A Noble Man

A Noble Man
ANNE ASHLEY

A young woman disappears. A husband is suspected of murder. Stirring times for all the neighborhood.Lady Sophia Cleeve dazzled all that Season, but she declared she would not marry a pampered man. Instead, she wanted a worthy man–outside her privileged class! As shock rocked her entourage at this declaration, the sea-worn Duke of Sharnbrook, Benedict Risely, entered the scene and instantly fell for Sophia. To win her, Benedict decided to hide his wealth and take a job as Sophia's personal groom. Soon their interaction took a very personal turn. As their love blossomed, Ben feared Sophia's reaction when she learned he was as noble as she was…!Regency DramaIntrigue, mischief…and marriageThe Steepwood Scandal

Sophia must have a sound reason for treating him with indifference.

Ben couldn’t prevent a wry smile from curling his lips as he considered his present unenviable situation. He was a Sharnbrook, with proud aristocratic blood flowing through his veins, and he’d be damned if he would tolerate being ignored by the young woman who was destined to become his duchess!

The instant she glimpsed that tall figure looming alongside, Sophia could feel the tension in her steadily mounting. How could she now begin to treat this man like a servant when she had never done so before? Impossible to tell him to remember his station in life when she herself was finding it increasingly difficult not to think of him as an equal!

A Noble Man

Anne Ashley

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

ANNE ASHLEY

was born and educated in Leicester. She lived for a time in Scotland, but now resides in the West Country with two cats, her two sons and a husband who has a wonderful and very necessary sense of humor. When not pounding away at the keys on her computer she likes to relax in her garden, which she has opened to the public on more than one occasion in aid of the village church funds.

THE STEEPWOOD SCANDAL:

Lord Ravensden’s Marriage, by Anne Herries

An Innocent Miss, by Elizabeth Bailey

The Reluctant Bride, by Meg Alexander

A Companion of Quality, by Nicola Cornick

A Most Improper Proposal, by Gail Whitiker

A Noble Man, by Anne Ashley

An Unreasonable Match, by Sylvia Andrew

An Unconventional Duenna, by Paula Marshall

Counterfeit Earl, by Anne Herries

The Captain’s Return, by Elizabeth Bailey

The Guardian’s Dilemma, by Gail Whitiker

Lord Exmouth’s Intentions, by Anne Ashley

Mr. Rushford’s Honour, by Meg Alexander

An Unlikely Suitor, by Nicola Cornick

An Inescapable Match, by Sylvia Andrew

The Missing Marchioness, by Paula Marshall

Contents

Chapter One (#u1c91bc66-2318-5be9-98ba-a437a7839c00)

Chapter Two (#uda71b151-c37f-5783-b852-0c8166239412)

Chapter Three (#uceb6db0b-b0f4-5ee6-8b65-811cb14987ea)

Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter One

March 1812

The Earl of Yardley glared in frustrated silence at his daughter’s lustrous blue-black curls. Anyone might be forgiven for supposing that Lady Sophia’s bent head and clasped hands expressed contrition, but he was not fooled for a moment. Oh, most definitely not! Unless he much mistook the matter, his daughter’s striking green eyes were twinkling while she was doing her level best to conceal that wickedly provocative smile of hers.

“So, you flatly refuse even to consider this latest proposal,” he reiterated, still somehow managing to keep a tight rein on his temper. Any other young woman would have been overjoyed to receive four offers for her hand since her arrival in town a mere two weeks ago. His Sophia, however, was a law unto herself!

Swinging round on his heels, he went across the room to stare sightlessly out of the library window. “At least may I be permitted to know why you have taken Lord Vale in such dislike?”

“Oh, I do not dislike him, Papa,” his most undutiful offspring hurriedly assured him. “The truth of the matter is I haven’t known him long enough to form an opinion.”

“In that case, what can be your objection other than a need to know him a little better?”

Sophia, with a suspicion of wicked amusement still lingering in her eyes after learning of this latest offer for her hand, raised her head at last. “Well, apart from the fact that he will never see forty again, he is the only gentleman of my acquaintance who could sit in a carriage and stare out of both windows at one and the same time.”

A noise sounding suspiciously like a suppressed chuckle reached her ears, and she looked across the room at her father’s surprisingly straight back and silver-grey hair. For a gentleman who had celebrated his seventy-first birthday just a few short weeks before, he was still in fine physical condition. “Papa, you don’t seriously expect me to consider this offer from Lord Vale, do you?”

He didn’t, but he had no intention of admitting to it. “You seem to forget that I was several years older than Lord Vale is now when I proposed to your mother.”