Nathaniel mused ruefully. Somehow he doubted it. I believe it is the usual practice to show a little more respect when addressing ones elders and betters, he drawled with deliberate provocation; after all, the blue of her eyes did look particularly fine when she was in a temper!

Elizabeth fumed silently. As she was really Lady Elizabeth Copeland, the daughter of an earl, he certainly was not her better. Except, she was not Lady Elizabeth Copeland at this moment, was she? And she had no idea if she ever would be again.

* * *

The Lady Confesses

Harlequin Historical #1072January 2012

The Copeland Sisters

Flouting convention, flirting with danger

Caroline, Diana and Elizabeth Copeland are faced with a challengea new guardian who is determined on marriageto one of them! But these three sisters arent afraid to discard the rules of Regency Society. Theyre equally determined to take their futuresincluding potential husbands very much into their own hands.

THE LADY GAMBLES
November 2011

THE LADY FORFEITS
December 2011

THE LADY CONFESSES
January 2012

Carole Mortimer

The Lady Confesses

Other titles by CAROLE MORTIMER available in ebook format:

* The Dukes Cinderella Bride #960
* The Rakes Wicked Proposal #969
* The Rogues Disgraced Lady #975
* Lady Arabellas Scandalous Marriage #987
Regency Christmas Proposals #1015: *Christmas at Mulberry Hall
The Lady Gambles #1066
The Lady Forfeits #1070
The Lady Confesses #1072

Other works include

Harlequin Historical Undone! ebooks

* At the Dukes Service
Convenient Wife, Pleasured Lady
A Wickedly Pleasurable Wager

*The Notorious St. Claires
The Copeland Sisters

Carole Mortimer also writes for Harlequin Presents.

Look out for
Surrender to the Past
in January 2012

To my wonderful parents, with much love.

CAROLE MORTIMER

was born in England, the youngest of three children. She began writing in 1978, and has now written more than one hundred and fifty books for Harlequin. Carole has six sons: Matthew, Joshua, Timothy, Michael, David and Peter. She says, Im happily married to Peter senior; were best friends as well as lovers, which is probably the best recipe for a successful relationship. We live in a lovely part of England.

Contents

Chapter One

May, 1817Hepworth Manor, Devon

H ow dare you? Lord Thorne, I insist you release me at once!

Lord Nathaniel Thorne, Earl of Osbourne, laughed huskily, his lips moving to the ebony-haired beautys throat. She avoided his kiss by struggling in the confines of his arms, the squirming of those slender curves as she lay across him only succeeding in increasing Nathaniels pleasure. You know you do not mean that, my dear Betsy

I most certainly do mean it! She raised her head to glare down at him with eyes of an indignant and deep blue surrounded by long dark lashes, her dark curls smelling of lemon and jasmine.

Nathaniel smiled confidently. A kiss, Betsy, that is all I ask.

Her mouth tightened determinedly. Very wellyou asked for this!

Nathaniel drew in a swift hissing breath as the woman in his arms deliberately pushed against his chest in an attempt to wrench herself free, a painful reminder that he had broken several of his ribs only nine days previously, which had resulted in his being confined to this bed or another ever since.

A fact this little minx was well aware of!

And you have been asking for this for days! Nathaniels arms tightened instead of releasing her as his teeth nibbled at one delicately scented earlobe.

Her struggles ceased, her expression one of blank bewilderment as she looked down at him. I have?

Wellperhaps he exaggerated the situation slightly. But after four days spent in London being confined to his bed and fussed over by his closest relativehis widowed and childless Aunt Gertrudefollowed by another four days of discomfort inside his coach as theyd travelled to his aunts home on the rugged Devonshire coast, Nathaniel had felt in need of some feminine diversion.

Waking from an afternoon nap to find this delicious morsel tidying his bedchamber, also aware that no matter how painful his injuries were they had also allowed him to escape the tedium of a London Season and his aunts intention of finding him a wife, Nathaniel had decided to reward himself for that lucky escape by indulging in a little sport with his aunts young companion.

He grinned up at her unabashedly now. You have been fussing about my bedchamber, and latterly myself, for this past half an hour: tidying the room, straightening my bedclothes, plumping my pillows. During which time he had been gifted with a tempting view of the fullness of her breasts as she leant across him and a tantalising glimpse of the plump, rosy-hued nipples that tipped those delicious breasts!

It was on your aunts instruction that I sat with you this afternoon. The ebony-haired beauty looked down the length of her little nose at him.

And where is my dear aunt this afternoon? he enquired.

She felt rested enough from the journey here to be able to go out in the carriage to reacquaint herself with friends in the area You are deliberately changing the subject, my lord! She glared her indignation at him once again.

Am I? Nathaniel drawled in amusement.

Yes, she maintained firmly. And I fail to see any encouragement on my part of thisthis attack upon my person, in the mundane actions you have just described.

Which was not to say that Elizabeth had found those attentions completely disagreeable, if she was being totally honest with herself.

Her last kissin fact, her only kisshad been takenstolenfrom her several months ago by the local vicars precocious fifteen-year-old son, who unfortunately had a propensity for sweetmeats, cakes, spots and an unbecoming plumpness.

It had only been that expression of lazy satisfaction upon Lord Nathaniel Thornes handsome face, as hed pulled her effortlessly into his arms, which had prevented Elizabeth from enjoying the sensation of allowing those sensually sculpturedand no doubt much more experiencedlips to possess her own.

The same satisfaction the earl displayed now as he looked down at the plump swell of her breasts made visible by the low neckline of her blue gown. A man can only stand so much temptation, my dear Betsy.

Elizabeth gave an inner wince at Lord Thornes continued use of the name bestowed upon her by Mrs Wilson almost two weeks ago, after that lady had declared Elizabeth was far too refined a name for the young lady she intended to employ as a companion.