Annabelle Enchants the Rejected Earl: A Historical Regency Romance Novel Read online

  Annabelle Enchants the Rejected Earl

  A Regency Romance

  Hanna Hamilton

  Edited by

  Maggie Berry

  Copyright © 2017 by Hanna Hamilton

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  A Thank You Gift

  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

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Epilogue

  The Governess Who Stole My Heart

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Also by Hanna Hamilton

  About the Author

  A Thank You Gift

  Thanks a lot for purchasing my book. It really means a lot to me, because this is the best way to show me your love.

  As a Thank You gift I have written a full length novel for you called A True Lady. It’s only available to people who have downloaded one of my books and you can get your free copy by tapping this link here.

  Once more, thanks a lot for your love and support.

  Hanna Hamilton

  Chapter 1

  “Do you Beatrice Hathaway take Abraham Urwin to be your lawful wedded husband?”

  Annabelle sucked in a deep, nervous breath as she waited for Beatrice to answer the dreaded question. She knew what her sister would say, everybody in the room did, but there was still a little moment of hesitation. Annabelle felt certain that Beatrice would not be marrying this man if she had a choice... but of course, she didn't. Their father had chosen Lord Urwin for her husband and that was the end of it. Otto Hathaway was not a man to be disagreed with about things, especially not when he thought he had his daughter’s best interests at heart.

  He wanted his daughter to have a man who could financially support her and their offspring forevermore, and Lord Urwin could definitely do that. With his chain of banks to keep him financially afloat, they would never have to face any money issues.

  The pair certainly did not match in Annabelle’s mind. Beatrice had flowing, wavy red hair which spilled down her back in a very pretty way. The lacy, bejewelled dress still managed to show off her svelte, curvy body which most girls would kill for. Beatrice did not even need a corset to make her figure appear that way, which Annabelle often found utterly infuriating. Beatrice’s youthful pale skin was flawless and her blue eyes piercing. In fact, her eyes were the only difference that her and Annabelle had. If Annabelle’s bright green eyes were blue, the girls could have been mistaken for twins, rather than sisters.

  Beatrice was beautiful, no one could deny that, and Abraham was... something else entirely.

  Abraham Urwin’s look was very different to his fiancée’s. His greying hair and sagging skin gave away his age, as did his terrible posture. Life had been good to him, but he had worked very hard to achieve everything that he owned, and that showed. Annabelle was not exactly sure of his age, she hadn’t ever thought to ask, but it was very obvious that he did not look good with her stunningly beautiful sister. They looked very silly together, more like father and daughter than husband and wife.

  It was a shame to have Beatrice taken away from the world by this man, purely because of his wealth. As she stood in front of their family and friends looking spectacularly stunning, a pang of sadness tugged in Annabelle’s heart.

  “I do,” Beatrice finally gasped with very little certainty. “Yes, I do.”

  “Urgh, I certainly would not!” Annabelle’s best friend, Catherine Wakefield, whispered into her friend’s ear as soon as those words came out. “He is a terrible match for her. Everybody here can see it. She should be with a much younger, much more handsome man.”

  “I know, but what can she do about it?” Annabelle shrugged, trying to shake off her moroseness as she did. “It has happened now.”

  She could keep her tone bored and unbothered as she discussed marriage because it was an issue that seemed too far from her life. She had only just turned eighteen, whereas Beatrice was twenty years of age. It was a problem that was at least two years away. For now, Annabelle could continue on exactly as she was, without worrying too much about what the future might hold for her.

  She would miss her sister, but she could still be glad that it was not her holding onto some man’s hands, agreeing to be his wife forevermore.

  “I wonder who your father will choose for you?” Catherine mused thoughtfully. “I bet he is already searching.”

  “I do not think I shall let him pick,” Annabelle replied with an air of nonchalance. “I will choose a husband for myself.”

  Catherine giggled at that idea. Lord Hathaway was the most terrifying man that she had ever met. Her own father had a powerful presence and he liked to control her life, but he was nothing like Annabelle’s father. There was no chance that he would allow her to make her own decisions. She was dreaming.

  Annabelle did not care much for the laugh, she felt herself strong enough to do whatever on earth she wanted. She had always had a much more powerful will than her sister, her friends would come to see that in time.

  “I do not want to get married anyway, I would much rather take care of myself.”

  “Oh, I do,” Annabelle’s other friend, Edith Stanbury cooed on the other side. “I cannot wait to have a husband to take care of me. I am truly looking forwards to being a mother and a wife.”

  Annabelle rolled her eyes in a not too discrete way. Edith and her older sister Harriett were great people, she had grown up with them and loved having them around, but their need to have a man do everything for them, only further put Annabelle off the idea of getting married. Who waited desperately to have yet another man to answer to? Who wanted their stomach invaded with an alien presence? What sort of person looked forward to having a babe attached to their breast? It did not seem right, not when being young could be so much fun.

  A scathing comment rested on the edge of Annabelle’s tongue, but before she could get it out her aunt turned in her seat and hushed the girls angrily. As her red rage filled face turned to shut the group up, Annabelle felt her cheeks flame and her throat bubble with a desperate need to laugh.

  She always found herself that way, needing to giggle at the most inappropriate times. It felt like a curse most of the time, but more than ever at her sister’s wedding.

  “Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Urwin,” the vicar concluded in a grave tone, bringing Annabelle’s attention back to the action happening in front of her. “Abraham, you may kiss the bride.”
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  All the girls had to force their expressions to remain blank while Abraham dipped his face down to kiss Beatrice. Annabelle couldn’t help putting herself in her sister’s shoes at that moment and it was something that she really wanted to avoid. She wanted to get married only if it was for love. Or at the very least, like. She would have much preferred to at least have some attraction to her husband. She certainly could not imagine a world where she was stuck with a man like Abraham Urwin.

  Poor Beatrice, she thought a little helplessly to herself. Poor, poor Beatrice.

  Beatrice and Annabelle had never been particularly close growing up. Annabelle found her sister to be much too uptight, she did not appreciate the way that she always followed the rules, and how she liked to get Annabelle in trouble if she decided not to. There were times when she wished that she could have been an only child or that she could’ve been blessed with a younger sibling rather than an older one, but in that moment, she felt desperately sad for Beatrice.

  This time, following the rules, had not panned out for the best at all. Beatrice had a lifetime of misery in front of her.

  "I hope the party afterwards is more fun than the ceremony," Catherine grumbled, quietly now so Annabelle's aunt did not hear. "That was incredibly dull."

  “I hope so too.” Annabelle was not convinced. She had wanted her family to hire out a hall for the after party, but her father wanted to keep with tradition. He insisted on using the grand hall in the family home for the event, which made it feel much less like an adventure to Annabelle.

  With her wild nature, Annabelle loved the idea of an adventure very much.

  “Thank you very much, everybody, now it is time to celebrate the union of Mr. and Mrs. Urwin.”

  The music started up and the couple slowly walked back down the aisle hand in hand, leaving the church as husband and wife. Their eyes fixed forward as they moved, they did not glance at anyone. Annabelle expected that, it was considered uncouth to look at anyone sitting in the church, but she wished that she could meet Beatrice’s eyes for just a second.

  People clapped, and the girls joined in but not all of them were feeling happy about it. Annabelle experienced another unexpected pang in her heart as her sister left. She had not truly considered it before, but it was the last time she would really get to spend with Beatrice. Just because they had not always been the best of friends, did not mean she was happy for their sisterly time to end.

  She should have known this feeling would happen, she should have spent more time preparing herself. Instead, in a slightly selfish way, Annabelle had been more concerned with what dress she would wear for the occasion and how boring and long the day would be. She spent so long choosing her wine coloured satin dress, with a white under layer, and lacy ruffles at the sleeve and neckline, that she had not thought about too much else.

  “Are you alright, Annabelle?” Edith asked her while slipping a hand around her waist. Maybe she was slightly annoying in her ways, but she had a very perceptive, caring nature. "It is a big change, is it not?"

  “I suppose it is.” Annabelle tried her best to keep her voice natural, but a little emotional crack appeared regardless. “It is just very strange.”

  “I am lucky that I have not had to lose Harriett to a husband yet, but I am sure I will feel the same way when the time comes.”

  “Probably worse.” Annabelle smiled thinly at her friend. “You two are much closer than me and Beatrice. But yes, prepare yourself.”

  Once the couple finally exited the church, it was time for everyone else to go. Annabelle and her friends waited patiently for the parents of the bride and groom to leave first. As others made a move, Annabelle clung onto Edith tightly.

  “Let us wait, we should leave last.”

  She thought it would be a good idea to pause for a moment, to give herself a second to adjust, but it turned out she was mistaken. Her father had something so important to say to her that he broke tradition for long enough to wait for Annabelle to start moving. “Annabelle, I would like to speak with you outside.” His commanding tone rang through the church, even though Otto spoke in a hushed tone. “So please hurry up.”

  Annabelle felt a spike of ice cold terror racing through her as her eyes glued to her father’s. She recognized that tone well, it had haunted her for her whole life. It was the voice which led to a telling off. She was in some very serious trouble.

  Catherine recognized it too, she had seen it happen to her friend enough times to understand what came next. “Uh oh, Annabelle, what have you done?” she hissed quietly as Otto moved outside. “What has happened?”

  “I do not know,” Annabelle replied with a sharp shake of her head. “But I guess I will soon find out.”

  The festive mood zapped from the girls as they finally moved out of the church, none of them were thinking about the wedding reception now. They were all afraid for Annabelle, they knew how little she liked to be yelled at. None of them wanted the girl at the centre of their friendship group to be upset or the afternoon would not be anywhere near as fun.

  If Annabelle was happy and upbeat, they all felt the same way. Edith and Harriett exchanged anxious glances as a tension circled the group.

  “Do you want me to come and speak with your father with you?” Catherine asked, despite the fact that she really did not want to face off with Mr. Hathaway. “If he is going to shout at you for talking through the wedding, then I should take some of the blame too.”

  Yes! Please, do not leave me alone, Annabelle thought desperately, but she had no intention of saying that aloud. She did not want the humiliation of being yelled at in front of her friends... again.

  “No, I shall be fine.” She squeezed Catherine’s fingers gratefully. “It will be nothing.”

  Annabelle felt like she was walking to her doom as she made her way towards her father. His arms were already folded across his chest and his blue eyes flashed with annoyance. Against the backdrop of the pink and red flowers decorating the church building, he somehow managed to look even more terrifying. Otto stood away from the rest of the wedding party to ensure that they could speak in private which only terrified Annabelle further.

  “Y... yes, Father?” Annabelle asked nervously. “Is everything alright?”

  “I would appreciate it if you take things a bit more seriously,” he snapped back through gritted teeth, his temper shining through. “This is a very big day for Abraham. For your sister as well, I do not think it is right for you and your silly friends to wreck it with your childishness.”

  Silly, childish, those were the words that angered Annabelle the most. She did not see herself that way at all, she felt herself to be in control and very adult. It annoyed her that her father did not see her as she wanted to be seen.

  But it was not the right time to start an argument about that. She did not want to be yelled at in front of their friends and family, she did not want to upset Beatrice, there were more important things than ensuring her point of view was recognized.

  “Yes, Father,” Annabelle eventually replied through pursed lips. “I understand.”

  “So, I trust that you will behave at the celebration this afternoon and evening? There will be many people there, a lot of eyes looking at you. You are representing our family and your behaviour affects our reputation.”

  The family’s reputation was what Otto put above everything else. His concern about what others thought about the Hathaway family was astounding. Annabelle knew for certain that he put that above his children’s needs, but there was not anything she could do to change him. She had tried over time but had never been successful.

  “Yes, I understand. I will behave.”

  “And you will ensure that your friends do too.”

  “Yes. I will.” Annabelle ducked her head in a sorrowful gesture. “I promise.”

  Chapter 2

  Even Annabelle could not keep the grumpy expression on her face as she spotted the wonderful way that the grand hall of her home had been dec
orated. The house staff had worked tirelessly all through the previous night and morning to create what looked like a magical room filled with mysteries and wonder.

  The candles flickered and danced in the light breeze, creating swaying shadows across the walls. Intricate flower designs weaved along the sides of the room as if they were held there by magic; the long table filled with food enough to have the stomach of every guest in the room growling with hunger. Abraham was right when he insisted their wedding go against tradition, having the food after the ceremony was so much better than a wedding breakfast. The high ceilings, the large windows, the wonderful artwork on the walls all added to the wonderful, happy atmosphere. It shifted the black cloud above Annabelle’s head in an instant.

  “Oh my goodness, Annabelle, this is wonderful,” Harriett exclaimed gleefully as she walked through the door. “It looks like something from a story. I cannot believe it, it is simply stunning.”

  “How can you know what a story looks like?” Catherine interjected with a dramatic eye roll. “That is just words on a piece of paper. I admit that it looks great here, I am sure Beatrice will be very pleased, but do not get carried away.”

  Annabelle did not say anything aloud, but she felt just like Harriett as her awestruck eyes drank everything in. It was just how she imagined story books in her mind, back when she was a child and her governess used to read to her. There was a fantasy style atmosphere in the room and it felt a lot like anything could happen. Within the rules, of course. Annabelle did not think that it was a good idea to cross her father today. Especially not having just been warned to keep herself in check.