Lord Hunter's Cinderella Heiress. Lara Temple

      

      Betrothed...to the wrong man!

      Building a life away from her bullying family, schoolmistress Helen Tilney now needs to convince her childhood sweetheart she’s a worthy bride. Standing in her way is Lord Hunter—the man Nell has just discovered she’s betrothed to!

      Hunter’s offer of marriage to Nell came out of guilt, and now seems less than appealing! So when she asks for his help to win another man, he agrees. Until their lessons in flirtation inspire a raging desire that has Hunter longing to keep Nell for himself...

      Book 1 in the Wild Lords and Innocent Ladies trilogy

      Wild Lords and Innocent Ladies

      Lord Hunter, Lord Stanton and Lord Ravenscar

      Three wild rakes whose seductive charms and aristocratic titles have the ladies of the ton swooning behind their fans. United by their charitable foundation to help those scarred by war, these lords are the firmest of friends.

      But they guard their hardened hearts almost as closely as they do their riches... That is until they encounter three very special women.

      Could these innocent ladies be the ones to tame these wild lords once and for all?

      Read Lord Hunter and Nell’s story in

      Lord Hunter’s Cinderella Heiress

      And look out for linked stories about Lord Stanton and Lord Ravenscar—coming soon!

       Author Note

      Lord Hunter’s Cinderella Heiress is the first book in my Wild Lords and Innocent Ladies series, about three friends who are infamous for their rakish past and supreme skill with horses. But, though this is a romance, it touches on some serious and timeless topics—among them the impact of suicide on those left behind.

      The three friends are a product of their time in history—a generation shaped by a costly war and just as costly an aftermath. Many veterans of the Napoleonic wars returned to England wounded in body and mind, without an income or the ability to find employment. There were several hospitals dedicated to caring for soldiers ‘broken by age or war’—the most famous was the Royal Hospital Chelsea, established by King Charles II in 1681)—but they were a drop in the ocean after such prolonged, bloody and devastating wars that affected not just veterans but their families, and led to many unreported cases of suicide (still a serious problem in most active armies today).

      My three Wild Lords share tragedies revolving around the wars, and together they establish an institution, Hope House, to help veterans and their families rebuild their lives. In this first book my hero, Lord Hunter, is emotionally scarred by his brother’s suicide after being captured and tortured in France, and his guilt at failing to protect his adored younger brother becomes a driving force in his life and very nearly prevents him from opening himself to the healing power of love. Luckily my horse-loving heroine Nell—who has a few scars of her own—is not easily dissuaded...

      Lord Hunter’s Cinderella Heiress

      Lara Temple

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      LARA TEMPLE was three years old when she begged her mother to take the dictation of her first adventure story. Since then she has led a double life—by day she is a high-tech investment professional, who has lived and worked on three continents, but when darkness falls she loses herself in history and romance...at least on the page. Luckily her husband and two beautiful and very energetic children help her weave it all together.

      Books by Lara Temple

      Mills & Boon Historical Romance

      Lord Crayle’s Secret World

      The Reluctant Viscount

      The Duke’s Unexpected Bride

      Wild Lords and Innocent Ladies

      Lord Hunter’s Cinderella Heiress

      Visit the Author Profile page at millsandboon.co.uk.

      MILLS & BOON

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      To Myrna, Mark and Arik,

      who miss David as much as I do.

      He couldn’t hold on but gave so much love while he did.

      Contents

       Cover

       Back Cover Text

       Introduction

       Author Note

       Title Page

       About the Author

       Dedication

       Prologue

       Chapter One

       Chapter Two

       Chapter Three

       Chapter Four

       Chapter Five

       Chapter Six

       Chapter Seven

       Chapter Eight