by Erica Ridley
Maybe he’d be here, and refuse to acknowledge her in front of his fancy peers.
“Fetch me a lemonade, dear, would you?” her great-aunt asked.
By herself? Panic rushed through her, causing her knees to tremble. At home, Carole knew everyone. Here, she knew no one. Worse—here, she was no one. But her aunt was thirsty and Carole owed her everything for her hospitality, so she rolled back her shoulders and pretended not to feel like a crow among swans as she made her way to the refreshments table.
The Season wouldn’t start for months, so at least she could only embarrass herself in front of the minimum quantity of people. Of elegant, rich, well-connected—
The familiar snick of ivory balls colliding caught her attention, and her gaze jerked toward an open doorway. Inside the adjoining room was a beautiful billiard table. A dozen spectators cheered on two impeccably dressed gentlemen.
Adam.
He adjusted his stance, lifted his cue, and delivered a perfectly competent cannon.
His opponent murmured something that made Adam laugh. Adam responded by saying something that made the three young ladies cooing behind him erupt into giggles.
Carole’s fingers dug into her clammy palms. She did not belong. What was she doing here?
But as she turned to go, Adam’s eyes met hers from the other side of the billiard table.
He froze half-stretched across the table, caught in the middle of positioning a shot. “Carole?”
“I need to talk to you,” she managed. Or tried to. She wasn’t certain the hoarse creak of her voice traveled loud enough for him to hear.
Adam handed his cue to one of his friends. He walked around the table to the doorway, but did not step into the main room. “What are you doing here?”
She took a deep breath and met him at the threshold. They would be seen, but not overheard.
“You don’t have to say anything back,” she said quickly, “but I can’t leave things how they were without telling you the truth. And the truth is… I wanted to say yes, but I was terrified. I knew you meant it in the moment, but I also knew you’d come back to—” She gestured around them. “—this, and realize your mistake. I didn’t want to be that mistake. I love you too much to spend the rest of my life knowing I was never truly good enough.”
There. The words were out. She held her breath.
“I found your sketchbook,” he said quietly.
Heat blazed her cheeks. “I… er…”
“I don’t know what to say because I never do seem to have the right words. But I do have this.” He slid his hand inside his waistcoat and pulled out her sketchbook.
Her mouth opened wordlessly. He’d been carrying around her sketchbook.
“Here.” He teased out a folded sheet of foolscap he appeared to have been using as a bookmark. “I started working on it the day you agreed to help me find the perfect woman.”
With trembling fingers, she opened the paper.
* * *
Required Qualities for my Future Wife
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She glanced up. He motioned for her to keep reading.
* * *
Friendly
Fearless
Good with children
Must like each other!!
Honest
Reciprocates feelings
Thoughtful
Puts family first
Knows what she wants
Does everything she can to achieve it
Even though she doesn’t need me… still wants me.
* * *
“Those are the only characteristics I care about.” He took her hands in his and pressed them to his chest. “I modeled them after the perfect woman. You.”
Epilogue
Six months later
* * *
Adam leaned his cheek against his wife’s soft hair as they cuddled close for warmth in the outdoor seats of Cressmouth’s bustling amphitheater. The annual Christmas performance of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale was about to begin.
After having spent the months after their wedding nestled up north in their cottage, he’d miss moments like these in this cozy village when they returned to London for the parliamentary session.
On the other hand, Adam was looking forward to sharing a different kind of Season with Carole. Not just because she loved to research with him—her analytical talents meant he could finish work much faster, with more time to spend with each other.
That was what he was really looking forward to: introducing her to all the sights and tastes of London, waltzing with her anywhere they found an orchestra, challenging their friends to a memorable game of billiards…
It was hard to believe that when he’d first set eyes on his father’s completely rearranged library, his instinct had been to throttle whoever had dared lay a finger on his cherished books. Instead, when he and Carole had discovered that the culprit was Adam’s friend Theo while he was recuperating from his battle injuries, Adam could have kissed him and thrown him a parade for helping bring him and Carole closer together.
He and Carole weren’t the only ones to benefit. Adam glanced over the top of Carole’s head to grin at the couple seated on her other side. Now that Swinton and Judith lived in the same household, there was no longer any reason for them to have to sneak away to hide their attraction. In fact, they were both Swintons now, having called the banns the month after Carole and Adam’s wedding.
Carole’s father was coming out of his shell more and more. Instead of exiting his study once a week, the Azurefords and the le Ducs had joined forces to create the first annual Cressmouth billiard tournament—with Mr. Quincy as captain.
Adam nuzzled his wife’s hair. “If you could sketch anything you pleased into this moment, what would you change?”
“Nothing at all.” She smiled up at him. “What would you change?”
“I’d add this,” he said, and lowered his mouth for a kiss.
THE END
What happens when Désirée le Duc becomes the appallingly unqualified governess to twins Annie and Frederick… and finds herself falling for their roguish father?
Join the fun in The Duke’s Bride, the next romance in the 12 Dukes of Christmas series!
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Thank You For Reading
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In order, the 12 Dukes of Christmas:
Once Upon a Duke
Kiss of a Duke
Wish Upon a Duke
Never Say Duke
Dukes, Actually
The Duke’s Bride
The Duke’s Embrace
The Duke’s Desire
Dawn With a Duke
One Night With a Duke
Ten Days With a Duke
Forever Your Duke
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In order, the Rogues to Riches books are:
Lord of Chance
Lord
of Pleasure
Lord of Night
Lord of Temptation
Lord of Secrets
Lord of Vice
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In order, the Dukes of War books are:
The Viscount’s Christmas Temptation (FREE!)
The Earl’s Defiant Wallflower
The Captain’s Bluestocking Mistress
The Major’s Faux Fiancée
The Brigadier’s Runaway Bride
The Pirate's Tempting Stowaway
The Duke's Accidental Wife
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Acknowledgments
As always, I could not have written this book without the invaluable support of my critique partner, beta readers, and editors. Huge thanks go out to Erica Monroe and Tessa Shapcott. You are the best!
Lastly, I want to thank the 12 Dukes of Christmas facebook group, my Historical Romance Book Club, and my fabulous street team. Your enthusiasm makes the romance happen.
Thank you so much!
The Duke’s Bride
Single father and confirmed bachelor Jack Skeffington is the mastermind behind an international smuggling ring, yet unable to control his rambunctious ten-year-old twins. What he needs is a stern, experienced, no-nonsense governess. What he gets is his business partner’s untouchable sister, whose delectable body Jack yearns to pull close.
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Mademoiselle Désirée le Duc cannot wait to return to France and regain her lost vineyard. But to do so, she must repay crippling debt. Determined to buy freedom, she accepts temporary employment from an Englishman with a wicked smile and a big… wine cellar. His kisses taste like heaven and his arms feel like home. How can she choose between two families separated by the sea?
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The 12 Dukes of Christmas is a series of heartwarming Regency romps nestled in a picturesque snow-covered village. After all, nothing heats up a winter night quite like finding oneself in the arms of a duke!
Get Yours: Grab The Duke’s Bride here!
About the Author
Erica Ridley is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of historical romance novels.
In the new Rogues to Riches historical romance series, Cinderella stories aren’t just for princesses… Sigh-worthy Regency rogues sweep strong-willed young ladies into whirlwind rags-to-riches romance with rollicking adventure.
The popular Dukes of War series features roguish peers and dashing war heroes who return from battle only to be thrust into the splendor and madness of Regency England.
When not reading or writing romances, Erica can be found riding camels in Africa, zip-lining through rainforests in Central America, or getting hopelessly lost in the middle of Budapest.
Let’s be friends! Find Erica on:
www.EricaRidley.com
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