Vindicated by a Viscount

Vindicated by a Viscount The Beresford AdventuresBook 5 Cheryl Bolen © Copyright 2023 by Cheryl Bolen Text by Cheryl Bolen Cover by Dar Albert Dragonblade Publishing, Inc. is an imprint of Kathryn Le Veque Novels, Inc. P.O. Box 23 Moreno Valley, CA 92556 [email protected] Produced in the United States of America First Edition June 2023 Kindle Edition Reproduction of any kind except where it pertains to short quotes in relation to advertising or promotion is strictly prohibited. All Rights Reserved. The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author. License Notes: This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook, once purchased, may not be re-sold. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it or borrow it, or it was not purchased for you and given as a gift for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. If this book was purchased on an unauthorized platform, then it is a pirated and/or unauthorized copy and violators will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Do not purchase or accept pirated copies. Thank you for respecting the author’s hard work. For subsidiary rights, contact Dragonblade Publishing, Inc. ARE YOU SIGNED UP FOR DRAGONBLADE’S BLOG? You’ll get the latest news and information on exclusive giveaways, exclusive excerpts, coming releases, sales, free books, cover reveals and more. Check out our complete list of authors, too! No spam, no junk. That’s a promise! Sign Up Here * Dearest Reader; Thank you for your support of a small press. At Dragonblade Publishing, we strive to bring you the highest quality Historical Romance from some of the best authors in the business. Without your support, there is no ‘us’, so we sincerely hope you adore these stories and find some new favorite authors along the way. Happy Reading! CEO, Dragonblade Publishing Additional Dragonblade books by Author Cheryl Bolen The Beresford Adventures Lady Mary’s Dangerous Encounter (Book 1) My Lord Protector (Book 2) With a Little Help from My Lord (Book 3) Rescued by a Rake (Book 4) Vindicated by a Viscount (Book 5) Table of Contents Title Page Copyright Page Publisher’s Note Additional Dragonblade books by Author Cheryl Bolen Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Epilogue About the Author Chapter One Even though Miss Georgiana Beresford knew that her sister, Lucy, would have apoplexy, Georgiana was determined to dash over to their cousin Harriett’s house. Without a chaperone. After all, the journey would take less than two minutes. A nasty cold prevented Lucy from chaperoning her younger sister, and Georgiana did not wish to inconvenience her maid by demanding her presence on so short a walk. That poor servant was being tasked with washing, ironing, and mending Georgiana’s dress that had met with an unfortunate episode the previous evening. It really hadn’t been Georgiana’s fault. Harriett’s cat had a lamentable habit of hiding himself beneath Georgiana’s skirts without her knowledge. Consequently, when Georgiana began to leave her cousin’s chamber, she stumbled over the cat and ended up sitting in a lusty dog’s dinner bowl. In spite of being a pet lover herself, Georgiana concurred with the rest of the Beresfords: Harriett was in possession of too many pets. “If Lady Montague asks for me, I’ve gone to Lady Rockingham’s,” Georgiana told Peg, who was in the process of warming an iron. Peg looked up from bending over the hearth, squinting through pale lashes. “By yerself, miss?” “Yes. I doubt it’s even a two-minute walk.” “True, but yer sister won’t be ’appy about you traipsing around London alone.” “I fail to see why it’s permissible for you to go hither and yon alone, but I cannot.” “I’m not Quality like you, miss. The men in yer class won’t marry a soiled lady. Gots to be sure their heirs be from their own seed.” Oh, dear. Georgiana hadn’t expected such a blunt explanation. Peg might be just two years older than her mistress, but in so many ways, she was much wiser. “My family can be assured I will do nothing to jeopardize my prospects of marrying. I’m getting dangerously close to being glued to the shelf.” “No, yer not! Twenty’s not so old, and yer awfully pretty. Yer just too particular.” Georgiana shrugged. “I truly do want to marry.” She slipped on her spencer, tied on the bonnet that most closely matched it, and proceeded to leave the house. She was still trying to get used to her sister being married to Lord Montague and living in one of the finest mansions on London’s Piccadilly Street. As soon as she stepped foot on the crowded pavement, she regretted not having donned something warmer than a spencer. The air was cold enough to frost windows and still damp from last night’s rain. Georgiana passed Lord Burlington’s house as well as that of his kinsman, the Duke of Devonshire. A variety of shops catering to the wealthy mingled among the sprawling mansions of the aristocracy. She eyed a fine milliner’s and vowed to go there when Lucy was feeling better. The slender shop next to it sold London’s finest gloves and was patronized by an exclusive clientele. A woman leaving the glovemaker’s caught Georgiana’s eyes. She was dressed beautifully in an exquisite lavender gown with a woolen pelisse of the same color and an elaborate hat from which a lavender ostrich feather jutted smartly. Georgiana was so taken with the woman’s clothing she hadn’t actually looked at the woman who displayed such uncommonly good taste.