The Indebted Earl by Erica Vetsch (love letters to the dead TXT) 📕

“The Indebted Earl is both beautiful and engaging, as the reader embarks on an adventure full of unexpected twists and turns. A diverse cast of new characters, and the return of a few we fell in love with in The Gentleman Spy, makes this is a must-read for historical romance fans.”

GABRIELLE MEYER, author of Unexpected Christmas Joy

“Erica Vetsch has penned a captivating tale that stirred and satisfied my love of Regency from first page to last. With winsome characters, heart-tugging romance, and a dash of intrigue, readers will adore this final installment in the beloved Serendipity and Secrets series.”

AMANDA BARRATT, author of The White Rose Resists

“Vetsch’s impeccable research and compelling Regency voice have made Serendipity and Secrets one of the strongest offerings in inspirational historical romance in years. The compulsive trilogy comes to a wonderful conclusion in a tale that packs as much adventure as it does heart. High emotional stakes, love lost and found, and an intelligent treatment of duty and honor will delight established fans while sweeping newcomers off their feet.”

RACHEL McMILLAN, author of The London Restoration and The Mozart Code

“What do you get when you mix an injured naval captain with a grieving young woman and three orphans? A poignant love story filled with action, adventure, and heartwarming moments, that’s what. The Indebted Earl is going on my keeper shelf for sure!”

MICHELLE GRIEP, best-selling author of The House at the End of the Moor

“The Indebted Earl is a marvelous book. I love the way Erica Vetsch creates characters I care about. Get them deep into trouble, and in the end, loyalty, bravery, love, and faith save the day.”

MARY CONNEALY, author of Braced for Love, book one of the Brothers in Arms series

“Thoroughly researched with genuine, well-wrought characters, The Indebted Earl is a don’t-miss read! Vetsch’s rich writing and carefully crafted story sweep the reader into Regency England with all the delights of this fascinating genre. This third volume in her Serendipity and Secrets series brings a satisfying resolution to the trilogy.”

JAN DREXLER, award-winning author of Softly Blows the Bugle

Praise for The Lost Lieutenant

Serendipity & Secrets Book 1

“An enchanting tale, The Lost Lieutenant was quick to capture my heart and engage my hopes. A wounded hero meeting a heroine on the run is always a perfect recipe for romance; throw in a spy for good measure, and you’ve got Erica Vetsch! This is a Regency novel that will have fans begging for more.”

JAIME JO WRIGHT, Christy Award winner of The House on Foster Hill

“A riveting Regency read, with captivating characters that will tug at your heartstrings.”

CAROLYN MILLER, best-selling author of the Regency Brides series

SERENDIPITY & SECRETS

The Lost Lieutenant

The Gentleman Spy

The Indebted Earl

The Indebted Earl

© 2021 by Erica Vetsch

Published by Kregel Publications, a division of Kregel Inc., 2450 Oak Industrial Dr. NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without written permission of the publisher, except for brief quotations in reviews.

Distribution of digital editions of this book in any format via the internet or any other means without the publisher’s written permission or by license agreement is a violation of copyright law and is subject to substantial fines and penalties. Thank you for supporting the author’s rights by purchasing only authorized editions.

The persons and events portrayed in this work are the creations of the author, and any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

Published in association with the Books & Such Literary Management, 52 Mission Circle, Suite 122, PMB 170, Santa Rosa, CA 95409-5370, www.booksandsuch.com.

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Vetsch, Erica, author.

Title: The indebted earl / Erica Vetsch.

Description: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, [2021] | Series: Serendipity & secrets

Identifiers: LCCN 2020048880 (print) | LCCN 2020048881 (ebook) | ISBN 9780825446191 (paperback) | ISBN 9780825476020 (epub)

Subjects: GSAFD: Love stories. | Regency fiction.

Classification: LCC PS3622.E886 I53 2021 (print) | LCC PS3622.E886 (ebook) | DDC 813/.6--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020048880

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020048881

ISBN 978-0-8254-4619-1, print

ISBN 978-0-8254-7602-0, epub

Printed in the United States of America

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 / 5 4 3 2 1

To Peter, as always.

You’re everything, and more.

And to the Seeker Girls.

I love doing this writing life with you.

C

HAPTER

1

Military Hospital

Oporto, Portugal

June 15, 1814

IF IT GOT any hotter, the Royal Navy would have to ship him home in a flask.

Captain Charles Wyvern dabbed the sweat from his temples with his already-soaked handkerchief as he entered the military hospital. What wouldn’t he give to be aboard his vessel, palms braced against the rail, taking the sea breeze full in the face?

Those days were still a fair bit off, but he would experience them again. He fisted his hand around the square of cloth, his mouth firming. It would take determination and patience, but those he had in abundance.

First he must recover fully from his wounds, get to London, and finally appeal to the Admiralty to give him another command. Formidable tasks, but he was making progress on the first one, at least. Charles entered the ward where he had so recently been a patient, and halfway down the crowded row of billets he found the bed he sought.

Guilt settled like a twelve-pounder in his gut as he inhaled the cloying scents of orange blossoms and dust, carbolic and sweat. Though he had been discharged nearly a week ago to complete his recuperation in the officers’ quarters in Oporto, Charles faithfully returned to the hospital every day to attend his friend Major Richardson. For weeks they had lain side by side, sharing the miseries and camaraderie of military hospital life. Major Richardson had led the Royal Marines aboard Charles’s last command.

But each had been tacking on a different course since arriving at the hospital. As Charles had improved, Richardson had