The Greatest Challenge of Them All Read online

  THE GREATEST CHALLENGE OF THEM ALL

  STEPHANIE LAURENS

  SAVDEK MANAGEMENT

  CONTENTS

  Artwork Information

  Copyright

  About The Greatest Challenge Of Them All

  Cast of Characters

  Previously…

  TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1850

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1850

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1850

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1850

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1850

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1850

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Interior Artwork

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1850

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1850

  Chapter 61

  EPILOGUE

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  Chapter 64

  Chapter 65

  Author’s Note

  Also by Stephanie Laurens

  About the Author

  INTERIOR ARTWORK IS LOCATED

  BETWEEN CHAPTER 44 AND CHAPTER 45

  and also can be accessed via the TABLE OF CONTENTS

  This e-book is licensed to you for your personal enjoyment only.

  This e-book may not be sold, shared, or given away.

  * * *

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the writer’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  * * *

  THE GREATEST CHALLENGE OF THEM ALL

  Copyright © 2017 by Savdek Management Proprietary Limited

  ISBN: 978-1-925559-04-0

  * * *

  Cover design by Savdek Management Pty. Ltd.

  Cover and inside front couple photography and photographic composition by Period Images © 2017

  * * *

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  No part of this work may be used, reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without prior permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  * * *

  Savdek Management Proprietary Limited, Melbourne, Australia.

  www.stephanielaurens.com

  Email: [email protected]

  The names Stephanie Laurens and the Cynsters are registered trademarks of Savdek Management Proprietary Ltd.

  ABOUT THE GREATEST CHALLENGE OF THEM ALL

  A nobleman devoted to defending queen and country and a noblewoman wild enough to match his every step race to disrupt the plans of a malignant intelligence intent on shaking England to its very foundations.

  * * *

  Lord Drake Varisey, Marquess of Winchelsea, eldest son and heir of the Duke of Wolverstone, must foil a plot that threatens to shake the foundations of the realm, but the very last lady—nay, noblewoman—he needs assisting him is Lady Louisa Cynster, known throughout the ton as Lady Wild.

  For the past nine years, Louisa has suspected that Drake might well be the ideal husband for her, even though he’s assiduous in avoiding her. But she’s now twenty-seven and enough is enough. She believes propinquity will reveal exactly what it is that lies between them, and what better opportunity to work closely with Drake than this latest mission with which he patently needs her help?

  Unable to deny Louisa’s abilities or the value of her assistance and powerless to curb her willfulness, Drake is forced to grit his teeth and acquiesce to her sticking by his side if only to ensure her safety. But all too soon, his true feelings for her surface sufficiently for her, perspicacious as she is, to see through his denials, which she then interprets as a challenge.

  Even while they gather information, tease out clues, increasingly desperately search for the missing gunpowder, and doggedly pursue the killer responsible for an ever-escalating tally of dead men, thrown together through the hours, he and she learn to trust and appreciate each other. And fed by constant exposure—and blatantly encouraged by her—their desires and hungers swell and grow…

  As the barriers between them crumble, the attraction he has for so long restrained burgeons and balloons, until goaded by her near-death, it erupts, and he seizes her—only to be seized in return.

  Linked irrevocably and with their wills melded and merged by passion’s fire, with time running out and the evil mastermind’s deadline looming, together, they focus their considerable talents and make one last push to learn the critical truths—to find the gunpowder and unmask the villain behind this far-reaching plot.

  Only to discover that they have significantly less time than they’d thought, that the villain’s target is even more crucially fundamental to the realm than they’d imagined, and it’s going to take all that Drake is—as well as all that Louisa as Lady Wild can bring to bear—to defuse the threat, capture the villain, and make all safe and right again.

  As they race to the ultimate confrontation, the future of all England rests on their shoulders.

  * * *

  Third volume in a trilogy. A historical romance with gothic overtones layered over an intrigue. A full length novel of 129,000 words.

  * * *

  Praise for the works of Stephanie Laurens

  * * *

  “Stephanie Laurens’ heroines are marvelous tributes to Georgette Heyer: feisty and strong.” Cathy Kelly

  * * *

  “Stephanie Laurens never fails to entertain and charm her readers with vibrant plots, snappy dialogue, and unforgettable characters.” Historical Romance Reviews.

  * * *

  “Stephanie Laurens plays into readers’ fantasies like a master and claims their hearts time and again.” Romantic Times Magazine

  * * *

  Praise for “The Greatest Challenge of Them All”

  * * *

  “In the high-stakes conclusion to her Devil’s Brood Trilogy, Laurens introduces one of her most spellbinding heroines yet and turns up the heat—on the romance, on the investigation—all while delivering a jaw-dropping finale.” A
ngela M., Copy Editor, Red Adept Editing

  * * *

  "A great adventure and love story with a thoroughly satisfying conclusion." Kristina B., Proofreader, Red Adept Editing

  CAST OF CHARACTERS

  Principal Characters

  Varisey, Lord Drake, Marquess of Winchelsea – eldest son of Royce Varisey, Duke of Wolverstone, and Minerva, née Chesterton; heir to the dukedom of Wolverstone

  Cynster, Lady Louisa – only daughter of Devil Cynster, Duke of St. Ives, and Honoria, née Anstruther-Wetherby; widely known as Lady Wild

  * * *

  At Wolverstone House, Grosvenor Square

  Varisey, Lord Royce, Duke of Wolverstone aka Dalziel – Drake’s father

  Varisey, Lady Minerva, Duchess of Wolverstone – Drake’s mother; née Chesterton

  Varisey, Lord Tobias – second son of Royce Varisey, Duke of Wolverstone, and Minerva, née Chesterton; Drake’s brother

  Hamilton – the Wolverstones’ London butler

  Finnegan – Drake’s gentleman’s gentleman

  Henry – Drake’s personal coachman-cum-groom

  * * *

  At St. Ives House, Grosvenor Square

  Cynster, Lord Sebastian, Marquess of Earith – eldest son of Devil Cynster, Duke of St. Ives, and Honoria, née Anstruther-Wetherby; heir to the dukedom of St. Ives; now engaged to Lady Antonia Rawlings

  Cynster, Lord Michael Magnus – second son of Devil Cynster, Duke of St. Ives, and Honoria, née Anstruther-Wetherby; now unofficially engaged to Miss Cleome Hendon

  Cynster, Lord Sylvester (Devil), Duke of St. Ives – Sebastian’s, Michael’s, and Louisa’s father

  Cynster, Lady Honoria, Duchess of St. Ives – Sebastian’s, Michael’s, and Louisa’s mother; née Anstruther-Wetherby

  Cynster, Lady Helena, Dowager Duchess of St. Ives – Sebastian’s, Michael’s, and Louisa’s grandmother; arch-grande dame of the ton

  Osbaldestone, Therese, Lady Osbaldestone – old friend of the family; widow; arch-grande dame of the ton

  Crewe – the Cynsters’ London butler

  Sukie – Louisa’s maid

  Tom – Michael’s gentleman’s gentleman-cum-groom-cum-driver

  Tully – a footman

  Gregory – another footman

  Ned – Sebastian’s groom

  The footmen army – footmen and grooms from the Cynster households in London

  * * *

  At the Hendon town house, Clarges Street

  Hendon, Miss Cleome (Cleo) – only daughter of Jack, Lord Hendon and Katherine (Kit), née Cranmer; now unofficially engaged to Lord Michael Cynster

  Hendon, Jack, Lord Hendon – Cleo’s father

  Hendon, Katherine (Kit), Lady Hendon – Cleo’s mother; née Cranmer

  * * *

  At the Chillingworth town house, Green Street

  Rawlings, Lady Antonia – eldest daughter of Gyles Rawlings, Earl of Chillingworth, and Francesca, née Rawlings; now engaged to Lord Sebastian Cynster, Marquess of Earith

  Rawlings, Lord Gyles, Earl of Chillingworth – Antonia’s father

  Rawlings, Lady Francesca, Countess of Chillingworth – Gyles’s wife and Antonia’s mother

  * * *

  In Southwark

  Flock, Mr. – manager of the Phoenix Brewery

  Jones, Michael (Mike) – master cooper at the brewery

  Blunt, Cecil (Cec) – stableman at the brewery

  Triggs, Malcolm (Mal) – driver at the brewery

  Sawyer, Jed – cooper’s apprentice at the brewery

  Cook, Martin – bargeman working for the brewery

  Mellon, Herbert – bargeman working for the brewery

  Sawyer, Mrs. Suzie – Jed Sawyer’s wife

  * * *

  In Kennington

  Beam, Mr. – secretary of the London Working Men’s Association

  Johnstone, Mr., Neill, Mr., and one other – militia leaders; missing

  In Cross Lane

  Chilburn, the Honorable Lawton – fourth son of Lord Chilburn, Viscount Hawesley and Lavinia, Lady Chilburn, Viscountess Hawesley, née Nagle; deceased

  Badger – Lawton’s gentleman’s gentleman

  * * *

  In George Street

  Griswade, Mr. Bevis – fourth son of Lord Griswade and Alice, Lady Griswade, née Nagle

  * * *

  In Whitehall

  Greville, Sir George – the Home Secretary

  Waltham, Sir Harold – the Home Secretary’s principal private secretary

  * * *

  At Scotland Yard

  Crawford, Inspector – in charge of investigating the murders

  Cranthorpe, Sir Martin – surgeon; chief pathologist in charge of the morgue

  Chartwell, Assistant Commissioner

  * * *

  Elsewhere in London

  Chilburn, Lord, Viscount Hawesley – Lawton Chilburn’s father

  Chilburn, Lavinia, Viscountess Hawesley – Lawton Chilburn’s mother; née Nagle

  Chilburn, the Honorable Robert – Lawton Chilburn’s eldest brother

  Chilburn, the Honorable Gerrard – Lawton Chilburn’s second oldest brother

  Chilburn, the Honorable Basil – Lawton Chilburn’s older brother

  Harriet, Gloria, and Aileen – Lawton Chilburn’s sisters, older, all married

  Tippet, Miss – cousin to the Chilburns

  Trevallayan, Monica, Mrs. – cousin to the Chilburns

  Nagle, Lord, Marquess of Faringdale – nephew of Lady Chilburn

  Hunstable, Mr. – owner of Hunstable’s Wines and Ales

  Higgins – Hunstable’s clerk

  Proudfoot, Mr. – the Keeper of the Crown Jewels

  Proudfoot, Mrs. – wife of Mr. Proudfoot

  * * *

  In Kent

  Boyne, William, Lord Ennis – of Pressingstoke Hall; deceased

  Boyne, Cecilia, Lady Ennis – of Pressingstoke Hall; deceased

  Boyne, Connell – Lord Ennis’s brother; also deceased

  * * *

  At Midgham Manor in Berkshire

  An old gentleman – pulling the strings of the plot

  Reed – the old gentleman’s manservant

  PREVIOUSLY…

  In “The Lady by His Side”:

  When the Duke of Wolverstone, known to many as Dalziel, retired from active involvement in political intrigues, his eldest son, Lord Drake Varisey, Marquess of Winchelsea, was prevailed upon to take up his father’s mantle. Specifically, Drake steps in where the authorities fear to go.

  It’s mid-October 1850, and Drake has been asked by the Home Office to investigate rumors of a Young Irelander plot, the Young Irelanders being a sometimes-militant group calling for Irish self-rule. To do so, Drake needs to travel to Ireland in person, but he has also received a strange letter from Lord Ennis, an Anglo-Irish peer living in England. Ennis claims he possesses information he believes Drake needs to know, but insists he must meet with Drake face-to-face. To that end, Ennis has invited Drake to a house party at Ennis’s estate on the east coast of Kent. Not knowing if the two matters are connected and unable to be in two places at once, Drake inveigles Lord Sebastian Cynster to stand in for him at Ennis’s house party while Drake himself goes to Ireland.

  In the guise of escort to childhood friend Lady Antonia Rawlings, Sebastian arrives at the house party, and Lord Ennis agrees to meet privately with him as Drake’s surrogate. But in the minutes before Sebastian reaches Ennis’s study, his lordship is stabbed and left dying. Ennis’s last words, gasped to Sebastian, are “Gunpowder. Here.”

  Assisted by the local magistrate and the inspector sent by Scotland Yard to investigate Ennis’s murder, Sebastian and Antonia search the house, gardens, grounds, and fields for any trace of gunpowder. And then Lady Ennis is murdered as well. Finally, in a cave off the shore, Sebastian and Antonia discover the imprints left by ten large barrels, only to be shot at by the villain responsible for the murders. They and others identify the villain as Connell
Boyne, Ennis’s younger brother who manages the family estate in Ireland. They give chase, only to find Boyne dead, apparently killed by whomever he had been working with.

  Sebastian and Antonia return to London and report to Drake, who has just returned from Ireland. From all the evidence they have gathered, they conclude that, although Young Irelander foot soldiers like Connell Boyne may have been involved, the movement’s leaders know nothing about the plot. However, ten barrels of gunpowder, enough to blow up a significant building, have been smuggled into England and, subsequently, taken into London by cart.

  The questions Drake, Sebastian, and Antonia are left with are: Where is the gunpowder? Who is behind the plot? What is their target? And why?

  * * *

  In “An Irresistible Alliance”:

  Sebastian and Antonia, now engaged and swept up in the resulting social whirl, no longer have sufficient time to devote to the intrigue. Consequently, Drake recruits Sebastian’s brother, Lord Michael Cynster, to search for the gunpowder while Drake heads north to learn if the Chartists, another group agitating for political change and now rumored to be involved, are in fact behind the plot.

  Michael’s pursuit of information about barrels being carted into London leads him to Miss Cleome Hendon, daughter of Jack and Kit Hendon and de facto manager of the Hendon Shipping Company. Cleo views the intrigue as the answer to her yearning for adventure. With Michael at her heels, she sets out to find the gunpowder-carter who collected the ten barrels from Kent.

  Together, Cleo and Michael doggedly follow a trail of missing men and—at last!—locate the gunpowder. But that night, before they have a chance to nullify the threat the gunpowder poses, a gentleman arrives on horseback with two drays driven by two other men and takes the barrels away. Cleo and Michael had been keeping watch. They follow the man, hoping to learn who he is and to where the barrels are being moved. But in the fog, Cleo is captured by the gentleman-villain. She fights free, then Michael arrives, and in the ensuing struggle, the gentleman is shot dead. Worse, they realize they’ve lost track of the drays carrying the gunpowder.