Her Master and Commander

by Karen Hawkins

  Prudence twisted to look at Tristan. “Old? Did you tell him I was—”

  “Chris, I am so sorry you cannot stay,” Tristan said, pulling Prudence even closer. “But I know you must leave. Now.”

  “Sad, but true. Very true.” Christian made his way to the door, pausing only a second to look back at Reeves. “I assume you will be visiting me next? I still have to win the final approval of the trustees, though it should not be too difficult of a task.”

  “I shall come the instant Lord Rochester is married.”

  “Excellent! I shall return for that. But I do think I shall need your help in London. I plan to reopen Rochester House. Tristan has kindly allowed me the use of it in exchange for funding his charity.”

  Reeves bowed, his blue eyes narrowing slightly. “I shall look forward to it. It has been a while since I had the joy of dressing someone who appreciates it.”

  Tristan chuckled. “Reeves, do not set your hopes too high. Christian won’t wear puce, only black.”

  Christian nodded. “Color seems so…tawdry.”

  Reeves gave a small sigh. “I can see I have my work cut out for me.”

  “You always do,” Tristan said. He looked down at Prudence, who sat upon his knee, her eyes warm with love.

  Theirs would be a union of spirit and fervor. They would clash and argue with the same passion they shared beneath the sheets.

  He would never leave her, nor she him. Together, he would help the sailors and she would run her school. And together, they would live a life blessed with love.

  What more could anyone wish for?

  Prudence leaned forward and placed her arms around his neck. “God bless Reeves,” she whispered, placing her forehead against his.

  He smiled in return. “God bless Reeves,” he agreed.

  About the Author

  KAREN HAWKINS was raised in Tennessee, a member of a huge extended family that included her brother and sister, an adopted sister, numerous foster siblings and various exchange students. In order to escape the chaos (and whilst hiding when it was her turn to do the dishes), she would huddle under the comforter on her bed with a flashlight and a book, a habit she still embraces to this day. For more information about Karen, or pictures of her chasing a box of donuts while training for a road race, visit her at www.karenhawkins.com or write to her at Karen Hawkins, P.O. Box 5292, Kingsport, TN 37663-5292.

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  By Karen Hawkins

  HER MASTER AND COMMANDER

  LADY IN RED

  AND THE BRIDE WORE PLAID

  HOW TO TREAT A LADY

  CONFESSIONS OF A SCOUNDREL

  AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER

  THE SEDUCTION OF SARA

  A BELATED BRIDE

  THE ABDUCTION OF JULIA

  Coming Soon

  HER OFFICER AND GENTLEMAN

  Copyright

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  HER MASTER AND COMMANDER. Copyright © 2006 by Karen Hawkins. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

  Mobipocket Reader February 2007 ISBN 978-0-06-136464-8

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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