The Unwilling Earl - a Regency Novella

by Audrey Harrison

Genres: Historical Fiction; Regency Romance

Synopsis

Daniel Gerrard is a successful businessman who had learned from an early age that entry into the world of the aristocracy would not be easy for those not born to it. A fatal accident sees Daniel inheriting a title that he doesn’t want and he is forced into the world that once rejected him.

Penelope Hall has been under pressure since the age of fourteen to marry the Earl of Rivington. Determined to only marry for love, she refuses to do as her father wishes. When Daniel inherits the title and arrives in the area, she finally meets someone that she can love, but her father’s inappropriate behaviour and the motives of those wishing to destroy any chance of happiness, cause Daniel to reject Penelope publicly.

With insecurities and misunderstandings the couple are destined to remain apart, but there is unknown danger for Penelope lurking in the form of an old adversary of Daniel’s. Can Penelope forgive? Can Daniel accept who he is?

Release date: February 6, 2013

Print pages: 112

Sample

Prologue

 

The five boys surrounded Daniel. He was ridiculously outnumbered and outmatched. Most of them were heirs to estates across the country, each having been taught the art of boxing since an early age. It was, after all, a favoured pastime of the aristocracy. Daniel’s advantage was that he was strong. He had grown up working in the family business and was already broad shouldered and tall, an indication of the man who would emerge. Even when taking his size into account, five against one were never good odds.

The leader of the lords-in-waiting, as Daniel had labelled them, spoke. “How dare you bring down the tone of our school by your impertinence?” he sneered.

 

“I didn’t want to come to your school. I was sent here,” Daniel answered truthfully. He had not wanted to attend a public school, but the family business was going from strength to strength, and his parents had wanted him to be a gentleman.

 

“Oh, so we aren’t good enough for you,” Rupert snarled, pushing Daniel in the shoulder. “What is your heritage again? Oh yes, cloth!”

 

The other boys laughed, but Daniel did not respond. There was no point antagonising them until he was forced to. He would not give them any excuse to start the fight, but he was not about to beg for mercy either.

 

“You come to our school and try to infect years of tradition with your trade ideas and ways. Did you honestly think you would fit in?” Gerald asked.

 

“No,” Daniel answered simply. He had seen how the aristocracy looked down on the up and coming tradesmen. His parents had hoped Daniel would not be faced with that. He was now going to suffer because of their naiveté, but he was not upset with his parents. He was loved, and they acted in whatever way they thought would improve his chances in life. Unfortunately, from the look on his tormentors’ faces, he was in for a severe beating.

 

“At least you aren’t completely stupid then,” came a voice from behind, probably Samuel; he was usually the one to hide at the rear.

 

“Well boys, are we going to stand here all day, or are we going to show this upstart the consequences of trying to be something he’s not?” Rupert, the ringleader, said.

 

Daniel braced himself and prepared to fight; he was not going to be beaten without putting up some sort of battle, whoever they were related to.

 

The push came from behind making Daniel fall into Rupert, which of course gave Rupert the excuse to throw the first punch. Daniel managed to hit back initially, but soon the force of blows coming from five different directions knocked him to the floor. Fists were no longer as effective when the opponent was down, so the boys chose to use their boots instead. Daniel could do nothing but try and protect his head.

 

A voice from the doorway stopped the beating. “What the devil are you doing?” the clear voice of the Honourable Frederick Wiseman, future Baron of Mawdesley asked.  

 

“Oh, hello, Freddie. We’re just showing this upstart where his rightful place is: on the ground under our boots,” Gerald explained, catching his breath.

 

“Are you complete idiots? You could kill him, and then you’d hang!” Freddie said entering the room and crossing to look at the body on the floor. “Good God! It might already be too late for him.”

 

Freddie’s words made the boys step back, but Rupert as always had to have a retort. “Don’t be foolish Wiseman. We belong to the aristocracy. We won’t hang if the son of a tradesman dies.”

 

Freddie looked at the young Lord and shook his head. “Are you sure of that?” he asked quietly. It was well known in society that Rupert’s family were in trouble with their finances. There was one thing as sure as the sun would rise each day within the ton: If an aristocratic family were in trouble, they would be set adrift by the rest of their peers. Bad luck was seen as infectious, and no-one would help a family in trouble.

 

Rupert flushed; he took the meaning of Freddie’s words. “He’ll have learned his lesson. Leave him boys. Come on and get cleaned up. It’s nearly time for church.”

 

The irony of the words was not lost on Freddie as the boys filed out of the room. Unsurprisingly, he was the only one remaining to deal with the motionless figure. He did not consider himself a friend of the new boy. Daniel had not been in the school long enough to make friends with anyone, even if the other students had been willing, but Freddie was of an easy-going nature and did not like to see an injustice being done.

 

He moved over to where Daniel lay and shook him gently. “I say, old boy, it’s safe to move. They’ve gone. Can you get up?” Daniel groaned, but did not move. “Come on now. I need to get you to the Infirmary so the nurse can see you. Goodness knows what I’m going to tell her,” Freddie mumbled as he tried to move Daniel.

 

Every inch of Daniel hurt, and his head would not clear. He was not sure if he had been conscious throughout the beating, but he knew he was conscious now as Freddie tried to move him, his body wracked with pain. He slowly got up, leaning heavily on Freddie for support and, awkwardly, they managed to shuffle down to the Infirmary.

 

The horror on the face of the nurse when they entered the room told Daniel all he needed to know about how he looked. At that moment, he did not care; he just needed to lie down. He was placed gently on a bed and stripped of his clothes. Freddie was dispatched to get the Headmaster and to ask that the Doctor be sent for. The nurse started to gently wash Daniel, but even her gentle touch was a trial, and it took all his willpower not to cry out in agony.

 

The following few days merged into one for Daniel. He was obviously given something that helped him sleep, because he did very little else. He had vague recollections of the nurse being present, and he did remember that Freddie’s face seemed to peer at him at regular intervals, but everything else was black.

 

On the seventh day, Daniel woke and managed to open his eyes. He had not realised it was the swelling that had kept them virtually shut during the previous days, but finally the inflammation was subsiding. His mouth was dry and, when he moved his lips, they felt large and unwieldy.

 

“Ah, so you’re awake at last, my dear,” came the gentle voice of the nurse. “Don’t try to move anything too fast. You’ll be very sore. But you’re better than you were. Your friend will be pleased to see you awake. He’s been here every day, reading to you and talking to you.”

 

“Friend?” Daniel croaked.

 

“Yes, Master Frederick. He’s been very worried,” the nurse replied, lifting Daniel’s head and giving him a welcome drink.

 

Daniel pondered on why Freddie had been visiting him. He would not consider anyone in the school his friend. He wondered if Freddie was reporting back to the other boys so they could finish off what they had started as soon as he left the Infirmary. The thought did not fill him with fear, just resignation, if that was the way it was to be so be it. At the moment, he was at the mercy of the people in the school and, so far, the adults had not protected him very well. The bullying had started long before the beating and had not been noticed by any of the masters, or if it had, it had been ignored.

 

Freddie came into the infirmary as the nurse had predicted and smiled when he saw that Daniel was awake. “Hello,” he said as he approached.

 

“Hello,” Daniel replied cautiously, his wariness making him watch the visitor closely.

 

“Well, at last you’re looking better,” Freddie said easily, as he drew up a chair. “Thought it was a bit touch and go there for a time.”

 

“I don’t remember much,” Daniel admitted.

 

“I’m not surprised,” Freddie acknowledged. “You’re lucky it wasn’t worse.”

 

“I don’t feel lucky,” Daniel grumbled.

 

Freddie laughed, “I expect not. I’ll sneak in some goodies if you like when you can eat properly. I don’t think you’ll want much food at the moment. Your mouth’s still very swollen.”

 

Daniel winced, “I must look a sight.”

 

“You do,” Freddie acknowledged with a grin.

 

Daniel had immediately warmed to the easy-going character sitting before him, but he had to find out if he was in league with the others. “Why are you here?”

 

Freddie looked genuinely surprised at Daniel’s question. “I’m here to see how you’re doing, of course.”

 

“Do your friends not mind?” Daniel asked.

 

“They’re no friends of mine,” Freddie responded sharply, continuing to speak when he saw Daniel’s disbelieving look. “Oh, we are acquaintances, but I’m only a Baron’s son, not high enough in the nobility to be of any real importance or threat to them, so I’m allowed to get on with my life without their interference.”

 

“I’m not a threat to them,” Daniel said in confusion.

 

“Oh yes, you are. You see, you have money. Lots of it! And half the people in this school come from families who are barely surviving. My father is always talking about it. We’re fine. Our family and property will survive, but a lot will not. They’re suffering from bad debts, bad habits, and bad management. Believe me, an aristocrat without money is a very lonely person indeed,” Freddie said candidly.

 

“So, my crime was to have money,” Daniel said quietly.

 

“Look, Daniel, all they have in many cases is their title and their exclusive clubs and ways. You entering into one of those threatens them. They reacted in the worse possible way. Nothing excuseswhat they did.”

 

“I’ll not be accepted no matter what I do, will I?” Daniel asked.

 

“Sorry, old boy. Some of us would welcome you and offer friendship, but most of the boys in schools like this are made from the same mould as Rupert, Gerald, Samuel, and their followers,” Freddie replied honestly.

 

“They will not get away with what they did,” Daniel said firmly.

 

“Are you going to tell the Headmaster who hit you?” Freddie asked. Although he did not agree with what had gone on, to inform on one’s assailants was a way guaranteed to bring on even more trouble.

 

“No. I don’t know how, but I will seek revenge in a way they’ll never forget,” Daniel replied.

 

The incident did two things: It gave Daniel the motivation to be a success, and it cemented a friendship. As soon as he was able to leave the Infirmary, he returned home. He explained fully to his father what had happened, but he spared his mother the details. Instead of concentrating on becoming a gentleman, he concentrated on becoming the finest businessman Norwich and the East of England had ever seen. As the years passed, plans formed, and he did gain his revenge on those who had wronged him, and he was true to his vow. Although perfectly legal, his actions were such that his assailant’s lives would never be the same after the second time they met Daniel Gerrard.

 

Chapter 1

 

Cheshire 1820

 

The Bridge House stood proud at the three-road junction into the village. Many people experienced surprise on reaching the house, as their attention was usually captivated by the fast-flowing, wide river that ran along the South side of the village. The distraction of the river meant that the house seemed to suddenly emerge as vehicles reached the brow of the bridge.

 

At its core, the house was around two hundred years old. It had been added to over the years and could have looked ramshackle, but the gentlemen who had inherited the house had worked to incorporate later additions into a seamless building. The result was a large house with a number of different levels that appeared intriguing rather than odd. The finishing touch to help blend in the extensions was to paint the outside walls white, emphasising its uniqueness in the otherwise sandstone village.

 

The village served its inhabitants well. The three main streets led to further houses around the outskirts, but the centre was made up of the usual variety of shops that frequented a High Street of more than three hundred residents. The grand house, or Manor House, was also located on the South side of the village not far from the Church. A second unusual feature of the village was that the Church had a thatched roof and a brick tower. A Rectory separated the Bridge House and the Manor House.

 

The land of the Manor House, home of the Earl of Rivington, wrapped around a Tudor building that was not visible from the village. The black and white timbers criss-crossed the frontage of the house, but a recent addition by John Wood the Elder had provided the last two Earls of Rivington with more useable space for more modern entertainments.

 

The residents of the village consisted of more than twenty families of note, but the top families were the gentleman who occupied the Bridge House and the Earl of Rivington. The Bridge House was the home of Mr Hall, his wife, and daughter. There was also an elder daughter already married and settled in Warwickshire. Mr Hall enjoyed being one of the chief gentlemen in the area. His ideal was to see his remaining daughter married to the current Earl, securing his standing in the village completely.

 

His daughter, Miss Penelope Hall, had her own opinion on whom she was going to marry. She had nothing against the Earl as a person. In fact, they had a very good friendship, considering he was nearing forty to her twenty years, but she was not and never had been in love with him. The Earl felt the same about Penelope and, on many occasions, had tried to gently persuade Mr Hall that his daughter, although delightful, would better suit a man whom she loved.

 

Unfortunately, Mr Hall was determined to see the match happen and had therefore put off more suitable suitors and so, at twenty, Penelope remained unmarried. This state did not worry her in the slightest; she was a young woman with an independent mind and strong will. The strength of her character had been tested many times when her father had tried to matchmake with the Earl. Penelope’s sister Margaret had escaped such matchmaking due to her falling in love at sixteen with the son of a visiting family. They had married a year later, and Margaret had moved to her husband’s family home in Warwickshire.

 

Although Penelope had been delighted for her sister, it had meant that, at two years Margaret’s junior, the attention immediately turned to Penelope’s marriage prospects. This was despite the fact she was not yet out of the school room. Mr Hall was determined that his daughter would marry the Earl. Penelope had often begged the Earl to marry on his many trips to the capital. Until his status changed, Mr Hall would never give up hope. The Earl had just laughed at Penelope’s pleas and promised that one day he would marry, but she would be a lot older before that happened. So, the situation continued without resolve.

 

 

*

 

Penelope returned from her morning walk through the Earl of Rivington’s estate. It had been agreed many years previously that Penelope was free to use the estate. This enabled her to have the freedom she desired without the need of a chaperone. She loved her moments of solitude away from her parents. She needed the time alone to keep her sane. As much as she loved them, having their full attention could often be overwhelming.

 

She eventually returned home and entered the Bridge House, making her way to the dining room. Breakfast tasted so much nicer after an energetic morning walk. Her father interrupted her anticipation of warm food by calling out her name as he emerged from his study.

 

“Ah, Penny, there you are.”

 

“Morning, Papa,” she smiled.

 

“Could you join me in the study for a moment please?”

 

Penelope nodded and followed her father into his room. All thoughts of breakfast were gone. She had noticed the look in her father’s eyes, and a feeling of unease began to settle in her stomach.

 

“Sit, my dear. I have some sad news.” Her father indicated that she should sit on the chair before his desk.

 

Penelope sat and immediately noticed that her mother was already in the room, sitting at the side of the fire place, crying quietly. “Papa what is it? What’s wrong? Are Margaret and William well?”

 

“Yes, yes, they’re fine,” her father reassured her. “Penny, there is no way of being gentle with this news, so forgive my bluntness. It is Rivington. He’s had an accident while hunting in Leicester.”

 

Penelope’s face drained of colour. “Is he badly hurt?”

 

“He was killed instantly.”

 

Penelope gasped and tried to hold back her tears, but she could not prevent them from flowing. Her friend, her confidante, her ally was dead; it was beyond comprehension.

 

Her father held her hand until she managed to control the stream of tears. When she dried her face, she managed to speak. “I cannot believe I’ll never see him again.”

 

“Nor can we,” her father soothed. “If only things had been different, you would have been settled for life, but you were always so stubborn, and now it’s too late.”

 

Penelope pulled her hand from her father’s grasp and stood on legs that were still shaking from the news. “Papa, I love and respect you, but I’m shocked that your first thoughts on hearing that Richard is dead are about a lost opportunity!”

 

“It wasn’t my first thought, you silly child,” came the quick reply. “But you should have been married by now. You have lost your only chance of an excellent match.”

 

“I’ve always told you that I never wanted to marry Richard nor he me. I don’t understand why you persisted with the notion!” Penelope was angry with her parent, her grief making her speak more harshly than she would normally have done. “If my only hope was to marry Richard, I would rather stay a spinster! We were not suited for matrimony.”

 

“He was an Earl!” her father bellowed in return.

 

“It doesn’t matter what he was! We didn’t care for each other in that way.”

 

“You’re a foolish child! What does caring about each other have to do with it? It would have been a perfect match. I can’t believe your stupidity–You refused to see the true benefits of a marriage to him.”

 

“Thank you, Papa, for that character assessment. I don’t know how you think you would have forced the Earl to marry me when he did not wish to. Now if you would excuse me, I would like to be alone to mourn the loss of a friend.” Penelope stood and left the room, closing the door firmly behind her. There was no excuse for her father’s behaviour and, although it embarrassed her to think so ill of one of her family members, she had to acknowledge the truth: The driving force behind her father’s actions was not because of his love for his daughter; it was purely because of the benefits that such a match would have given him.

 

She left the hallway and walked slowly up the stairs. The news still seemed unreal to her; she had never lost anyone close to her previously. Her uppermost thought was how could she possibly cope with never seeing him again? Her room was empty, for which she was thankful. Sarah, her maid, was not expecting her return for some time. Penelope closed and locked the door and began to mourn the loss of someone who had been very dear to her.

 

 

Chapter 2

 

“An Earl? You? Ha ha ha! That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard!” Fred laughed loudly, which increased the scowl on his friend’s face.

 

“Oh, shut-up! I don’t intend keeping the bloody title,” Daniel responded, wanting to thump his friend for reacting in the exact way he would have done if their roles had been reversed.

 

“Not keep the title? Can you do that? You’re mad if you don’t use it,” Fred exclaimed at Daniel’s statement.

 

“You’re more stupid than you look if you think I’m going to try and join the aristocracy again. Remember the last time my family attempted it? I ended in hospital, barely alive,” Daniel sneered.

 

“But you’re richer than most of them now. And I don’t appreciate the slur on my looks, although the insult was said like a true aristocrat,” Fred said with a grin.

 

Daniel laughed at his friend. Fred had blonde hair, blue eyes and a heart shaped face that fooled all the ladies into thinking Fred was an angel, which he was anything but. Daniel was made up of more angles than his friend: square jaw, slim nose, brows that quirked in either amusement or anger. His brown hair had golden highlights in the summer but did not resemble Fred’s blonde locks that the ladies found so irresistible. Daniel’s eyes were a deep green, which flashed deepest emerald when he was experiencing strong emotions.

 

Theirs was a comfortable partnering of different characters. Since the day Fred had dragged Daniel to the Infirmary after his beating at school, a friendship had developed that nothing could sever. Fred was by far the lighter-hearted of the pair, Daniel having to rescue him from many scrapes with the ladies, but they kept each other amused and entertained. Fred also benefited financially from Daniel’s business sense and was the only aristocrat in Daniel’s circle of friends.

 

“It doesn’t matter how rich I am. In fact, that’s worse in most cases, but I suppose I’ll need to go to the estate and see what needs to be done. I’ll probably do the same as the others: Put a manager in and run it at a distance,” Daniel said, his mind already going to the business aspect of any situation.

 

Both gentlemen were fully aware of what Daniel had done with his other estates. He had built a huge fortune from the Gerrard family business. He had lived in Norwich all his life, apart from the short period he spent at school. After that experience, his tutoring had taken place at home. He had a natural aptitude for commerce. He could look at a situation and within a short time work out how to get the most profit with the best result. Every venture he had gone into had performed beyond expectations.