A Lord or a Liar

A Lord or a Liar (Only for Love Book 2) A Regency Romance Rose Pearson Contents A Lord or a Liar 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 Epilogue My Dear Reader A Sneak Peek of The Heart of a Gentleman Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Join my Mailing List © Copyright 2023 by Rose Pearson - All rights reserved. In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document by either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved. Respective author owns all copyrights not held by the publisher. A Lord or a Liar Prologue “And where are you going?” Miss Bridget Wynch barely threw a glance at her mother. “I am going out.” She waved one hand vaguely behind her. “I have my maid with me.” She waited for the moment, wondering if her mother would ask her precisely where she was going, or state that it was improper for her to do so, but no remark came. Stifling a sigh, Bridget turned towards the door, comprehending that, yet again, she was of little distinction to her mother, the Viscountess Culpepper, far less important than her sister, Sophia, who was the middle sister. A sister who was only older than her by one year, but who took up a great deal more of her mother’s time, given just how beautiful she was. To Lady Culpepper’s eye, Bridget appeared not to have developed the same beauty as Sophia. How often she had looked in the mirror, considering herself, wishing that Lady Culpepper would look upon her with the same fondness! Certainly, she was not plain, but even to her own eyes, she had not been blessed with the same sparkling beauty which her sister Sophia so gleefully possessed. She did not have the bright twinkling eyes, the laughing smile, the rosy cheeks. No, she had pale features, pale blue eyes that lacked any sort of vivacity, and a smile that, while warm, did not make gentlemen pause in their steps, simply so that they might look at her. Unfortunately, Sophia was all too aware of her own beauty and of her mother’s preference, doing all that she could to ignore Bridget on every occasion while pushing herself forward at every opportunity. Thus, Bridget had become accustomed to stepping into the shadows and allowing Sophia to shine brightly instead. After all, what would be the good of pushing herself forward if no one was to look at her? Aware of the heaviness in her soul, Bridget slipped on her bonnet and stepped outside. Tilting her head towards the sky for a moment, she hastily dropped it again, glad that it was a fine day, but wary of allowing the sun to press any freckles into her skin. Such things would detract all the more from the little beauty she had. Making certain that the ribbons of her bonnet were tied under her chin, Bridget made her way directly to the carriage and paused, looking up at the coachman. “To Dove Street. My usual place.” The coachman said very little, giving her a small nod. He had taken her there on various occasions already and knew precisely which place she meant. “And as quickly as you can, if you please. I do not want to be tardy.” With the aid of a footman, Bridget climbed inside, and the carriage door was shut behind her. Ignoring the presence of her maid, Bridget laid her head back, closing her eyes and telling herself to concentrate her thoughts on the orphanage, rather than on how little her mother considered her. That was her one blessing, for Lady Culpepper showed very little interest in where she was, her father certainly did not care, and her sister disregarded everything Bridget did or said. Whether or not any of them would approve of her giving her time to those less fortunate, Bridget did not know, but nor did she care. Ever since she had come to London some years ago with her eldest sister – a sister who was now married and contented - Bridget had taken her responsibilities seriously, seeing the destitution and the hardship which clung to the darker streets of London. She had listened to the Parson as he had spoken on generosity of spirit, as well as of heart, believing now that the instruction to care for those less fortunate was not an optional one. Thus, during her time in London when she was not herself out in society, Bridget had spent many hours in the local orphanage. It was not a practice she was about to give up simply because this Season was her own Come Out and, she considered, in some sense, that this was where she felt most at ease. She was not inclined towards the ton in any way, aware that she was being pushed to the very bottom of society’s view simply because she did not bear the same beauty as her sister. At the orphanage, she was able to forget all about Sophia, and about the requirements and expectations which came with being a supposedly eligible young lady. It was a place where she felt as though she had some worth, herself. It was also a reminder to her that her struggles were not as significant as those of others, and an opportunity to recall just how much she possessed in this world – which, as the carriage made its way there, Bridget once more brought to mind. Pushing away the pain which came from being entirely ignored by her mother, Bridget took a deep breath and found herself smiling. Regardless of the requirement to find herself a husband this Season, she was determined to visit