The Rakehell Regency Romance Series Boxed Set 4 (The Rakehell Regency Romance Series Boxed Sets) Read online

  The Rakehell Regency Romance Series

  Volume 4

  Sorcha MacMurrough

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Book 10: INNOCENCE

  Book 11: INNOCENCE AFIRE

  Book 12: RAVISHED

  The Rakehell Regency Romance Series

  Book 10

  INNOCENCE

  Sorcha MacMurrough

  TABLE OF CENTENTS

  Introduction

  Reviews

  Copyright

  About The Author

  List of Characters

  Prologue

  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

  Author's Note

  Introduction

  Randall Avenel the Earl of Hazelmere's plans for a liaison with the talented courtesan known as 'The Eternal Virgin' go awry when impoverished heiress Isolde Drake appears on his doorstep to apply for the job of paid companion to his aging mother.

  Having refused to support her family by compromising her virtue with Chauncey Howell, to whom Isolde had been engaged before her family lost all their money, Howell decides to take revenge by sending Isolde unescorted to Randall's home.

  The Earl is known as the most prominent rake of the Ton. Isolde stepping foot in the house by herself will bring such scandal, it is sure to ruin her, provoke a duel with his enemy Randall, and drive Isolde into his own bed.

  Chauncey doesn't foresee Isolde's overwhelming desire for Randall, or the fascination the beautiful and spirited young woman begins to exert upon the world-weary rake tormented by his own sins and dark secrets of the past.

  Who has seduced whom? Has the jaded young Earl met his match at last? Only by coming to terms with his shadowy youth, and the crimes he is sure he is guilty of, can Randall ever be free to open his heart to love.

  Only through learning more about the enigmatic woman whom his enemy has bestowed upon him, can Randall face the future, and allow his experience to be tempered by innocence. Only though trusting to Isolde's love can they vanquish the enemies who will stop at nothing to destroy Randall and his family....

  "I am mad, darling Isolde," he said, taking her hand to kiss it once more. "Mad for you to be my wife, to give yourself to me in every way. And to let me give myself to you the way I've never given myself to any woman."

  Randall reached for her waist now, but she suddenly grew fearful of the raving passion that tore through her with his slightest touch.

  "This is too much," she said, cowering away from his questing hands. "Please. Just let me go. I want to go home to Surrey."

  His face fell. "I can't be responsible for your ruin like this."

  "You aren't. Howell will be if he bruits it about. But you cannot be given a life sentence for a crime you did not commit."

  "What if I want to be prisoner to your charms, Isolde, without any hope of parole?"

  "Please, Randall, this is no laughing matter, and I would not want you condemned to a life of misery."

  "But what if that's all I deserve?" he said under his breath.

  She stared at him now, stunned. "You WANT to be miserable?"

  When he remained silent, she pressed on. "Are you saying that you, what, want to, to punish yourself by marrying me? What on earth-"

  He reached for her with desperate eagerness, desire shining in his lapis blue eyes. "No! No, not at all. I know it sounds mad, but I want and need you, Isolde, in a way I never imagined it was possible to need anyone. I would be lost if you walked out that door now without giving me a chance to redeem myself. And to, well, perhaps to learn for the first time what it really means to love someone unselfishly."

  Reviews

  "Another lusty romance novel in the Rakehell series with the bold Isolde and intriguing Randall lighting the pages on fire. This is steamy historical romance at its best, as this passionate couple find themselves united in the bedroom and out, to stave off family disaster and win their hearts' desires."

  -Evelyn Trimborn, Castles in the Air

  "Take one fascinating rakish hero, one demure and desperate heroine, add heaps of scorching desire, and simmer. This is the recipe for success in this marvelous addition to the Rakehell Regency series. Wonderful. I can't wait to read the steamy sequel."

  -Erin Kennedy

  "A superb steamy Regency romance full of intrigue. I adored the terrific characters: fallen Randall, sensual Isolde, and the raffish Rakehells. Both hero and heroine transform before our eyes as they meet and give in to the overwhelming attraction they share. This is MacMurrough at her sultry best. You will love this very erotic romance novel."

  - Jacinta Carey, The Starbuck Saga

  "Innocence is an enthralling Rakehell Regency Romance. The characters grab you from the first sentence and never let go. I adore the hero and heroine, and the mystery elements, which are first-rate. This is a sensual rollercoaster of steamy sex and suspense which will leave you breathless for the sequel."

  -Carolyn Stone, Under the Covers Book Reviews

  "As always, Ms. MacMurrough has us eagerly following her characters as they traverse the rocky road to true love. Isolde is a wonderful heroine, feisty, brave, and sensual, the Innocence of the title. Randall is the jaded rake who dares trust to love when Isolde enters his life.

  "This is a steamy, sensual Regency novel. Every love scene scorches the pages, and the mystery which unfolds regarding Randall's past and family skeletons in the closet (literally!) keeps us eager to read on.

  "Always welcome are appearances by our old friends the Rakehells, who as usual provide a marvelously well-drawn set of secondary characters. You don't have to read every book in the series to appreciate them, but they are all so gorgeous, why would you miss a single one?

  "Endlessly fascinating, sexy and thrilling, for me this is yet another Rakehell romance novel that's a certain keeper, and I can't wait for the sequel, Innocence Afire."

  -Annabelle Stevens, Love's Sweet Song

  INNOCENCE

  A Rakehell Regency Romance Novel

  Sorcha MacMurrough

  HerStory Books

  DEDICATION

  To my family and friends,

  and in loving memory of our dearest Evie,

  truly a paragon in every respect.

  Copyright USA, UK and Worldwide the author 2004, 2009

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information and storage retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  ISBN: 978-1-58345-535-7

  Published by HerStory Books

  http://ww
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  About the Author

  Sorcha MacMurrough is a multi-published author from Ireland who has taught English literature and English and Irish history. She has lived all over the UK and Ireland, including London, Edinburgh, and Dublin. Her favorite cities to live in or visit are Bath and York. She loves old houses, castles and estates and can usually be found touring these locales to help make all of her settings come alive for her readers. Sorcha loves the Regency period and the Napoleonic era in particular, which form the beginning of the modern world as we know it.

  Her novels have been chosen as monthly "Top Picks" by Romantic Times, and she has also been nominated for a Reviewer's Choice award for best novel of the year by Romantic Times. When she is not writing, researching and teaching, she cooks, knits Aran sweaters, and enjoys spending time with her large family. She loves Irish dancing and music, and beachcombing on the shores of Donegal, Sligo and Galway.

  RAKEHELL CHARACTER LIST

  Randall Avenel, a Rakehell and rake, youngest of 5 sons, who has recently inherited the title the Earl of Hazelmere

  The Dowager Lady Hazelmere, his mother, now a widow

  Isolde Drake, Viscount Linley's daughter

  Lady Rose, her mother, a recent widow

  Stephen Drake, the new Viscount Linley, her brother

  Rebecca Drake, her younger sister

  Susan Drake, her youngest sister

  Chauncey Howell, Isolde's former fiance

  Jack Parkins, his friend

  Fanny Clarence, Chauncey Howell's new fiancee

  Mr. and Mrs Clarence, her parents

  Matthew Dane, a Rakehell, Randall's friend and duelling second

  Dr. Antony Herriot, Isolde's cousin; runs a women's clinic for the poor in London

  Philip Marshall, a Rakehell, works with Alistair Grant, barrister

  Jasmine Marshall, his wife, friends with Isolde

  (for their story, see The Mistaken Miss)

  Dr. Blake Sanderson, a Rakehell, a doctor in London and Somerset

  Arabella Neville Sanderson, his wife

  (for their story, see Guardian of the Heart)

  Clifford Stone, a Rakehell, owner of Stone Court

  Vanessa Stone, nee Hawkesworth, his wife, a great scholar

  (for their story, see The Mad Mistress)

  The Duke of Ellesmere, Thomas Eltham, a Rakehell, lives at Eltham Castle

  The Duchess of Ellesmere, Charlotte Eltham, his wife

  (for their story, see The Missed Match)

  Jonathan Deveril, a Rakehell, vicar of Brimley and Eltham

  Pamela Deveril, his wife

  (for their story, see The Miss Matched)

  Sarah Deveril Davenport, Jonathan's youngest sister

  Alexander Davenport, her husband, a Rakehell

  (for their story, see The Matchless Miss)

  Alistair Grant, a Rakehell and barrister in London

  Martin Jerome, Blake's cousin, an honorary Rakehell

  Eswara Paignton Jerome, his wife, a healer from India who works with Blake

  (for their story, see The Model Mistress)

  Geoffrey and Malcolm Branson, father and son, local magistrates in Somerset

  Innocence always calls mutely for protection when we would be so much wiser to guard ourselves against it: innocence is like a dumb leper who has lost his bell, wandering the world, meaning no harm.

  Innocence is a kind of insanity.

  Graham Greene, The Quiet American, Part 1, Chapter 3

  Innocence is lovely in the child, because in harmony with its nature; but our path in life is not backward but onward, and virtue can never be the offspring of mere innocence.

  If we are to progress in the knowledge of good, we must also progress in the knowledge of evil. Every experience of evil brings its own temptation, and according to the degree in which the evil is recognized and the temptations resisted, will be the value of the character into which the individual will develop.

  Mrs. H. O. Ward. Sensible Etiquette of the Best Society Customs, Manners, Morals, and Home Culture, Compiled from the Best Authorities, Chapter 12 (1878).

  PROLOGUE

  2 February 1809

  The two horses thundered side by side, racing for the jump which would mark the last leg of the wild race the high-spirited young men had challenged each other to.

  It was ever the way with them, for the horses they rode were amongst the finest in Somerset, if not all of England. It was all too easy to get carried away by the exhilaration of the moment.

  The huge black stallion with only the tiniest white blaze on his forehead ate up the ground as it headed for the wall at a breakneck pace. His rider was already getting into position for the jump.

  The man on the chestnut whipped his mount viciously, urging it onwards. Now was as good a chance as any. He spurred him hard enough to close the distance, and drew level with the black.

  Instead of preparing for the jump, he pulled hard on his horse's reins. He lashed out at his rival viciously with his riding crop, smacking him squarely in the chest.

  The chestnut reared and whinnied in protest. He had to pull it back to stop it trammelling the fallen young man with raven-black hair.

  The poor ebony stallion had already continued on. Confused and riderless, it tried to make the leap, slipped, and flew straight into the stone wall. Both its forelegs snapped; it screamed in pain.

  The man on the ground groaned, and struggled to get up. "For God's sake, why?" he wheezed.

  "For Clarissa. I SAW you together. Saw you in the stables. She's mine, no one else's. Do you hear me? No one's. Mine. Futtering my wench!"

  "At least put Blaze out of his misery," the darker of the two men begged between gasps.

  "It's only a damned horse," the other sneered. "You're the one getting put down."

  He closed his eyes and shook his head. "You can have her! It's all been a wretched mistake. I've never had a moment's peace since we met. I feel bad enough diddling her behind-"

  His assailant could not bear to hear any more. He grabbed the younger man's neck and twisted hard, grunting with satisfaction at the crunching sound that told him he had put paid to his foe at last.

  Coming out of the red haze of his fury a moment later, he had enough common sense to look around to see if anyone was nearby.

  When he was sure all was clear, he grabbed the body of his former friend, former rival, and heaved it over to the wall.

  Then he tossed it onto the other side like a sack of refuse. He scanned the scene once more, but all looked just as he had planned. Remounting the chestnut, he began to trot toward the manor house without so much as a backward glance.

  As he rode, he picked up speed in an effort to appear desperately anxious. In his razor-sharp mind, he practised the story he would tell the household as soon as he returned.

  And plotted his revenge upon Clarissa when he saw her next....

  Chapter One

  2 February 1819

  Isolde Drake brushed down the skirts of her travel-stained gown and cloak with one hand, while she raised the other towards the huge brass knocker, determined not to turn tail and run now that she had come this far.

  The enormity of what she was about to do made her head swim as she lifted the knocker timidly. For a moment she prayed no one had heard,and she could just....

  But the huge portal swung open, revealing an imposing foyer, the grandeur of which made her want to flee
all the more.

  Desperation made her stand her ground, and she managed to state in a slightly unsteady tone, "I'm here to see the Earl of Hazelmere, please. I believe he's expecting me."