Untamed
P
REVIOUS ACCOLADES FOR
H
OPE
T
ARR’S
V
ANQUISHED
AND
E
NSLAVED
:
“A touching story of salvation and renewal in authentically depicted Victorian London.”
—
Best-selling author, Madeline Hunter
“Sizzlingly sensual and rich in historical detail—put VANQUISHED on your must-read list! A passionate storyteller.”
—Kathryn Caskie, author of LOVE
IS IN THE HEIR
FIVE BLUE RIBBONS!
“VANQUISHED by Hope Tarr is absolutely wonderful! Her characters are very real…. VANQUISHED is a must-read, and I anxiously await the next book.”
—
Romance Junkies
“Against an incredibly textured backdrop of Edwardian politics and social change, Tarr pens a vibrant tale of love’s ability to heal scars of the past. And not unlike the era itself, the genteel veneer of Hadrian and Callie’s awareness of each other gives way to highly sensual passion churning beneath. Fans of intelligent, sexy historical romance in the style of Jo Beverley will take to VANQUISHED.”
—
Nina Davis, Copyright ©American Library Association
“… moral dilemmas, past hurts to overcome, real villains to vanquish, ideals worth fighting for, and vengeance to be had in VANQUISHED. Readers will be entertained…. Don’t miss it.”
—
Jane Bowers, Romance Reviews Today
“VANQUISHED is an intriguing historical romance…. Filled to the brim with intrigue, sabotage, secret agendas, hate, love and betrayal, VANQUISHED is a book that should fulfill anyone’s criteria for an enjoyable — and memorable — read.”
—
Elizabeth, Novelspot
“VANQUISHED is an emotionally charged story where the drama leaps off the pages. Hadrian and Callie endure so much. Hadrian’s past is particularly dark and there are some moments in the story that are heartbreaking to read. My heart went out to them as they struggled to fight the demons of their pasts. In each other’s arms, they find a peace and love that neither felt was possible. VANQUISHED is a beautifully written story full of passion and peril.”
—
Nannette, Joyfully Reviewed
(
www.joyfullyreviewed.com
)
2006 BURIED TREASURE
“VANQUISHED is worth searching out. This is a very rich book. The historical background isn’t wallpaper, instead we get a real feeling for the historical events of the time period and how they shaped the attitudes of Caledonia Rivers and Hadrian St. Claire. I love the late Victorian and Edwardian period and VANQUISHED really captured the atmosphere of that time. Booklist called it an intelligent, sexy historical romance. I agree totally.”
—
All About Romance
(
www.likesbooks.com
)
FIVE BLUE RIBBONS!
“Hope Tarr is simply amazing. With ENSLAVED she has written another story that sucks you in and won’t let you go.”
—
Heather M. Riley, Romance Junkies
“Wicked sensuality and witty dialogue reach out to capture the reader’s attention and hold it throughout the book.”
—
Tara & Deb, Review Coordinators,
Romance Designs, Historical Romance Writers
“The likeable lead couple makes for a fine Victorian romance that will have the audience rooting for the pair to find a way to remain together. Character driven … an enjoyable tale.”
—
Harriet Klausner, The Midwest Book Review
“I can easily recommend ENSLAVED. Thoughtful and well-written historical romances are scarce on the shelf and this book is too good to pass up.”
—
Ellen Micheletti, Like Books
“Tarr pegs Victorian-era London perfectly in this delightful tale of delayed love. This story of four orphans banding together through trials and tribulations at a young age and their relationships after they become adults is poignant and romantic.”
—
Faith V. Smith, Romantic Times
DEDICATION:
To Sandra Durfee, “world’s best” English
teacher, a former mentor and forever
friend, with affection and respect.
Published 2008 by Medallion Press, Inc.
The MEDALLION PRESS LOGO
is a registered tradmark of Medallion Press, Inc.
If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment from this “stripped book.”
Copyright © 2008 by Hope Tarr
Cover Model: Kelly Hartman
Cover Illustration by Adam Mock
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission of the publisher, except where permitted by law.
Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Printed in the United States of America
Typeset in Adobe Garamond Pro
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
First Edition
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Untamed
is the final book in my “Men of Roxbury House” trilogy. Closing the chapter on the series affords me many satisfactions, as well as the opportunity to thank those special persons I may have missed acknowledging in the previous two books.
To Paul Lewis, executive director of the Fredericksburg Athenaeum housed at the Wounded Bookshop, 109 Amelia Street, Fredericksburg, Virginia, my heartfelt thanks for your friendship and support over the past six years (and counting) and for all you do to keep the arts and letters not only alive but thriving in our historic downtown.
Also to Beatrice Paolucci and Hamilton Palmer, Raymond and Dana Herlong, Rudi and Elsa Van Leeuwen, and Paul O’Neill, my friends and fellow Fredericksburg “rabble-rousers,” for fighting the good fight, as well as stepping out to read their first romance novels—mine. Thanks to you all, I’ve learned that in the end it’s not winning or losing that counts, but the friendships forged along the path.
Finally, to the fabulous folks at Medallion Press for their ongoing commitment to excellence in turning out yet another splendid package, as well as their patience in waiting for the manuscript to be “born.” By way of embracing what my buddy Kim Castillo of Romance Novel TV calls “shameless self-promotion,” I hope readers who enjoy Rourke and Kate’s story will look for the previous trilogy books,
Vanquished
and
Enslaved,
on bookstore shelves. Excerpts are posted online at
www.hopetarr.com
.
Wishing you fairy-tale dreams come true …
Hope Tarr
Fredericksburg, Virginia
October 2007
Table of Contents
ourke’s Rules
Rule Number One: ne’er let them see you cry. If they do, they’ll only hit you that much harder, pound your body and will into bloody pulp.
Rule Number Two: watch, listen, and wait. Sooner or later your luck is bound to change, so mind you keep a sharp eye out and a canny ear cocked.
Rule Number Three: when your chance comes, take it. Cut loose and run as if hell’s own hounds chased you. And dinna ever look back.
Never look back.
“… the law is a ass …” [sic]
—C
HARLES
D
ICKENS
,
Oliver Twist
London Central Criminal Court Old Bailey Sessions House, 1875
rom the front of the courtroom, the judge called out, “Bailiff, read the final case if you please.” Heads swung to the back of the room.
The defendant, thirteen-year-old Patrick O’Rourke—Rourke—swallowed against the twist of fear knotting nooselike about his throat. Unlike the poor blubbering bugger called up for sentencing before him, who’d pissed a steady stream to the prisoner’s stand and then promptly puked, he swore to hold onto his tears, his bladder, his breakfast—and above all, his dignity.
Never let them see you cry.
The bailiff nodded. “The defendant is one Patrick O’Rourke, late of St. Giles parish but no known address. The accused is a minor child aged thirteen years or thereabouts, and orphaned. Two prior arrests, the first for vagrancy and the second for petty thievery; for the latter, he was sentenced and did receive fifty lashes.”
Rourke gritted his teeth as he had six months before when they’d tied his hands to the whipping post and laid into his back. The humiliation and pain were branded on his brain, but lest he forget, the cross-hatching of white scars scourging his shoulders was there to remind him. The whipping had been good preparation for last night.
Seemingly satisfied, the judge nodded. “Let the prisoner come forward.”
Having been brought up two times before, Rourke recognized his cue. He stumbled out into the aisle between benches, the robin’s egg-sized lump beating a tattoo on his forehead, the scabbed blood forming a cowl over the left side of his face, the shouted questions ricocheting like cannon shot inside his brain.
“What made you set out to off the prime minister?”
I
didn’t know he was the PM, and I didna set out to off anybody.
“Are you in league with the Fenians?”
I’m not a Fenian. I’m not even Irish. I’m Scots! If I’m in league with anybody, it’s Johnnie Black, but his game’s running street scams, no politics.
“Did Disraeli’s supporters put you up to this?”