Incomparable Lord Meath Novella: Rebellious Sons, #0

By Patricia Rice

Christmas in Ireland

Penniless spinster Honora Hoyt has carved a safe niche in London society as her noble uncle’s hostess —until an old flame re-enters her life, threatening her hard-earned security.

Evan, Lord Meath, abandoned his pampered life—and Honora—after a reckless gamble left him lame and disillusioned. Now he’s hoping to perform a good deed for once—but here’s Honora again, desirable, maddening, and in the way. It looks like he’s about to wreck his good intentions, and Honora’s too. Again.

In the season of peace, can they resolve their conflicts and find the joy and love that each secretly craves?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rice Enterprises
• Release date: Oct 19, 2016
• ISBN: 9781533709141

Book preview

Incomparable Lord Meath

Also by Patricia Rice

A Family Genius Mystery

Evil Genius

Undercover Genius

Cyber Genius

Twin Genius

Twisted Genius

California Malcolms

Lure of Song and Magic

Trouble With Air and Magic

The Risk of Love and Magic

Carolina Magnolia Series

Dixie Rebel

Imperfect Rebel

Rebel Charm

Carolina Rebel

Rebel Girl

Home Town Rebel

Crystal Magic

The Wedding Question

The Wedding Surprise

Sapphire Nights

Topaz Dreams

Crystal Vision

Wedding Gems

Azure Secrets

Amber Affairs

Moonstone Shadows

The Wedding Gift

Dark Lords and Dangerous Ladies

Love Forever After

Silver Enchantress

Devil's Lady

Dash of Enchantment

Indigo Moon

Gravesyde Priory Mysteries

The Secrets of Wycliffe Manor

The Mystery of the Missing Heiress

The Bones in the Orchard

The Case of the Purloined Pages (Coming Soon)

Magical Malcolms

Merely Magic

Must Be Magic

The Trouble With Magic

This Magic Moment

Much Ado About Magic

Magic Man

Mystic Isle series

Mystic Guardian

Mystic Rider

Mystic Warrior

Mystic Isle Series

Mystic Isle, A Novella

Psychic Solutions

The Indigo Solution

The Golden Plan

The Crystal Key

The Rainbow Recipe

The Prism Effect

The Aura Answer

Rebellious Sons

Incomparable Lord Meath Novella

Wicked Wyckerly

Devilish Montague

Notorious Atherton

Formidable Lord Quentin

Regency Love and Laughter

Crossed In Love

Mad Maria's Daughter

Artful Deceptions

All A Woman Wants

Regency Nobles

The Genuine Article

The Marquess

The English Heiress

The Irish Duchess

Rogues and Desperadoes

Lord Rogue

Moonlight and Memories

Shelter From the Storm

Wayward Angel

Denim and Lace

Cheyenne's Lady

Saturn's Daughters

Boyfriend From Hell

Damn Him to Hell

Giving Him Hell

School of Magic

Lessons in Enchantment

A Bewitching Governess

An Illusion of Love

The Librarian's Spell

Entrancing the Earl

Captivating the Countess

Tales of Love and Mystery

Blue Clouds

Garden of Dreams

Nobody's Angel

Volcano

California Girl

Too Hard to Handle

Texas Lily

Texas Rose

Texas Tiger

Texas Moon

Unexpected Magic

Magic in the Stars

Whisper of Magic

Theory of Magic

Aura of Magic

Chemistry of Magic

No Perfect Magic

Standalone

Christmas Enchantment

Incomparable Lord Meath

A Rebellious Sons NOVELLA

Patricia Rice

Rice Enterprises

Contents

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

GET A FREE STARTER SET OF PATRICIA RICE BOOKS

About the Author

Also by Patricia Rice

Wicked Wyckerly - Excerpt

Excerpt

About Book View Café

Incomparable Lord Meath

Patricia Rice

Copyright © 2016 Patricia Rice

First Publication: 2016

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portion thereof, in any form.

This is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Published by Rice Enterprises, Dana Point, CA

Cover design by Killion Group

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

Thank You.

Acknowledgments

It takes a team to produce a book. I could not go on without brilliant editors like Phyllis Irene Radford, cover designers like the ingenious Kim Killion, and formatters with the patience of a saint—smooches to my husband.

Chapter 1

Honora Hoyt stood on her boot toes on a low stone wall to see the race track above the heads of the Marquess of Belden’s elegant party. When a tipsy Lord Harrow stepped in front of her as if she did not exist, she accidentally on purpose toppled his ridiculously tall top hat with her heavy umbrella. The day had turned out quite warm and bright, and she’d regretted the accessory until now.

Oops, so sorry, she murmured, catching the fallen chapeau. I’ll hold it for you, shall I? Relentlessly, she tucked the curly-brimmed beaver behind the back of her fur-trimmed pelisse, where he couldn’t reach without a tussle. A gentleman did not tussle with Lord Belden’s very proper niece.

The fat toad glared, but the horses were starting to line up on the grassy track, and he returned his attention to the betting. The Christmas festival hadn’t been part of their original schedule, but the bored aristocrats in Belden’s party had been delighted to join in the local celebrations, and even more delighted that it involved horse racing as well as trading.

A city girl this past decade or more, Honora had little interest in rural pastimes and would have preferred a warm fire and a good book. The scent of mince pies and warm mulled cider, however, along with the fiddlers playing in the distance, added a lovely cheer to the day. Although it appeared many of the locals, as well as the gentlemen, were sipping a more potent brew than cider.

She stood on her toes again as a gunshot signaled the horses had broken from the starting line. She’d heard Harrow make a large wager on the favorite, and spitefully, she hoped he lost. Sometimes, her uncle’s business associates were quite tiresome.

Harrow roared in dismay, along with the rest of the drunken crowd, as a small bay mare broke ahead of the pack, eating up the muddy turf with impossibly powerful strides.

"The jockey is a woman," Honora exclaimed in wonder, to no one in particular. It wasn’t as if anyone in the noble party had an interest in listening to a twenty-seven-year-old spinster of unimposing stature and no prospects.

But the fact that she was normally of quiet nature caused her uncle, Harrow, and a few others to study the bay’s rider closer. Harrow cursed most volubly. The favorite, a stallion, was falling behind.

Honora was oddly pleased that the horse in the lead had a woman rider. Generally, she didn’t approve of breaks in tradition, but generally, she didn’t attend horse races either. She was simply surprised at seeing a woman in breeches. Perhaps female jockeys were common, and she hadn’t known it. She knew London society would censure the disgrace, but this was rural Ireland, a different culture entirely, one that had only just emerged from violent rebellion. As long as she was living dangerously, she might as well enjoy the decadently entertaining sight.

As she strained to watch the horses approaching, she noted a gentleman farther down the wall, wearing a rather festive green tweed coat. He lifted his rakish cap hat at her, but he didn’t stand up to follow the race as others had. Instead, he kept people from blocking his view by the simple expedient of swinging a walking stick the size of a small cudgel in front of him. She could swear he winked at her before returning his attention to the race. Oddly, her pulse beat a little faster. Did she know him?

Damme if I lose to a woman! Harrow roared as the horses galloped toward the finish line where Belden’s party stood.

Before Honoria understood what he meant to do, the drunken gentleman snatched a loose stone from the wall and flung it at the pretty mare racing ahead of the pack.

The horse shied. The crowd gasped. The jockey held tight, but it was too late. Off-stride, the mare’s hoof hit one of the mud holes in the turf track. The horse fell, and Honora screamed as the jockey flew over her mount’s head.

Men rushed to grab the mare. The rest of the race continued without it. Oblivious to the mayhem he’d caused, Harrow