Carrying The Gentleman's Secret. Helen Dickson

      Unmarried and pregnant!

      Alex Golding had a duty to stop his brother-in-law’s bigamous marriage. But when he saw the bride, he offered whatever comfort he could to sweet young seamstress Lydia Brook...

      Lydia has spent weeks trying to forget her brief encounter with Mr. Golding—she knows the rich widower can never love her. But when it’s Alex who offers her the investment to open her own shop, she can’t say no. This time their passion is as unexpected as its dramatic consequences...she’s expecting his baby!

      Quite inexplicably Lydia’s heart gave a leap of desire, and when her gaze settled on his mouth she was lulled into a curious sense of well-being by his closeness as a rush of warmth completely pervaded her and her lovely eyes became blurred.

      ‘Just a kiss then,’ she whispered.

      ‘Just a kiss, Miss Brook,’ Alex murmured in a husky whisper.

      Very slowly he lifted his hands and placed them on either side of her face. His eyes darkened as he leaned forward, and at his touch Lydia trembled slightly—with fear or with excitement? She didn’t know which, but she did not draw away as he lowered his head the final few inches and placed his mouth on her soft, quivering lips, cherishing them with his own, slowly and so very tenderly.

      His gentleness kindled a response and a warm glow spread over her—but also fear began to possess her…a fear not of him but of herself, and of the dark hidden feelings he aroused within her.

      Author Note

      I have really enjoyed writing this story. It is about Lydia, a working woman in early Victorian London, who takes control of her own life before the emancipation of women—although calls for change were gathering pace in the last decade of the nineteenth century.

      Lydia is an experienced seamstress and designer of ladies’ clothes. Intent on opening her own establishment, she is disheartened but not defeated when the bank refuses her a loan on the grounds of her being a woman. Along comes Alex Golding, a wealthy and influential businessman who deals with business ventures and legalities on a daily basis. He admires her intelligence and knows he is looking at a fighter. When she tells him she is looking for a loan to open her shop he offers her the money, confident that she will succeed…

      Carrying the Gentleman’s Secret

      Helen Dickson

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      HELEN DICKSON was born and still lives in South Yorkshire, with her retired farm manager husband. Having moved out of the busy farmhouse where she raised their two sons, she now has more time to indulge in her favourite pastimes. She enjoys being outdoors, travelling, reading and music. An incurable romantic, she writes for pleasure. It was a love of history that drove her to writing historical fiction.

      Books by Helen Dickson

      Mills & Boon Historical Romance

      Destitute on His Doorstep

      Miss Cameron’s Fall from Grace When Marrying a Duke… The Devil Claims a Wife The Master of Stonegrave Hall Mishap Marriage A Traitor’s Touch Caught in Scandal’s Storm Lucy Lane and the Lieutenant Lord Lansbury’s Christmas Wedding Royalist on the Run The Foundling Bride Carrying the Gentleman’s Secret

      M&B Castonbury Park Regency miniseries

      The Housemaid’s Scandalous Secret

      Mills & Boon Historical Undone! eBook

      One Reckless Night

      Visit the Author Profile page at millsandboon.co.uk for more titles.

      Contents

       Cover

       Back Cover Text

       Introduction

       Author Note

       Title Page

       About the Author

       Chapter One

       Chapter Two

       Chapter Three

       Chapter Four

       Chapter Five

       Chapter Six

       Chapter Seven

       Chapter Eight

       Chapter Nine

       Chapter Ten

       Extract

       Copyright

       Chapter One

      1852

      Beset with nerves, self-doubt and just a little terror at the speed with which events had taken her over, Lydia stood beside Henry Sturgis, the man who in a few minutes from now would become her husband. The realisation of the fact struck her anew and, as it did, she asked herself again if she was doing the right thing.

      When Henry had told her he wanted to marry her, at first she had not been sure of herself, not really. The little time they had spent together had been exciting, but she had resolved to make no resolutions. With the death of her mother one year ago and after a lifetime of fending for themselves, to unite in such intimacy with another human being was a hard step for her to take.

      Why? she asked herself. Why was it so difficult? Why was she so sensitive to committing herself to the challenging emotions of love, honesty and trust? Other people didn’t have a problem with it. Why should she?

      Fear! Fear of what? Of moving forward, she supposed, of letting another person into her life and pledging herself to them. Pledging yourself meant holding another’s heart in your hand, of offering a secure place where anything was possible and everything between the two involved was understood. Pledging yourself meant facing what life had to offer together in the name of love. The problem was, she didn’t know if she wanted to. It was a risk, like