Scandal and the Runaway Bride Read online

  The tycoon’s forbidden flirtation...

  With the heiress!

  Will Pemberton’s plan was simple: find Gabi, his brother’s runaway bride, and protect his famous family from the press. Until their dangerous attraction threatens a bigger scandal! Gabi’s wedding might have been fake, but Will’s growing feelings for the misunderstood heiress are dangerously real. Falling for Gabi risks his family and the life he’s worked hard to turn around... Is it one risk he’s willing to take?

  Heirs to an Empire

  Succession, Secrets and Scandal

  Following the death of their father, English aristocrat Cedric Pemberton, it’s time for the Pemberton heirs to stake their claim in the family empire.

  From fashion and cosmetics to jewelry and fragrance, Aurora Inc. is a multinational company, with headquarters all over the world.

  As the siblings take the lead in different divisions of the business, they’ll face challenges, uncover secrets and learn to start listening to their hearts...

  We hope you enjoy Will and Gabi’s story, and return for more Pemberton adventures in Aurora Inc., coming soon!

  Dear Reader,

  When the new year rolls around, do you have a word of the year? I know a lot of people do, and while I don’t personally come up with one word as a “guide,” lately I’ve been thinking a lot about life and what I want it to look like. What I’ve come up with is joy.

  We all have to do things we don’t want to do, but now, when I think about decisions I must make, I consider if the outcome will bring me joy or not. It’s been wonderful having joy as the goal! It’s clarified so much of my thinking!

  Joy is something I’ve been looking to reconnect with, so it’s even more lovely that I’ve found writing this new series, Heirs to an Empire, quite joyful. Brainstorming it with my friends was so fun it was ridiculous. There’s drama, family secrets, gorgeous settings and, of course, falling in love.

  Everyone has their share of troubles and strife, but at the end of the day, if there are moments of joy, it makes it all worth it. I hope you enjoy this story, and come back for more Pemberton and Aurora, Inc. adventures.

  Happy reading,

  Donna

  Scandal and the Runaway Bride

  Donna Alward

  Donna Alward lives on Canada’s east coast with her family, which includes her husband, a couple of kids, a senior dog and two crazy cats. Her heartwarming stories of love, hope and homecoming have been translated into several languages, hit bestseller lists and won awards, but her favorite thing is hearing from readers! When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading (of course), knitting, gardening, cooking...and she is a Masterpiece Theatre addict. You can visit her on the web at donnaalward.com and join her mailing list at donnaalward.com/newsletter.

  Books by Donna Alward

  Harlequin Romance

  South Shore Billionaires

  Christmas Baby for the Billionaire

  Beauty and the Brooding Billionaire

  The Billionaire’s Island Bride

  Destination Brides

  Summer Escape with the Tycoon

  Marrying a Millionaire

  Best Man for the Wedding Planner

  Secret Millionaire for the Surrogate

  Heart to Heart

  Hired: The Italian’s Bride

  How a Cowboy Stole Her Heart

  Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.

  To the real sister wives, Barb, Shirley, Jenna and Renee—brainstormers extraordinaire and the best besties in the world.

  Praise for

  Donna Alward

  “A stellar contemporary romance that is simply outstanding, Christmas Baby for the Billionaire is a wonderful story I loved losing myself in. Donna Alward is a terrific storyteller who is always on top form and in her latest romance, she has penned a story of hope, second chances, healing and new beginnings peppered with humor and pathos that is absolutely impossible to put down.”

  —Goodreads

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Excerpt from Christmas Encounter with a Prince by Katrina Cudmore

  CHAPTER ONE

  Surrey, mid-July

  WILLIAM PEMBERTON HELD the folded sheet of cream paper in his hand and clenched his jaw. Just beyond this room, in the Chatsworth estate chapel, his elder brother, Stephen Pemberton, the Earl of Chatsworth, was waiting for his bride. The guests had already filled the pews and the organist was playing quietly, though the wait had been so long now she was starting to repeat pieces. The bridesmaids were lined up at the entry doors, dresses and bouquets perfect, and William had been discreetly dispatched to find out what was keeping the bride.

  What he’d discovered was no bride at all, and a note instead.

  I’m sorry. Please forgive me.

  William fought to contain the rage and contempt racing through his veins. His brother was a good man, and deserved better than this. Especially after his previous broken engagement—though the rest of the family wasn’t aware of the circumstances of Stephen’s breakup with Bridget. Only William, who’d found his brother soundly inebriated in the Chatsworth study one night last February, knew the truth. The whole sordid tale had come out over far too much gin.

  And while William had thought that Stephen’s marriage to Gabriella was also a mistake, this was too much. Who did Gabi Baresi think she was? There’d been ample time to change her mind. Instead she’d left it to the eleventh hour, when it was sure to humiliate Stephen—and his family—the most. Rage simmered in William’s veins. This wasn’t just going to hurt Stephen, it was going to be a PR nightmare for Aurora, Inc.

  He let out a breath. Okay. His job right now was damage control. There would be no wedding today and he had to think fast to keep it from being an utter scandal, splashed all over the tabloids. The Pembertons and the company didn’t need that. Not now, so soon after William’s father’s death.

  He folded the paper in little squares, tucked it into his pocket, and then set his shoulders, preparing for the horrible task ahead. His shoes clicked on the stone floor as he made his way through the back door to the chapel, where Stephen looked over at him with a questioning brow. William gave a jerk of his head and Stephen hurried to his side, still beaming his happy groom smile. That was, until they were behind a gigantic display of roses and lilies. William nearly choked on the overpowering scent.

  “What is it?” Stephen asked. “You look like you’re ready to murder someone.”

  “Not far off,” William whispered. “Listen, Gabi’s not coming. But I have a plan, so please don’t go off half-cocked until you hear me out.”

  Stephen’s face paled and his lips thinned. “My God. What do you mean, she’s not coming?”

  “She left a note, saying she’s sorry and to forgive her.”

  “Let me see it.”

  William had learned long ago to never disobey that tone in his brother’s voice. He took the note out of his pocket and unfolded it, careful to keep it out of sight of any guests. Not much worry, though. There were so many flower arrangements that the cha
pel had become a veritable bower of blooms. One only had to duck behind a single installment of blossoms and greenery to be completely concealed.

  Stephen swore.

  “My thoughts exactly,” William said. “Now, here’s what you’re going to do, and it’s going to take all your acting ability. You’re going to go up to that altar, incredibly concerned that your bride-to-be has fallen horribly ill. You’re going to ask to be excused, and you’re going to go back to the house. No one is going to see you, and once I’ve found her we’ll figure out a plan to contain the damage. It’ll be on social media within the hour, so we have to watch our steps.”

  “You’re going to find her.”

  “Oh, yes,” William promised darkly. “I don’t care if we have to call it food poisoning or the flu, but she is going to disappear for a while to ‘recuperate’ until this is under control. Then you can decide if you still want to go through with this farce.”

  “William—”

  “I know. Sorry. We’ll talk more later. Right now, you give the performance of your life and get back to the house. I’ll smooth things here and then find Gabi.”

  Stephen gave a brusque nod. If William had ever had any doubts about his brother’s feelings for Gabi, they were put to rest. He was angry, but he wasn’t heartbroken like a man should be when his bride pulls a runner. It was small comfort, but it was something.

  Stephen went to the altar and cleared his throat. “Ladies and gentlemen, I’m so sorry to say that there won’t be a wedding today. Gabi has fallen horribly ill. I thank you all for coming, and I’m sure we’ll set a new date once she’s feeling better. Right now, I’d better go look after my...after Gabriella.” He put on an expression of appropriate concern and affection that even William nearly believed.

  Then Stephen brushed past him and stormed through the door, looking to the rest of the world like a worried fiancé. But William knew that look. And when Stephen wore that expression, his mind was set. No matter what Gabi said now, this “arrangement” was over. Maybe that was a blessing, even if it was a mess to be cleaned up.

  Their mother, Aurora Germain Pemberton, hastened forward, concern flattening her normally soft, ethereal expression. “William, what is happening?”

  He met her gaze and kept his voice low. “Gabi ran. Stephen’s going to the house as if she’s ill. I’m going to find her, and then I’m going to find us a way out of this mess. Can you handle things here? Say as little as possible?”

  She scoffed. “Of course.” Then she looked up at William. “I wish I could say I was sorry, but I’m not. She was not the woman for Stephen, and they do not love each other. But, mon Dieu, I wish she’d done it another way. What a mess.”

  “I know, Maman.” He risked a little of Stephen’s secret. “You know he wanted a happy occasion. Something to make you look to the future, instead of grieving so much.”

  Aurora looked into William’s eyes, and he saw the sadness lurking in the gray depths. “Grief is what it is, darling. I will always grieve for your father. No wedding can take that away.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. It is life.” She smiled a little and kissed his cheek. “Now, don’t worry about a thing here. This is not my first PR crisis.”

  She walked away, head high and so very poised. His mother was an incredibly strong woman.

  One of the bridesmaids was standing back, twisting her fingers in her bouquet and biting her lip. Gabi’s younger sister, Giulia, who had traveled from Italy to be in the wedding. William beckoned her forward.

  “Giulia, right?” he asked.

  She nodded, chewing on her lip even more. She was young, maybe twenty-two or so. And Gabi had abandoned her, too. William might have felt sorry for her except he didn’t have the luxury of sympathy at the moment. A young man hovered just behind her—well, maybe Giulia wasn’t totally alone. She’d brought a plus one with her, though Will couldn’t remember his name.

  “Is my sister all right?”

  “Did you speak to her this morning?”

  Giulia nodded quickly. “Yes, of course. She was nervous, but who isn’t on their wedding day?”

  William searched her face for any hint of lying and found nothing. He was generally good at reading people, and he wasn’t sure this sweet young woman had it in her to be manipulative or a liar.

  “Come with me,” he said, putting his hand on her arm. “Where we can speak more privately.”

  The young man stepped forward, but Giulia gave a quick shake of her head and he halted. Her heels clacked behind William’s black dress shoes as he led her out of the chapel and into the room where he’d found the note. He shut the door behind him and looked her square in the eye. “Your sister isn’t sick. She left a note and ran.”

  “Oh, Dio mio!”

  William lifted an eyebrow. “That’s a common sentiment at the moment.” So far he’d heard it in three languages.

  “Do you know where she is? Oh, no.” Giulia’s hand was now over her mouth, her bouquet dangling from her opposite hand. “I need to go to her...”

  While William believed Giulia’s upset was genuine, he wasn’t swayed by her distressed voice. “Actually, I was hoping you might know where I could find her. This is quite a mess. We don’t want news to get out, do we? Did she say anything to you? Anything at all?”

  “I don’t understand.” Giulia gave a sniff, and William patiently went to the desk and retrieved a tissue for her.

  She dabbed her nose and eyes, and then William started again. “Giulia, your sister and my brother were getting married for appearances only. We both know they are not in love. Marrying Stephen meant that your family’s struggling company would benefit from an alliance with Aurora. Surely you must see how that won’t happen now.”

  Her eyes widened and he felt like the world’s biggest heel. He hadn’t said anything that was a lie, but he was being cold and calculating right now. It wasn’t his usual way of doing things. This was what came of having had to do far too much crisis management since his father died.

  “But... Mama and Papa...this isn’t their fault.”

  He gentled his voice. “No, of course not. But until I find Gabi and we sort this out...” He let the thought hang, and watched as Giulia sorted through the ramifications on her own.

  “William...” She said his name hesitantly, as if unsure if she was being too familiar. “Please, I... I do want to help. She is my sister.”

  “There are two ways you can help,” he said firmly. “The first is to not breathe a word about this to anyone. If it gets out that she left Stephen at the altar, I promise you there will not be a deal with your family. Ever.”

  She nodded quickly.

  “The second is to help me find her. Do you know where she might have gone? Is there anyone she would go to or a place that comes to mind?”

  She shook her head rapidly, then paused. “London. She’d try to hide in London. She always said that a person could get lost there. We laughed about it. Our city is much smaller.”

  “That’s not a lot to go on.”

  Giulia met his gaze. “I don’t know. She joked all the time about staying at the Ritz like Julia Roberts in that movie, you know? Where she always used a cartoon character as a fake name?”

  William fought the urge to roll his eyes. Yes, Notting Hill. His sister Arabella had watched it often enough.

  The Ritz wasn’t a lot to go on, but it was a place to start.

  He ripped a corner off the note and grabbed a pen from the vicar’s desk. “If you hear from her or think of anything, please let me know.” He jotted down his mobile number. “I can’t help her if I can’t find her.”

  And he did want to help her. Only because that was the singular way to help his family.

  And he’d do anything for them.

  * * *

  Gabriella’s hands trembled as
she lifted the demitasse to her lips. If they were at Chatsworth Hall, Stephen would have called for restorative tea. But tea wasn’t for Gabi, not at this moment. What she required was several jolts of espresso so she could make a better plan.

  She’d left him. Fled Surrey in her wedding dress and in Stephen’s car. She’d left the car at the train station, taken her bag and changed into regular clothes before hopping on the train for London. She had never done anything this impulsive in her life—and that included agreeing to marry Stephen in the first place.

  Her couture dress was stuffed into a garment bag and was hanging in the closet where she couldn’t see it. So far the only thing she’d been capable of was getting to the room and ordering coffee. Her hands wouldn’t stop shaking and her stomach quaked as she thought about what she’d done and the consequences.

  What would happen to Baresi Textiles? Her parents? Her baby sister, whom she’d left behind at the estate? Though at least Giulia had Marco. She wasn’t alone.

  Gabi put the small cup down on the table and rested her forehead on her hands. She’d ruined everything. But how could she have gone through with it? Marriage to a man she didn’t love? An agreement to bear a child...to divorce...all for financial gain?

  It had been a dumb idea. She should have had the courage to say no from the beginning. She’d been so very worried about her father and hiding her own broken heart, but that was no excuse for making stupid decisions. At least she could try to make things right now.

  When she thought of Stephen, her gut twisted again. He wasn’t a bad man. He was nice, and incredibly handsome, and he’d always treated her with respect and kindness. He’d been easy to like. But not love. The chemistry wasn’t there. And maybe that had been the clincher. He had been very open about wanting a child to inherit the title that he’d inherited himself only a year ago. In the end, she hadn’t been able to bring herself to sleep with someone she didn’t at least desire.