“Not today,” she replied with a shake of her head, one of her eyebrows arching up in what Octavius realized was a blatant attempt at seduction.
A rather effective attempt at seduction, it turned out, for he found he wanted nothing more than to make love to her that very moment.
Which is why they didn’t leave the folly right away.
The result of their first coupling, or perhaps their second or third, lay sleeping in a bassinet next to Isabella’s bed, the two-month-old boy guarded by the massive body of Nelson. In a few minutes or perhaps an hour, Lord Tiberius would be demanding his midnight supper.
Out in the newly-expanded stables, four mares were expecting foals in a few months, and a rather small Welsh pony, purchased by Isabella just the week before at Tattersall’s for only ten pounds, would begin his training in anticipation of becoming Tiberius’ first horse.
As for the other horses in their stables, they had a busy season ahead of them. Three were to be entered in several races, including the St. Leger, the 1000 Guineas, the 2000 Guineas, The Oaks, and The Derby.
Despite having a newborn, Octavius discovered his duchess’ interest in the beasts hadn’t waned in the least. She no longer mucked stalls, of course, opting instead to train yearlings and time the horses as they were raced around the makeshift track Octavius had seen to creating behind the stables.
Although he knew Isabella could have opted to simply wait until she reached her majority to use her dowry to build her own stables and populate them with Thoroughbreds of her own choosing, Octavius was rather glad she opted instead to make him her husband.
Her dowry helped him make her dream come true.
As for having David Fitzwilliam as a father-in-law, well, he found he didn’t have to acknowledge him as such, and that was fine with both of them.
As for having the new Earl of Craythorne as his brother-in-law, Octavius found John possessed of a sound mind and the spirit of youth—even if he was his political opposite. He had responded to Isabella’s initial letter in a most curious manner, his brief missive beginning with the words,
What a relief. I never for a moment believed you dead. However, I knew you couldn’t possibly hide forever—unless it was in a horse stable.
“Might I make a request of you?” Octavius whispered when Tiberius finally stirred and was about to wail for his midnight supper.
“What is it?” Isabella wondered, coming fully awake. She let out a moan of disappointment as Octavius pulled himself from her body and settled onto the mattress next to her.
“When it’s time to teach our son patience, let’s not tie him up to the orangery, shall we?”
Isabella let out a giggle as she moved to lift the babe in question from the bassinet. “Fine with me, but I’ll remember you made the request when he vexes you in a few years,” she warned with a grin.
Octavius frowned, but only for a moment. He was soon grinning ear to ear.
A Note to the Reader
So you see, Gentle Reader, even the most revered duke can end up with an unlikely wife. The most rakish twin with his betrothed.
But what of the younger twin? Will Daniel Fitzwilliam ever find true love? Oh, but of course! For how he manages it, be sure to read The Widowed Countess.
As for Constance Fitzwilliam, know that her future is far different from what she expects. When she reaches her majority, a trip to London will have her discovering there is a man with a bit of horse sense in The Love of a Rake.
Thank you for taking the time to read The Dream of a Duchess. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review. Word of mouth is an author’s best friend.
Thank you,
Linda Rae Sande
Also by Linda Rae Sande
The Daughters of the Aristocracy
The Kiss of a Viscount
The Grace of a Duke
The Seduction of an Earl
The Sons of the Aristocracy
Tuesday Nights
The Widowed Countess
My Fair Groom
The Sisters of the Aristocracy
The Story of a Baron
The Passion of a Marquess
The Desire of a Lady
The Brothers of the Aristocracy
The Love of a Rake
The Caress of a Commander
The Epiphany of an Explorer
The Widows of the Aristocracy
The Gossip of an Earl
The Enigma of a Spy
The Secrets of a Viscount
The Widowers of the Aristocracy
The Dream of a Duchess
The Cousins of the Aristocracy
The Promise of a Gentleman
The Pride of a Gentleman
The Holidays of the Aristocracy
The Christmas of a Countess
About the Author
A self-described nerd and lover of science, Linda Rae spent many years as a published technical writer specializing in 3D graphics workstations, software and 3D animation (her movie credits include SHREK and SHREK 2). An interest in genealogy led to years of research on the Regency era and a desire to write fiction based in that time.
A fan of action-adventure movies, she can frequently be found at the local cinema. Although she no longer has any tropical fish, she does follow the San Jose Sharks. She makes her home in Cody, Wyoming.
If you’d like to learn about upcoming releases, be sure to subscribe to her newsletter.
For more information:
www.lindaraesande.com
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