Free Charming the Vicar's Daughter by Aileen Fish Page B

his cups as to not remember the event the next morning! Miss Jane Marwick can't decide if she has wasted her heart on the wrong man or if he just needs some time to recover from too many life-changing events.  
    Stephen Lumley isn't sure he's capable of being a good husband to any woman, but he only has a few months to convince himself and Jane he is worthy of her love, or she'll be off to London to find a man who is. He's not certain what his future will bring, only that he needs Jane in it.  

    The Incorrigible Mr. Lumley
    Stubborn. Hard-headed. Single-minded. The qualities that make David Lumley a successful horse breeder are put to work befriending Lady Joanna Hurst with less than noble intentions. He’s tenacious in his pursuit of the answers he seeks.
    Lady Joanna falls fast and hard for the handsome, witty and charming Mr. Lumley after her brother’s ultimatum to find a husband by the end of the Season. He is everything she imagined a husband could be, and more. Blissfully unaware of the conflict between their fathers, she believes he’ll declare his love soon. Then she overhears a conversation between Mr. Lumley and her brother, and all of Mr. Lumley’s tenacity will be needed if he’s to win back her heart.

    Charming the Vicar’s Daughter
    What’s a gentleman to do when the local Widows’ League insists on a marriage over a simple misunderstanding? How does he honor his family name without damaging that of a vicar’s daughter? For Neil Harrow, the journey to obtain a matched pair of horses for his new curricle has taken a wrong turn. While his uncle is not insisting Neil marry Rebecca Cookson, in his heart he knows it’s the thing to do.
    Rebecca wants nothing to do with the popinjay who came to her aid, no matter how the situation appeared. The meddling old widows are a formidable opponent, but Rebecca will do everything in her power to avoid such an ill-suited match. As charming Mr. Harrow might be, Rebecca is determined to only marry a man she can love with all her heart.

Please enjoy this sampling of David and Joanna’s story!

    Excerpt from:
    The Incorrigible Mr. Lumley
    Aileen Fish

    Chapter One

    April, 1810
    Newmarket, Sussex, England

    The air held a hint of excitement and promise of a fresh beginning. For David Lumley, the new year began in spring. Not with the first foal in the family stable, but with the Craven Race Meeting in Newmarket, the first official meeting of the year. This was going to be a grand year for Triton, he could feel it. Fernleigh Stud would be the name on everyone’s lips again.
    The crowd at the racecourse was as large as David expected. He surveyed the grounds from his position near the judging station. The social Season in London had yet to begin, so the wives of the horse owners were all in attendance at the Craven. From the way they all leaned close to each other and whispered in the coffee house, they were eager to discover the latest on dits . David was always astounded when he overheard how much went on in the homes of the ton during the winter months. His life seemed thankfully dull in comparison.
    He had no desire to listen to gossip, but soon he’d be unable to escape it. He’d promised to escort his sister, Hannah, in her first London Season. In preparation over the winter, Mother had dragged him to afternoon teas and the morning calls she and Hannah made to their neighbors in the village near Bridgethorpe Manor. Dull, precisely timed events where the conversations were by rote up to the moment someone let slip she’d heard news . No matter on whom the juicy tidbit focused. All other voices in the room silenced so the speaker’s slightest inflection could be heard.
    It was all too much for a man to bear.
    David wound through the milling people on his way to the stables. He found his groom, Peter, in the stall with Triton, just completing his work. As the boy gathered his tools, David patted the bay’s shoulder. “How is he this morning?”
    “Right as