A Proper Scoundrel
Cover image: Handsome Aristocratic Man Holding Hat While Standing in Suit © LightField Studios / Shutterstock.com
Interior image: Lily Flowers Hand-drawn Illustration © Nataleana / iStock.com
Cover and interior design by Kimberly Kay copyright © 2021 by Covenant Communications, Inc.
Published by Covenant Communications, Inc.
American Fork, Utah
Copyright © 2021 by Esther Hatch
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any format or in any medium without the written permission of the publisher, Covenant Communications, Inc., P.O. Box 416, American Fork, UT 84003. The views expressed within this work are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Covenant Communications, Inc., or any other entity.
This is a work of fiction. The characters, names, incidents, places, and dialogue are either products of the author’s imagination, and are not to be construed as real, or are used fictitiously.
First Printing: May 2021
ISBN: 978-1-52441-700-0
For Greg
Thanks for making me laugh for the first few years of marriage. I’ve heard all your jokes now, so please stop telling them.
(Also, thanks for writing that for me when I couldn’t think of the proper way to immortalize our love. You still make me laugh, and I’m still sorry I gave you mono.)
Acknowledgments
This book didn’t come easily, but it did come with a lot of help along the way. Thank you to all of my friends and family who read portions of this book as well as those who read all of it at various points of completion: Paula Anderson, Alice Patron, Laura Rupper, Audrey Mangum, Kasey Stockton, Mindy Strunk, Anneka Walker, Julie Donaldson, Deborah Hathaway, Mandy Biesinger, Joanna Barker, Megan Walker, Sally Britton, Heidi Maxfield, Karin Smith, McCall Shoff, Lisa Kendrick, April Young, Kim Dubois, Clarissa Kae, Greg Hatch, and Loretta Porter.
Also, a big thanks to the Facebook group Writing Sprints; so often I relied on you to get me working when I needed to. Clarissa Kae and Melanie Jacobson have been motivating sprint partners as well, rising to the call of Zoom sprints when everything was shutting down because of the pandemic (Remember Covid-19? Is it over yet? I hope so.) and I still needed some author interaction.
So many of you gave me great ideas; some I used, and some I wished I could have used. I loved hearing them all the same. Thank you for making this story better, and for believing in it even when I had my doubts.
Thank you to my immediate as well as extended family members; my writing has now become a part of our lives, and it isn’t always easy, but I’m grateful for the love and support I get from all of you. I could not continue without it.
Thank you to my amazing team at Covenant. No one needs an editor more than I do, and Ashley Gebert does a fantastic job making my stories shine. Kim Miller and my previous design teams—thanks for amazing covers. I know for a fact the quality of those designs have sold many books. I’ll try to keep writing books that are as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside. And to my publicist, Amy Parker, thank you for sharing my books with the world as well as answering my weird panic questions during releases.
I also need to thank Shakespeare for providing a quote for all my previous books. Benedick had some amazing ones I could have used for Lord Bryant. But in the end, this one needed to start with a psalm.
Thank you, Heavenly Father, for turning me to the path of writing and for letting me see each book as the miracle it is.
And thank you, Lord Bryant. You started out as a creepy old man and a plot device, but finally, when I realized there needed to be more to you (oh, and that you were hot), you exploded on the page in a way no other character ever has. It has been an honor to tell your story.
Praise for Esther Hatch
A Proper Scoundrel
“I found A Proper Scoundrel by Esther Hatch to be everything the book description said and more. This book is the perfect example of a romantic historical Christian novel. A Proper Scoundrel has all of the elements needed to make this book a number one winner. Esther Hatch has given us characters that are impossible not to like, a plot that keeps moving forward, and she has a really good fix on the events and times of the day. To tell you more would reveal too much of the story that you must read for yourself and enjoy. I highly recommend A Proper Scoundrel to fans of historical romances.”
—Readers’ Favorite Five Star Review
“I have read and loved every one of Esther Hatch’s novels, so of course I looked forward to A Proper Scoundrel. But oh my goodness, it exceeded every one of my expectations! Diana is smart and admirable and stuck in a bind . . . Everton is wounded and noble and surprising in every way as he (somewhat unwillingly) comes to Diana’s aid. Together, they’re perfection. Between the witty banter, the breathtaking romance, and a plot that kept me turning pages, A Proper Scoundrel is Esther Hatch’s best book yet!”
—Melissa Tagg, Christy Award winning author of Now and Then and Always
“Esther Hatch’s wonderful writing shines once again in A Proper Scoundrel. Readers will adore Diana, fall in love with Lord Bryant, and be swept away by this enchanting romance.”
—Joanna Barker, Otherwise Engaged
“With Lord Bryant’s dark past and Diana Barton’s hope for the future, Esther Hatch has gifted historical romance enthusiasts a love story that is heartwarming, beautifully written, and extremely satisfying. Diana’s quick wit and Lord Bryant’s dry sense of humor are delightfully pitted against each other, making their romance entertaining, and keeps us turning the pages to find out what happens next. The attention to historical detail blends perfectly with this clever work of fiction, engaging readers of the genre and inviting them back to the early days of railroad empires. Esther Hatch is known for writing heroines meeting the challenges of their era head on, and this novel is no exception. She’s also known for writing the perfect kiss in her books. Spoilers: She’s done it again.”
—Sally Britton, best-selling author of the Inglewood Series
“Stick out your pinky finger and flip the pages for a properly delightful romance! I could not put it down. It was the sweetest of romances for my favorite scoundrel.
Miss Diana Barton is tired of men trying to propose marriage while she’s working on railroad business. Her solution? Ruin her reputation and who better than with the rakish Baron Bryant. But Lord Bryant is not at all what she expected and maybe there’s more to his story than meets the eye. Although, what meets the eye is pretty nice too! #wink
Just the right amount of swoon for a sweet romance. Author Esther Hatch does an amazing job of building up the tension and bringing the two leads together in a satisfying and endearing way. I loved the business-minded, capable, strong heroine! This book exceeded all my high expectations.”
—Samantha Hastings, The Invention of Sophie Carter
A Proper Charade
“The irony of the situation and the humorous scenes are entertaining.”
—Historical Novel Society
“Chock full of dreamy heroes, touching stories, and delightful humor, Ms. Hatch’s books remind us why we read romance in the first place.”
—Jennifer Moore, Whitney Award winning author
A Proper Scandal
“A Proper Scandal is funny, sweet, and romantic and it has a large twist that I never saw coming. I really enjoy Esther Hatch’s writing style. I love her characters; even the side characters are interesting and well developed.”
—Timeless Novels
“Another winner from author Esther Hatch! She knows how to write a captivating story, and I was thoroughly entertained all the way through. I loved Grace and Nate and the hilarious predicaments they got themselves into. I laughed out loud several times, and just enjoyed being immersed in the beautiful writing. A lovely historical romance that I highly recommend.”
—Joanna Barker, Otherwise Engaged
The Roses of Feldstone
“The Roses of Feldstone is the perfect blend of charm, wit, and romance. Rose and William will draw you in from the first page until the very last word. All the way around, a lovely read.”
—Heather B. Moore, USA Today best-selling author
“Esther Hatch writes swoony romance with laugh-out-loud dialogue and unforgettable characters. Once you read one of her books, you will want to read them all!”
—Anneka Walker, The Masked Baron
“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
—Psalm 30:5
Chapter 1
There were two types of men who walked through the door of Diana Barton’s office on Rochester Street—legitimate men of business and those who utterly wasted her time. Mr. Broadcreek was one of the latter and the worst of the lot.
Diana Barton’s eyes slid to the pocket watch she kept in her partially opened desk drawer. Running both her brother Nate’s and the Richardsons’ railroad companies would have been much easier if word hadn’t gotten out that an unmarried young woman was now the owner of Richardson Rail. Diana would have pushed Mr. Broadcreek out of her office an hour ago if it weren’t for the fact that he had more members of Parliament as investors than any other man in the railroad business.
Or women in the railroad business, for that matter. But as far as Diana knew, she was currently the only one of those, and as of yet, she had exactly zero members of Parliament under her thumb. An unfortunate oversight when every new line needed an act of Parliament to be passed before the first railroad tie could be laid.
“My last line was finished two weeks ahead of schedule,” Mr. Broadcreek bragged, his mustache rolling about the top of his mouth like a brown caterpillar as he spoke. He scooted his chair closer to her desk and leaned forward. Diana leaned back. Mr. Broadcreek’s mouth belonged as far away from hers as possible. At least he hadn’t proposed again. She was running out of ways to politely say no.
She still had an hour to get her payment into the ballast office. She would suffer Mr. Broadcreek’s ramblings for only five more minutes. Then she would make him leave, even if she had to resort to a fit of the vapors. He had already been rambling for an hour and twenty minutes. Surely he couldn’t go on much longer.
As if to prove her wrong, Mr. Broadcreek’s mouth continued to operate undeterred. “So you see, Miss Barton, I know you felt my assessment of Richardson Rail was undervalued when I offered to buy it from Mrs. Richardson, but I truly felt my expertise and experience would add greatly to its value. Not to mention, after a few well-placed questions, I discovered you didn’t pay any more for it than I had offered. You cannot still hold that against me when you did the exact thing yourself.”
Diana gritted her teeth. She would have to fire Mrs. Richardson’s solicitor. Nate’s solicitor would never have divulged such secrets to anyone, let alone Mr. Broadcreek. “That is hardly the same. Mrs. Richardson and I are friends. When Mr. Richardson passed away, I promised I would help in any way possible.”
His caterpillar mustache bunched to one side of his mouth. “By swindling her out of her railroad company and running it into the ground? How is that helpful?”
Diana grasped both sides of her chair. It was the first time he admitted that the price he had offered Charlotte for Richardson Rail was scandalously low, but she couldn’t count that as a win while he defamed her ability to run the company.
“Mr. Broadcreek, one thing you can count on is that I won’t be running Richardson Rail into the ground. Another thing you can count on is that Mrs. Richardson will not be swindled by me. Once I finish our current line and receive an act of Parliament to build another, Richardson Rail will be worth double what you offered to pay for it. She may no longer be an owner of Richardson Rail, but she still has a monetary interest in the company.” Any profits Diana gained would be shared with Mrs. Richardson when Diana sold a much more valuable company. It would be enough for Charlotte to live comfortably on with her three children for the rest of her life.
Mr. Broadcreek coughed. “That is a lot for a young lady like yourself to accomplish alone. I could help you. It isn’t as though I don’t know my way around the railroad business.”
Diana knew what he would want in exchange for his help—marriage. This was an even cheaper option for obtaining a railroad company than buying it for less than its value. But a middle-aged bachelor with only Diana’s railroad company on his mind was the last type of man she would choose to marry. Only the husband could sign for a married woman after the vows were said, even if the company would technically belong to both of them. Mr. Broadcreek would never honor her agreement with Charlotte, which would most definitely make a swindler out of Diana.
“I’ve been running Richardson Rail for nearly a month now, and most of Barton Rail for several months before that. I’m quite certain I can manage.”
“Are you positive?” Mr. Broadcreek pulled out a pocket watch and pursed his lips together. “Didn’t you need to place an order for ballast today?”
Diana’s heart stopped. Her eyes flew to her own watch, safe in the drawer, but it had only been a few minutes since she last checked. She still had an hour—plenty of time as long as Mr. Broadcreek left soon. “I do. In fact, I’m afraid I’m going to have to cut our conversation short so Mrs. Oliver and I can do that now.”
Diana stood, and Mr. Broadcreek, ever the gentleman in all the ways that didn’t matter, followed suit. Diana walked to the coatrack by the front of her office and reached for her cloak. Mrs. Oliver was tidying up her desk in order to leave for the day. Mr. Broadcreek put his meaty hands out to help Diana with her cloak, but she pretended not to notice.
He lowered his hands. “London Ballast & Company closed an hour ago.”
Diana pulled her bonnet off the rack with more force than necessary. He couldn’t be right. The ballast office closed at six. Mr. Broadcreek had wasted hours of her time on multiple occasions, but she had never let it impact a deadline. She simply stayed later until she got everything done. When all of London was watching and waiting for her to fail, there was no room for error. “I believe you must have the time wrong. It is not yet five o’clock.”
“It isn’t the time that is your problem; it is the day.”
Mr. Broadcreek was making no sense.
Mrs. Oliver came up beside Diana and reached for her coat. “Thursday?”
Mr. Broadcreek kept his eyes on Diana even though Mrs. Oliver had asked the question. “Tomorrow is St. Andrew’s Day.”
St. Andrew’s Day? What did it matter if it was? “St. Andrew’s Day is a Scottish holiday. It should have nothing to do with my ballast.”
Mr. Broadcreek’s grin was growing broader with every word. “This is the reason a husband would be an asset to you, Miss Barton, especially one who does business with London Ballast. The owner, Mr. Boyd, is Scottish and proud. He always closes the shop early the day before St. Andrew’s.”