Taming The Viscountess Read online

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  Sebastian sat off to the side of the ballroom in one of the chairs, the cane resting next to him. He didn’t need it for walking anymore, but there were times when his body got stiff if he had to stand for a long period of time. Celia had suggested using the cane to help offset some of the pressure, which had proven to be a good idea.

  At the moment, his attention was on the people who were dancing and talking. The ball was a success. At least, it was a success as far as he was concerned. He wasn’t sure if Celia would consider it as such since her standards of success were different from his, but a lot of people had come to it. And to him, that defined it as a success.

  Next to him, Ethan and Christopher sat, and as usual, they were squabbling about something that didn’t make any difference.

  “I don’t think it’s unreasonable to start with something other than soup when you’re at a dinner party,” Christopher was saying. “What if you don’t like the soup that’s on the menu?”

  Ethan sighed. “I agree that it is a ridiculous rule, but you eat the soup whether you like it or not because you don’t want to be rude. It’s about being nice to the people hosting the dinner party.”

  “Even if they serve something that makes you gag?”

  “If it bothers you that much, don’t go to their dinner parties.”

  Before Christopher could respond, Sebastian said, “The problem with people is that they don’t tell others what they like. Instead, they suffer through things they don’t want. You need to tell the host of the dinner party that you don’t like the soup.”

  “What if they serve it anyway?” Christopher asked.

  “Then have them come to your dinner party and serve something they don’t like,” Sebastian replied.

  Ethan snickered. “I do that with my father-in-law all the time. It’s fun to watch him squirm. It’s even better when my mother reminds him that he needs to eat what’s in front of him because it’s the polite thing to do.” With a glance at Sebastian, he added, “My mother married my father-in-law. So now I get to see him a lot while I’m in London. I’m just glad he doesn’t go to White’s. It’s nice to have a sanctuary I can go to on a regular basis.”

  “Speaking of which,” Christopher turned to face Sebastian, “are you, or are you not, going to join White’s? We voted a month ago and accepted you into the club.”

  “It sure would be easier for you to enter the establishment if you were a member,” Ethan added. “Then you wouldn’t have to barge in all the time.”

  Sebastian grinned. It seemed that he was best known for the day he entered White’s without an invitation. It was the same day he said he’d marry Celia. Looking back, barging into the club was the best thing he ever did. But Ethan was right. He couldn’t keep doing it.

  “Are you sure the gentlemen want me there after I took all of their money from that wager I won?” Sebastian asked.

  “Each gentleman only put in three pounds,” Ethan said.

  Sebastian’s eyebrows furrowed. “Three pounds is a lot to lose.”

  “Not for everyone who bet their money in that wager,” Ethan replied. “They didn’t bet anything they weren’t able to lose.”

  “Be that as it may, I can’t see that it would make me a popular member of the group.”

  Christopher laughed. “You impressed all of them because you managed to do what you said you would. You not only kept Celia with you, but you did make her a sweet person. None of us thought it was possible when you said you could do it.”

  “And for the first time in my life, I lost,” Ethan said. “I’d never lost before. I think my days of winning all the time are over.”

  Christopher patted his shoulder. “Now you’re mortal like the rest of us. At least I got to pull some of my money out of the wager so I didn’t lose everything.” He turned his attention back to Sebastian. “You should join. We voted you in. We need more gentlemen who are interesting to talk to. It’s been so boring ever since Mr. Jasper joined. We thought the Duke of Lambeth was going to make things fun when he returned to London, but he’s just as dull as Mr. Jasper is.”

  “Please join,” Ethan urged. “It will be a lot more fun if you’re there.”

  After a moment, Sebastian nodded. “All right. I’ll join.”

  “Good,” Ethan replied, looking relieved. “We’ll finally have some excitement at White’s again.”

  Sebastian chuckled. Someone touched him on the shoulder, and he glanced up and saw Celia smiling at him. “Are you having a good time?”

  “I am, though it’s even nicer now that you’re here,” Sebastian said. “Is our son asleep?”

  “Yes, he finally is,” she replied.

  “Where’s Loretta?”

  “Dancing with her husband.”

  He followed her gaze and saw Loretta dancing with Tad. Though he got along with Tad, he preferred to spend time with Ethan and Christopher. He hated to admit it, but he enjoyed listening to them argue over senseless things like whether soup should be eaten first, if at all, at a dinner party.

  His gaze went to Damara and Iris who were also dancing with their husbands. Since he couldn’t dance with the peg leg, Celia had opted not to dance with anyone, something that had been her own decision. She did this at every ball. Instead of dancing, she went around the room and talked to the ladies in attendance. Then she would return to him from time to time and let him know who she’d met and how the conversation went. She was far more social than he was. He was happier sitting away from the group and watching others. Most of the time, Tad or Anthony would keep him company since Ethan and Christopher didn’t go to about half the balls. They had been banned by several prominent members of the Ton, and quite a few people were afraid to have them at their balls because of it. He, however, hadn’t banned them, so they were able to be here tonight.

  Celia’s gaze went to Ethan and Christopher. “Are your wives here this evening?”

  Ethan nodded. “My wife is with her father. Way over there.” He motioned to the other side of the room.

  “All the way over there?” Celia asked, not hiding her surprise.

  “Ethan tries to stay as far from his father-in-law as possible,” Sebastian told her.

  “It’s for the best,” Ethan added.

  Sebastian had no doubt Ethan was telling the truth, given the fact that his father-in-law didn’t completely trust him, but he saw no reason to explain that to Celia. Instead, he said, “Christopher’s wife is talking to Lady Roderick on the veranda. I think Lady Clement is out there, too.”

  Christopher rose to his feet. “I’ll be happy to introduce you. Lady Roderick and Lady Clement are as lovely as my wife, though I can’t say much about their husbands.”

  “What an awful thing to say,” Ethan admonished, though there was a chuckle in his voice. “Lord Clement is your cousin.”

  “Who is good friends with Lord Roderick,” Christopher pointed out. “Lord Roderick is a lot worse than your father-in-law.”

  “He only says that because Lord Roderick made him muck out stalls and clean chamber pots,” Ethan told Sebastian and Celia.

  Celia’s eyes widened. “He did no such thing!”

  “And you thought having to return a lot of clothes and accessories was embarrassing,” Sebastian told her.

  “You had it a lot easier than I did,” Christopher told her in agreement. Glancing at Sebastian and Ethan, he asked, “Do either of you want to come with us?”

  Sebastian caught the excitement in Celia’s expression and stood up. He grabbed the cane and tucked it under his arm. She was, no doubt, hoping one of the ladies would join Enduring Friendships. She’d been upset by the lack of interest in her group, but he had reminded her that it took time to gain attention in London. Loretta, though very nice, wasn’t as good at meeting new people as Celia was. If anyone had the ability to get more ladies interested in the group, it would be her.

  Celia smiled at Sebastian in a way that let him know she loved him and appreciated
his support. He returned the smile. Maybe tonight would be a success for her. He wanted her to be happy because she made him happy.

  Ethan got to his feet. “I might as well go, too. The veranda is even further from my father-in-law than these chairs are.”

  “Afraid he’ll come after you if he finds you alone?” Christopher teased.

  “I realize you’re joking, but he would do it,” Ethan replied.

  As Christopher and Ethan walked ahead of them, Sebastian tucked his arm around Celia’s. The peg leg was comfortable, and he hardly even noticed it when he was walking anymore. But better than feeling like his old self was the fact that he would have the rest of his life to walk beside Celia. Together, they would have more children and more voyages at sea. He had a future worth living, and it was all because of her.

  “No matter how this evening goes, I want you to know that I don’t want to be with any lady but you,” he whispered to her.

  “You’re the only gentleman I want to be with, too,” she replied. Then she gave him a quick kiss.

  His eyebrows rose in surprise.

  With a coy grin, she asked, “What are the others going to do if they saw me kiss you? Make us get married?”

  Laughing, he continued to lead her to the veranda.

  Author’s Note About Taming The Viscountess

  In this book, I didn’t go into a lot of detail about the scandal that forced Lord Durrant to marry Lady Hedwrett. I did that in the next book of this series, If It Takes A Scandal. I felt it was better to go into detail about the scandal from their points of view. I did give some of Celia’s point of view, and I even added Mr. Stephen Bachman’s point of view. If you’ll recall from The Rake’s Vow, which is Book 2 in this series, Stephen is Loretta’s younger brother, and he has a mischievous side to him. I have a feeling he’ll be playing a role in a future series, though I don’t know if he’ll ever be the hero of a book. We’ll have to wait and see how things progress. All I know is that we’ll see him again.

  I know I left the identity of the lady in Ladies of Grace who is secretly friends with Iris in the air. I was originally going to reveal her in this book, but then I got an idea for her romance. So for the time, I have to let this particular thing remain a mystery. I need her to still be in Ladies of Grace by the time her story begins because it’s going to play a role in the plot of the book. I’m not sure which book (or even what series) I’ll be doing this in, so I’m not going to say more than that at this time.

  Also, I brought in Lord Edon and Mr. Robinson a lot in this book, and if you haven’t read their books yet, Lord Edon is the hero in A Most Unsuitable Earl (Marriage by Scandal: Book 2) and Mr. Robinson is the hero in His Reluctant Lady (Marriage by Scandal: Book 3). The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife (Marriage by Scandal: Book 1) is free. I know a lot of people want to read a series in order, and if Lord Edon and Mr. Robinson interested you, then I thought you might want to read more about them.

  Thanks for reading!

  Ruth Ann Nordin

  There is one more book coming in this series by October 2017!

  If It Takes A Scandal (Marriage by Bargain: Book 4)

  Marriage is the last thing they want…

  When Candace Daniel’s husband died, she was never so relieved. Lord Hedwrett was one of the cruelest gentlemen in London, and she had to play the submissive wife who was expected to follow his every mandate. Now that he isn’t around to tell her what to do, she is enjoying her newfound freedom going from one social scene to another.

  Corin St. George, Earl of Durrant, has spent the past five years building up the impoverished estate he inherited while watching as wives recklessly squandered their husbands’ wealth. He is determined that such a fate will never happen to him. Yes, he plans to marry in order to have an heir, but that won’t happen for a long time.

  Sometimes it takes a scandal to bring two people together…

  Though Corin was the intended object of the scandal, Candace happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and before the two know it, they are caught in a compromising situation and have to marry. Each blaming the other for the mishap, they go their separate ways as soon as they exchange vows, content to be married while not having to deal with the other person.

  Almost a year later, however, they are forced to reunite. And that’s when everything changes.

  You can reserve your copy today!

  Already Available in the Marriage by Bargain Series:

  The Viscount’s Runaway Bride

  (Marriage by Bargain: Book 1)

  On his way to his country estate, beautiful Miss Damara Onslow steps into Lord Worsley’s carriage to speak to him about a matter. Little does he know that “the matter” is to offer him money in exchange for them getting married. Since Lord Worsley’s sister had manipulated him into an engagement he did not want, he welcomes Damara’s offer with open arms.

  The two wed and spend a winter together. Never had anyone been happier. That is until his sister pries into Damara’s past and threatens their fairytale marriage.

  The Rake’s Vow

  (Marriage by Bargain: Book 2)

  Thaddeus (Tad) Darkin, the Duke of Lambeth, used to be a rake. In fact, before Lord Edon was scandalizing the Ton, Tad was the one everyone was talking about. Many gentlemen secretly wished they had his charm with the ladies. All reputable ladies were warned to stay as far from him as possible, which only made him all the more attractive. Then, after a tragic event, he took a vow of celibacy, promising he would never be intimate with another lady again. Over the years, this caused him to be the most sought-after single gentleman in all of London. And even though he doesn’t want to marry, his steward left him in financial ruin, so whether he likes it or not, he must take a wife.

  After being rejected by the gentleman she was hoping to marry, Miss Loretta Bachman is on a mission to save her reputation. She needs to marry someone who will impress the prestigious ladies in her social circle. So when she catches the leader of the group talking about the very handsome and hard-to-get Duke of Lambeth, she’s determined to get him to marry her. All she needs is a little bargaining power, and fortunately for her, she happens to have the money he needs to save his estate.

  When she learns of his vow to remain celibate, she agrees to keep away from his bed. After all, her only reason for marrying him is to secure her social standing in London, not to have a love match. All she asks is that he pretends to be deeply in love with her when they’re in public. That way she will succeed in impressing the Ton. But before long, the lines between what is pretend and what is real start to blur, and it’s hard to decide how far to push the limits of their agreement.

  All Books by Ruth Ann Nordin

  (Chronological Order)

  Regencies

  Marriage by Scandal Series

  The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife

  A Most Unsuitable Earl

  His Reluctant Lady

  The Earl’s Scandalous Wife

  Marriage by Deceit Series

  The Earl’s Secret Bargain

  Love Lessons With the Duke

  Ruined by the Earl

  The Earl’s Stolen Bride

  Marriage by Arrangement Series

  His Wicked Lady

  Her Devilish Marquess

  The Earl’s Wallflower Bride

  Marriage by Bargain Series

  The Viscount’s Runaway Bride

  The Rake’s Vow

  Taming The Viscountess

  Marriage by Fate Series

  The Reclusive Earl

  Standalone Regency

  Her Counterfeit Husband

  Historical Western Romances

  Pioneer Series

  Wagon Trail Bride

  The Marriage Agreement

  Groom For Hire

  Nebraska Series

  Her Heart’s Desire

  A Bride for Tom

  A Husband for Margaret

  Eye of the Beholder

  The Wrong Husband
r />   Shotgun Groom

  To Have and To Hold

  His Redeeming Bride

  Isaac’s Decision

  Chance at Love Series

  The Convenient Mail Order Bride

  The Mistaken Mail Order Bride

  The Accidental Mail Order Bride

  The Bargain Mail Order Bride

  South Dakota Series

  Loving Eliza

  Bid for a Bride

  Bride of Second Chances

  Montana Collection

  Mitch’s Win

  Boaz’s Wager

  Patty’s Gamble

  Native American Romance Series

  Restoring Hope

  A Chance In Time

  Brave Beginnings

  Bound by Honor, Bound by Love

  Virginia Series

  An Unlikely Place for Love

  The Cold Wife

  An Inconvenient Marriage

  Romancing Adrienne

  Historical Romance Anthologies (with Janet Syas Nitsick)

  Bride by Arrangement

  A Groom’s Promise

  Standalone Historical Western Romances