The Rogue’s Dangerous Confession: Historical Regency Romance (Dangerous Desires Book 3) Read online

  The Rogue’s Dangerous Confession

  A storm brought them together… another one threatened to keep them apart…

  Ella Edon

  Contents

  Thank you

  Dangerous Desires

  About the book

  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

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Epilogue

  Extended Epilogue

  Afterword

  Dangerous Desires

  Do you want more Romance?

  The Lord’s Dangerous Obsession

  Never miss a thing

  Thank you

  About the Author

  Thank you

  I want to personally thank you for purchasing my book. It really means a lot to me. It’s a blessing to have the opportunity to share with you, my passion for writing, through my stories.

  As a FREE GIFT, I am giving you a link to my first novel. It has more than 60 reviews, with an average rating of 4.4 out of 5

  It is called “The Duke's Darkest Desire”, and you can get it for FREE.

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  Dangerous Desires

  Book#1

  The Earl’s Dangerous Passion

  Book#2

  The Lord’s Dangerous Obsession

  Book#3 (this book)

  The Rogue’s Dangerous Confession

  About the book

  Falling in love with two men from the same family is scandalous enough...

  Jane Malcolm is in big trouble. Young and inexperienced, she had idolized the husband of her deceased sister so much, that in her romantic dreams, Ian Harrison was the knight in shining armor. His pending marriage might crush Jane's fantasies but strengthens her resolve to prove that she is the one for him. Before she makes her move, a well-known rake will put an end to her plans and make her question where her heart truly lies...

  Alexander Harrison was used to occupying women's attention. Blessed with a beautiful face and charming ways, scandal followed him everywhere. Now, he is about to provide the ton with one of the biggest gossips, for Alexander can't stay away from the young daughter of a reclusive noble family. But as he gets closer to her, more secrets of her past are coming to light...

  How will Jane be transformed from a lovestruck girl to a strong-willed woman? And is this scandalous rake the only danger she must be protected from?

  A storm brought them together… another one threatened to keep them apart…

  Chapter One

  Jane could see the church spire out of the window. The public house was on the same road as the quaint little church in Swadlincote, and the church bells were practically ringing in Jane’s ears. It was such a beautiful day, but the sounds of the bells through the open window made Jane furious.

  This shouldn’t be happening. Three months after the proposal, and she had hoped that Ian would see sense and break things off with Anna Day. Jane had been hoping for her brother-in-law to realize what he was doing was ridiculous. He couldn’t marry her, surely?

  But he was. In just a couple of hours, Ian would be marrying the twice-widowed, mother-in-law of the Earl of Derby. Jane felt nauseous at the thought.

  She growled at the sound of the bells and spun away, resuming her pacing across her bedroom. Seated on the bed, Rachel groaned and put her hands to her head.

  “For goodness sake, Jane, would you stop pacing around? This room is small enough and you’re making me queasy.”

  “Then don’t look at me, Rachel,” Jane snapped.

  “How can I not when you’re right in front of me?”

  “Then turn and look at the wall or leave the room.”

  Jane carried on pacing. She couldn’t bring herself to sit down. Every time she tried, her body just kept trembling, so Jane had to keep moving. Her night had been sleepless, as she tossed and turned. It had driven Rachel mad and she had ended up prodding Jane very hard in the side before she managed to settle down. Now, being confined in her room so she didn’t run into any of the Harrison family didn’t help matters. Jane wanted to confront Ian and Anna at the wedding. She did not want to be steered away beforehand.

  Selfish? Yes. But Jane felt justified. This anger had been building for a while.

  Rachel sighed and lowered her hands. “Come on, Jane, please? You need to stop, take a deep breath and calm down.”

  Jane swung around and glared at her friend. Rachel had insisted on coming with her, and Jane had reluctantly agreed. She couldn’t go gallivanting around the country without a chaperone, and Jane would prefer her closest friend than her elderly mother or one of the servants. Her mother would certainly not let her go, and the servants would follow so close to the point of stepping on her dress. At least Rachel would be able to go along with her.

  Then again, from the way Rachel had been talking during their journey to Derbyshire and through most of the previous evening, and again this morning, she was certainly not going along with Jane’s plan. If anything, she was in staunch opposition to it.

  “You’re fussing over something really silly,” Rachel protested. “Besides, the wedding has nothing to do with you.”

  Jane stared at her. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Nothing to do with me?” she repeated. “Did you really just say that?”

  “Well, it doesn’t.”

  “My brother-in-law is getting married this afternoon to a woman who has had two husbands die on her already! How can I let that go on good conscience? How do we know Ian’s not going to become dead husband number three?”

  Even as she said it, Jane could feel herself cringing inwardly. The more she complained to Rachel, the more Jane was beginning to think that Rachel might be right. She was being a stupid little fool over something that really had nothing to do with her.

  Maybe that’s what Rachel was trying to do, turn her around and make her realize what she was doing. Well, it wasn’t going to work. Jane had to stiffen her spine. She had to save Ian.

  Rachel sighed and rose to her feet. “Jane, we’ve been over this several times. Anna Day divorced her first husband, which I consider a miracle nowadays…”

  “There’s nothing miraculous about her!”

  Rachel held up a hand. “That first husband, an odious man, was murdered by her second husband, who was hanged for the murders he committed on the Earl of Derby’s estate. They didn’t die because of her, and she certainly didn’t have a hand in it.”

  Jane knew that. She had gone into Society to find out whatever she could about Anna Day. There were quite a few rumors going around, but the general consensus was that Anna Day was simply unfortunate with choosing the right man. Several of the older generat
ion wanted to find a bit more drama, make it more than it was, but the more level-headed people believed that Anna was finally finding love. Ian Harrison was a well-respected gentleman considering his title of Viscount, and a widower who was finally remarrying. Not even his son’s previous discretions could change that.

  It felt like no matter what Anna Day did, she always landed on her feet. And now she had captured a Viscount. Well, Jane was not about to let that happen.

  “It doesn’t matter if they died because of her. It doesn’t set a good tone for anyone.” Jane kicked at the bed, the hard wood jarring her foot, and then stormed back to the window. “She’s bad luck. I don’t know what Ian sees in her.”

  “Perhaps she’s a decent person who makes him smile every day, something to look forward to in the day?” Rachel snorted. “You’re only sore about this because he’s marrying someone who isn’t you.”

  Jane gritted her teeth. Rachel had to hit far too close to the mark. She was good at that. Rubbing her arms, Jane stared out of the window at the church on the other side of the trees.

  “I love him, Rachel,” she said. “And yet he proposes to that woman?”

  “Jane, you’re younger than his own children. How can he marry someone who’s been family since they were born?”

  “I bet she put a spell on him.”

  Rachel let out a frustrated growl that made Jane jump. Rachel placed her hands on her hips, and scowled at her friend.

  “Why don’t you just grow up, Jane? Have you ever heard yourself? You’re the most level-headed person I know, but when it comes to Viscount Harrison, you’re all over the place. It’s like you’ve been put under a spell yourself.”

  “Rachel…”

  “What would you say to someone in your position?” Rachel demanded. “If someone was obsessed with a gentleman and were planning to disrupt his wedding in an attempt to make him see her for the first time and that he’d had love in front of him all this time, what would you say to her?”

  “I would tell her that she can’t change a person’s mind like that and it’s best to let it go.” Jane shook her head. “This is different, Rachel.”

  “It’s not different at all!” Rachel shouted. She stopped, took a deep breath and let it out slowly, lowering her voice to a more level tone. “You are not stopping this wedding to make yourself feel better, Jane. If anything, you’re going to make yourself look a complete fool.”

  “I can make my objections about the wedding. What’s wrong with that?”

  “What’s wrong with it is that people in Society are going to be there, and word will get around that you’re an unstable lady who needs to be locked away for your own good.” Rachel gestured at Jane. “What do you think your parents are going to think about this? Your mother is going to be distraught over your actions. You know that. She isn’t a strong woman.”

  That did give Jane pause. Her mother was not in the best of health, being of old age, and Jane did worry that she was going to wake up one day and hear her mother had died in the night. Which was why she had never said a thing about her feelings after the initial frustrations over Ian’s engagement. Her mother had simply told her to stop being so silly over something she couldn’t control and move on.

  Jane couldn’t move on. At least, she couldn’t yet.

  Rachel folded her arms and snorted. “So, you’d happily embarrass your brother-in-law and his family by barging into a wedding you haven’t been invited to and declare that Viscount Harrison shouldn’t marry a twice-widowed woman because of what? You don’t like the fact that you’re not the bride?”

  Jane bared her teeth at her friend. “You’re not helping, Rachel.”

  “I didn’t come here to help you embarrass a big crowd of people, including yourself.”

  “Then why did you come at all?”

  Rachel’s jaw tightened. “Because I didn’t want to see my closest friend become a laughing stock. You needed someone to tell you what you’re doing is wrong, and you often talk to me. At least, you talk, and I listen. How about listening to me for once?”

  Jane didn’t know what to say to that. The other lady was right. She needed to take a step back and take a look at the bigger picture. From the bigger picture Rachel had created, the general opinion was that it was a happy occasion for two people who needed some good luck into their lives. But Jane didn’t like that picture. She wanted to see something different.

  “I’m going to see if we can have something to eat. I’m hungry.” Rachel headed towards the door. “Don’t you dare go anywhere.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

  Rachel snorted and left the room, closing the door sharply behind her.

  Alexander headed down the aisle of the church and behind the altar into the private area where the vicar had his private office and the vestry. His uncle had arrived at the church earlier to get ready, along with his sons David and Geoffrey. Alexander had seen both of his cousins in the churchyard with their wives, their various children running around playing. The vicar stood with Geoffrey’s wife Sarah talking and didn’t appear to be concerned about the scene.

  Alexander smiled at the sight. He liked children. He was the fun uncle who would do silly things with them and be a bit of a fool. They liked someone who didn’t stick to the restricted rules of Society and Alexander couldn’t remember the last time he followed the rules without slipping within the hour.

  His parents had asked him about when he was going to finally settle down and have children, but Alexander always dodged the questions. He would like children at some point, but he wasn’t about to slip up and get a woman pregnant. No woman should have to be married to him with his reputation, and he wasn’t about to make his parents happy.

  It was just easier to stay a bachelor and have fun, even if it meant being the bane of his family’s lives.

  Waving to his cousins, Alexander headed into the church and towards the vestry. When he was getting ready that morning, he hadn’t expected to receive a note from his uncle asking him to meet him before the wedding as he had something important to discuss. It could have meant anything, and Alexander had no idea what Ian could be talking about. As far as he was aware, he and Ian had a good relationship. Ian was more tolerant of his rakish lifestyle, and kept his opinions to himself.

  Still, Alexander wondered what he had done.

  The vestry door was closed, so Alexander knocked.

  “Come in.”

  Alexander entered and found his uncle standing in front of a huge mirror that was on the inside of a wardrobe door. Ian Harrison had gone more silver-haired over the last few months, and it looked good. Alexander had always admired how Ian managed to look more dapper the older he got. Apart from a few lines around his mouth and eyes, his uncle could easily have been much younger. The jacket that his valet was adjusting fitted him well, and Ian seemed to look several inches taller. Alexander stood for a moment in the doorway to observe him.

  He never thought Ian would marry again and yet here he was, the happiest Alexander had seen in a while.

  Ian caught sight of him in the mirror and turned, smiling at his nephew. “Alexander. Come on in. Close the door behind you.”

  “Yes, Uncle.”

  Alexander did as he was told and approached the older man. Ian turned back to the mirror and the valet brushed his shoulders down.

  “Think this will do?”

  Alexander chuckled. “Very fetching. You’ll certainly make the ladies envious of Anna.”

  “There’s only one lady I want to impress today, and that is the future Viscountess Harrison.”

  “I’m sure,” Alexander drawled.

  Ian elbowed him in the stomach, which caught Alexander off-guard. Ian chuckled and went to a dresser under the window leaving Alexander rubbing his stomach.

  “I wish you would stop doing that. I’m not a child anymore.”

  “Then behave yourself.” Ian glanced over his shoulder. “Nice to see you’ve brushed up as well.”


  “Hey!” Alexander looked down at his dark jacket and cream-colored breeches. “I always make sure I scrub up for weddings.”

  “I know you do, seeing as you’ve been to several in the last three years.” Ian paused. “If only you could do that with your life in Society.”