My So-Called Scoundrel

Contents Sign up! Also by Fenna Edgewood Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Epilogue About Fenna Edgewood Also by Fenna Edgewood My So-Called Scoundrel by Fenna Edgewood Published by WOLF Publishing UG Copyright © 2023 Fenna Edgewood Text by Fenna Edgewood Edited by Chris Hall Cover Art by Victoria Cooper Paperback ISBN: 978-3-98536-154-0 Hard Cover ISBN: 978-3-98536-155-7 Ebook ISBN: 978-3-98536-153-3 This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, brands, media, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. All Rights Reserved This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. WOLF Publishing - This is us: Two sisters, two personalities.. But only one big love! Diving into a world of dreams.. …Romance, heartfelt emotions, lovable and witty characters, some humor, and some mystery! Because we want it all! Historical Romance at its best! Visit our website to learn all about us, our authors and books! Sign up to our mailing list to receive first hand information on new releases, freebies and promotions as well as exclusive giveaways and sneak-peeks! www.wolf-publishing.com Also by Fenna Edgewood The Blakeley Manor Series Two families, from very different worlds, are about to converge at Blakeley Manor… Upstairs… The Blakeley family is famed for their infinite fortune—and their infinite eccentricities. As the Blakeley siblings reunite to host a Christmas house party, they are plunged into scandal as each one forges a passionate new alliance that crosses the boundaries of all propriety. Downstairs… Four very different siblings–a lady’s maid, a housekeeper, a gardener, and a groom–are tied together, not only by the love and loyalty they share but by dangerous secrets that could cost them not only their employment…but also their hearts. #1 Lady Briar Weds the Scot #2 Kiss Me, My Duke #3 My So-Called Scoundrel Prequel: The Countess’s Christmas Groom Prologue He had no business stopping when he heard the woman cry out. He had just escaped trouble. But she was a woman, and she had screamed–a gasping, ragged scream he was all too familiar with. A scream that signified fear. And the street was dark, and there was no one else around. He could continue walking. Pretend he had not heard. Perhaps that is what most gentlemen in his position would have done. After all, he suspected the scream would not come again. He might eventually convince himself he had never heard it at all. But then, Leigh Blakeley was not most gentlemen. He liked to believe he was hardly a gentleman at all. So, he stopped. Turned around. Looked down into the shadowy alley and saw exactly what he expected to see. Two men and a woman. That Chapter One Blakeley Manor, March 1818 Marigold Spencer lay in bed with her eyes closed, contemplating her life as a walking disaster. She was a disaster. It bore repeating. A disaster of epic proportions. Furthermore, this was not merely her personal opinion. Had not Lady Fulford said only yesterday, after the incident at the modiste’s, that it was a blessing in disguise they could not present Marigold at court? For she would most likely trip on her gown and fall upon the Queen’s feet instead of curtsying daintily. Of course, Lady Fulford had said it with a sigh and a quick smile to temper the blow, but Marigold had seen her elder sister, Laurel, the newly minted Duchess of Dareford, nodding her agreement before she had caught herself. Admittedly, Marigold had had the bad luck to have brought down an