Castled Prologue: Duke Society Series

by Gina Robinson

  The office was furnished with a small, round conference table, four upholstered chairs around the table, and a water dispenser. I took the seat farthest from the door. "Please, sit."

  Mr. Thorne was carrying a briefcase. Very old school of him. He set it on the table and opened it after he sat.

  "Water?" I asked.

  "Thank you, no." Thorne studied me. "I'm sorry, sir. I get the impression it's been a rough day here?"

  I nodded. "We've just been sold. We were expecting an IPO. Call me Noah."

  "Ah." He pulled out a sheaf of papers from his briefcase. "There's no easy way to say this…Noah. I'm afraid I have more bad news."

  I shrugged. "They say it comes in threes. Hit me with it."

  He folded his hands on the sheaf of papers in front of him. "I've been charged on behalf of your family with delivering some sad news." He appeared to weigh his words. "Your father and half brother died yesterday in a tragic farming accident." He watched me to see how I took the news.

  I was stunned and speechless a moment. Who wouldn't be? But the feeling of personal sadness was absent. I felt the general tragedy and nothing more.

  Thorne waited for me to react.

  "Wow. I don't know what to say." I ran my hand through my hair. "That's sad. On general principle. Sad when someone dies before their time in an accident."

  I took a breath, feeling the need to explain. "Forgive me if I don't show the grief you expect. I didn't know either of them. My brother is, was, much older than I am. Old enough to be my father. And my father was old enough to be my grandfather. My mom was his second, much younger wife. She divorced him when I was a baby. He is, was, a deadbeat dad. Never gave Mom a dime for my support. Never sent me a present. I've seen him half a dozen times in my life, maybe. My brother a few less."

  Mr. Thorne listened patiently. Maybe I did look like I was grieving. Maybe he was just a patient man. Maybe that was how British lawyers were. Whatever.

  I laughed at myself. "You know all that, am I right?"

  Thorne smiled.

  "Yeah." I swallowed hard. "Did they suffer?"

  "I don't know the particulars," Thorne said. "I'm taken to believe it was quick."

  I nodded. "Good. What do I do now? Send flowers?" I clenched my fist. A thought occurred to me. "Dad sure as hell wouldn't have left me anything. Nothing more than the obligatory dollar or whatever's required to show he hadn't forgotten me. My brother had a couple of daughters, didn't he?"

  "Yes," Thorne said.

  "You must be here to tell me that I'm now the earl of whatever. That I've just inherited a worthless title and hand me my dollar. And I only get the title because my nieces can't."

  Thorne's face was a mask. He clasped his hands in front of him. "Actually, I'm not employed by your late father or brother's estates. I can't speak to what they did, or did not, leave you. The title of earl, definitely.

  "I represent another of your male relatives. And I regret to inform you of his passing as well. The Duke of Hardison was ninety. He'd been failing for some time. He passed away just hours after your father and brother. The shock of losing his two closest heirs might have been too much for him. Which is why I led with their deaths. It's important for what follows.

  "Since the surprise passing of several of your father's male relatives in the last few years, your father, followed by your brother, were in line for the duke's title. Now that they're gone, you're the heir. I'm here to inform you that you are now something much greater than an earl. You're the Duke of Hardison, your grace."

  My mouth fell open. The first thing I thought of was calling Gray to tell her I was now a duke. She'd get a kick out of it. She would have made the perfect duchess.

  "Another empty title. Great," I said. "Now I'm both duke and earl."

  "The title of duke is not so empty as you may think, your grace," Thorne said. "In the modern age, estates can no longer be entailed to the male line. The duke was free to leave the estate to whomever he chose. He was old-fashioned as well as old. He fought all his life to keep the estate in the family and pass it along to his heir intact with the title. For that reason, it was his last wish that Hardison Castle go with the title to the next duke. In this case, you."

  I swallowed hard. "Did you say castle?"

  Thorne nodded. "Yes. A castle. Complete with thousands of acres, several outbuildings, a large orchard, a hotel, and a village of the same name, Hardison. And a beautiful Georgian townhouse in London. A few other holdings throughout the U.K." He tapped the stack of papers in front of him. "Your holdings are detailed in here. The estate is a midsized business, really. To keep it up and running will take a man with business sense and initiative. If you’re like most Marstons, you'll manage."

  "How much is all worth?" I felt my excitement growing. If I couldn't have Gray and my startup IPO, I could have an adventure and my own castle. An escape.

  "Hundreds of millions of pounds, your grace. Close to a billion, really."

  My eyes went wide. I was almost too stunned to speak for a moment. "I'm almost a billionaire?" A grin spread across my face.

  "If you agree to the late duke's terms, yes."

  "What terms?" I was a multi-multimillionaire, almost billionaire. Just hours before turning thirty. A duke. With a business of my own. I didn't give a damn about the terms. I'd been listening closely enough to realize I had some leverage to negotiate them.

  "The late duke stipulated that you must live on the estate for at least a year before the deed and the bulk of the assets are fully transferred to you. You must make the estate turn a profit within that year. And you must marry and show intent to produce an heir.

  "As the late duke's representative, I have been given final approval of any woman you choose to make your duchess. I have a strict set of criteria and will, of course, do full background checks. We're fully aware that you're currently unattached. As such, I also have a list of very suitable women that the late duke approved of. I can make the necessary introductions if you like. The details are in the contract."

  "Let's see if I have this right—I inherit the title, no matter what."

  "Yes, your grace."

  "The estate comes with stipulations. But the late duke wanted the estate to stay in the family with the title. I'll take the estate and the challenge to make it profitable. But I won't be forced to marry. I don't see how that's even legally enforceable."

  "We have our ways, your grace," Thorne said. "Legally enforceable or not. I've dealt with several other estates and similar situations. Let's just say for now that there's a hefty marriage bonus that makes that a very attractive option. There's another baby bonus, more for a boy. Archaic, maybe. But that's the system. I wouldn't fight it if I were you."

  My eyes narrowed. He was threatening me. "Bonuses." My mind whirred. There might be a way around the stipulations. "I'd like to have a lawyer look over the will and codicils before I agree to anything."

  "Naturally," Thorne said. "I can give you forty-eight hours to get counsel and make your decision. I think you'll find the terms very agreeable and fair. An offer of a lifetime, your grace." He slid the paperwork toward me.

  I scooped it up. "I hope so." I glanced at it. I wanted out of this latest startup before it became corporate hell. I couldn't believe this—a dukedom. I wouldn't even have to fire up my network. This was perfect.

  The timing of the old duke's death and Thorne's visit were impeccable. Maybe this was a fairytale. Maybe the fairies had set up all this tragedy. Maybe I didn't give a damn if they had.

  "I'll contact my lawyer immediately. You'll have my answer as soon as possible."

  Thorne handed me his card. "I'm staying downtown until I have your answer. Call me with any questions. Any time. I'm also available to meet with you at a moment's notice."

  We finished up. I showed Thorne out.

  I was headed back to my desk to call my lawyer when my phone rang—Gray. I picked up the call. "Hey. You'll never believe my day."

  "You'll
never believe mine. It's over." Gray was crying so hard that I could barely understand her. "I found out some terrible things about Christopher. I broke off the engagement. I'm going to be single at thirty, Noah."

  NEXT UP: A hauntingly beautiful castle, a vast fortune on the line, an American heir to Hardly’s dukedom, and two lifelong best friends thrown into a marriage of convenience by the late duke’s will.

  Get CASTLED.

  About the Author

  Gina Robinson is the bestselling and award-winning author of the popular Switched at Marriage, Billionaire Duke, and Billionaire Matchmaker romantic comedy series, featuring a billionaire in a surprising marriage of convenience, a billionaire who inherits a British dukedom, and a billionaire who partners with a matchmaker, the Reckless and Rushed contemporary new adult romance series, and the Agent Ex series of humorous romantic suspense novels. Her books have delighted readers and received praise in Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Romantic Times Book Reviews.

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  www.ginarobinson.com