Contents
Title Page-1
Copyright-1
Other Books by the Author
Newsletter Information
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
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Epilogue
About the Author
The Duchess Remembers
Defiant Brides
Book 3
Jennifer Monroe
Copyright © 2018 Jennifer Monroe
All rights reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Other Books by Jennifer Monroe
The Duke’s Wager: Defiant Brides Book 1
The Spinster’s Secret: Defiant Brides Book 2
If you would like to receive Jennifer Monroe’s newsletter with information on upcoming books, you may sign up at the link below.
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Chapter One
December 1809
Andrew Balfour, Duke of Pendlow and sole heir to his family fortune, grasped the side of the carriage as it navigated the washed-out road. Though the heavy rains and wind had stopped three days earlier, the destruction of the storm was evident everywhere, including large holes in the roads and several fallen trees which lay on the ground. However, it mattered not how treacherous the roads might be, or if another storm was to assault him this very moment. For today, he would ask one Miss Lucy Honeyfield for her hand in marriage. A smile spread across his face as he thought of the beautiful woman.
It had been over the past year in which he and Miss Honeyfield had been courting, and although she was nineteen and he four and twenty, age mattered not, for he loved her. The two shared much in common—a tremendous change from when they first began to court. At that time, she had been much more defiant, rebuking his every word, and he had to admit that he, too, had been a bit of a scoundrel. As a matter of fact, it befuddled many of their friends and family as to why they would court in the first place. However, as their courtship continued, they had grown to have a great affection for one another. As it was, he found a woman who had captured his heart and mind, a woman who had beauty, both inside and out.
The carriage slowed, breaking Andrew from his thoughts. He glanced out the window at Foxglove Estate, the place in which the woman who had captured his heart and mind resided, and as the driver brought the vehicle to a stop before the steps, it was all Andrew could do not to run to the door before the step had been placed. However, even though he was in love, he was a Duke and such actions would not be fitting. Instead, he waited with impatience until he was able to alight. With a quick nod at the driver, he straightened his back, took a deep breath, and made his way to the door, which opened to Lady Catherine Honeyfield, wife of Baron Robert Honeyfield and mother to the woman Andrew loved: Miss Lucy Honeyfield.
Though it was December, winter had been quite calm thus far in terms of the cold. It had rained a number of times, but otherwise it had been dry and the warmth of autumn had refused to leave. Not that Andrew minded, of course; it was not often one could enjoy such a stunning day. Today, the sun shone down on him, perhaps an omen of good things to come.
Foxglove Estate was a lovely, two-story house made of red brick with large rectangular windows that reflected the sun. A row of hedges lined the drive that led up to the house and continued at a right angle so it hid the brick under the ground floor windows. A large marble urn sat on either side of the door would be overflowing with flowers in the summer but now sat barren in the winter light.
“Lord Balfour,” said Lady Honeyfield, her face beaming, “we are honored to have you visit once again.”
Andrew gave her a bow. “It is my honor,” he said, barely able to contain his excitement. “Is Lord Honeyfield still away on business?” He followed Lady Honeyfield into the foyer, which displayed a white marble floor, a massive chandelier, and wide set of stairs that led to the upper floor. Although the house was not as large as Chudleigh Hill, his Exeter estate, it still exhibited a great amount of style and beauty.
“He is,” Lady Honeyfield replied, “though we expect him back tomorrow.” She turned to the butler. “Take his coat, Canton.”
“Thank you, but no,” Andrew said before the man could remove his coat. “I thought, with your permission, of course, I would escort Miss Lucy around the gardens. One should take advantage of the lovely weather and shining sun while we have the opportunity, should we not?”
Lady Honeyfield gave a light laugh. “Indeed,” she replied. “I imagine this gift cannot last much longer. I will inform Lucy of your arrival.” She requested tea from a young maid Andrew had not noticed standing in the shadow of the staircase and then turned back to Andrew. “If you would like to take a seat in the drawing room, it should not be long. Canton will see that you have something to drink.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Andrew said with a wide smile, although he knew Lady Honeyfield had no choice than to offer, given that he was a guest. The fact was, he needed his wits about him, and adding alcohol to his already nervous state would only complicate everything.
“Very well,” the woman replied. “I will be back in just a moment.” However, before she even made it to the first landing a few steps up from the foyer floor, Andrew heard footsteps above him. When he looked up, his breath caught in his throat and his heart rate increased. For there staring down at him was Miss Honeyfield, the woman he had come to adore. She wore a yellow dress that complemented her wheat-colored hair and had puffed sleeves and a rounded neckline. However, she could have been wearing a burlap sack and she still would have been just as beautiful to Andrew as she was this day.
“Lord Balfour,” Miss Honeyfield said as she made her way down the stairs, her slippered foot appearing with each step and then hiding away beneath her skirts before stepping down to appear once again on the next step. When she reached the foyer floor she gave a quick curtsy and then smiled.
Andrew could do nothing more than stare at her beauty. Now he could make out the lace that trimmed her dress and the cut of the neckline that allowed a nice view of her décolletage. However, he did not allow his eyes to linger on that part of her body. For one, it was not proper, but for another, he found her face much too handsome to not study.
“Miss Honeyfield,” Andrew replied to her greeting, though he wondered if his voice sounded a bit choked. He certainly hoped not.
“Well,” Lady Honeyfield said when Andrew nor Miss Honeyfield took their eyes off each other, “shall we collect our shawls before we begin our stroll? We might not be experiencing our typical winter but that does not make it summer.”
As Andrew waited for the two women to don their wraps, his thoughts went to how he would propose to her. Granted, they had not had th
e easiest of roads to this point, but they had come so far. And as Miss Honeyfield’s mother opened the door and Andrew offered his arm to the younger woman, he knew in his heart she would accept.
***
The hedges were bereft of their leaves, and the gardens sat barren; however, Andrew knew that the flower who had placed her hand on his arm was more precious than any flower that bloomed in the spring.
They stopped in front of a tree and Andrew glanced over his shoulder. The Baroness took a seat on a bench a discreet distance away and proceeded to open a book she brought with her. Whether or not she was reading, he was unsure, nor did he care, but she was far enough away that his words would not carry. He returned his gaze to the beautiful woman beside him and gazed down at her. Her eyes, which would darken when she was angry, were light, and her smile warmed his heart.
“When we first began to court,” Andrew said, “I wondered why you agreed. You had heard rumors about me. Plus, there were plenty of men who you could have instead of me.” He took her hand in his and glanced once again at her mother. However, the woman either was not paying attention, or chose not to. “As we continued to spend time together, I stopped caring about those other men who wished to win your heart, for I knew I would have you, no matter the cost.” Miss Honeyfield nodded but said nothing as she pulled her shawl tighter. “Many years ago, my father began instructing me in the ways of the world, or rather the world as he saw it. I must tell you, with his outlook on life, the world is a cold and dreary place. A place I lived in for a very long time. That is, until I met you.”
A tear rolled down Miss Honeyfield’s face and Andrew wiped it away. When she still did not speak, he continued. “In this past year, you opened my eyes to another world—a world full of hope and even…love.” A breeze picked up several leaves from the ground around their feet and Andrew felt himself shiver; however, he knew it was not from the cold air. “I now see that love is real, for I have experienced it myself, and I wish to experience it with you every day of my life.” He took both her hands and grasped them in his. “Miss Lucy Honeyfield, will you deign to be my wife?”
Miss Honeyfield brushed away new tears as she looked up at Andrew. If he could do anything in his life, it would be to stare down at her for the rest of eternity.
“Like you, I must admit I had reservations when you began coming by to see me. If not for my father’s insistence, I have to say that I might never have allowed it. However, for once in my life, I am happy he was so insistent, for I have seen you change from a bitter man to a man I adore and cherish.”
Andrew smiled. Many men would have been offended to be called bitter; yet, he knew what she said was true, and although he would not admit such things to others, he found it easy to do so to her. However, she had yet to accept his proposal, and he began to wonder if she would reject him.
Then she took a deep breath and began to speak again. “For so long now, I participated in gossip, and even worse, took those lies as truth. For that I am sorry. I will have you know that those days are over.”
Andrew could only smile. One particular rumor had led Lucy to refuse to see him at one point, but finally, after several weeks of persistence, she had relented and allowed him to explain the truth behind the story.
“I know that life is behind you,” he said kindly.
“Life without you is like this garden,” she said with a sweep of her arm. “Dull, no color, no life. However, with you, there is a pleasantness of something better to come. A new season to bring life.” Her eyes were now shining as she gazed up at him with such intensity, he wondered if he would fall to the ground. “Andrew, I love you and want nothing more than to be your wife.”
For one tiny instance, Andrew wondered if he had heard her correctly. Had she just accepted his marriage proposal? He almost wished to pinch his arm to assure himself he was not dreaming. However, the feel of her hand in his told him that he was not asleep and that this, indeed, was not a dream.
What he wanted to do at that very moment was pull her into his arms and kiss her deeply, but that was not for this moment as her mother was not far away. She might appear to be reading, but he saw her eyes flicker up at them and a smile play on her lips when she returned to her book. Did she know that he had asked her daughter to marry him?
Though he was disappointed that he could not kiss the beautiful woman before him just yet, he knew he had a lifetime of shared kisses and happiness once they were married.
And he could not wait.
Chapter Two
June 1810
Lady Lucy Balfour, formerly Honeyfield, looked out the window of their room at the Royal Piedmont Hotel in St. Mawes, Cornwall. Her eyes were wide as she watched a group of sailors make their way down a gangplank, their boisterous laughter rising above the clamoring of the dockhands as they moved cargo on and off the ships. Even from this distance, the activity amazed her, taking her breath away, much like the hands that came around her waist and pulled her back.
“Andrew,” she said in mock disapproval, “you are such a rogue.” However, she could not stop the giggle that followed.
He leaned down and planted a kiss on her neck. “I cannot help myself,” he whispered. “I am married to the most beautiful woman in all of England.”
She turned to look at him and could not stop the smile that erupted on her face. He was the most handsome man she had ever known with eyes as blue as the sea and hair as dark as night, and she found herself weak in his arms.
Then he leaned down, and when his lips touched hers, a flame deep within her ignited. She moved her hands up to the tight muscles on his arms and the kiss deepened, an urgency to which she wished to abandon herself.
However, she pushed him away reluctantly. It was their second day in St. Mawes, and she was ready to explore. “We can save that for tonight, my love,” she said in a low voice. There was no mistaking the desire in his eyes, and she giggled when he sighed. “I suggest we walk down to the beach and then perhaps walk through the town. I am a bit hungry.”
Andrew nodded. “I think that would be wonderful,” he said, “but did you not say you wished to stop by the millinery first?”
Lucy reached for her gloves and slid them over her hands. “Oh? Does my husband wish to allow me to purchase a hat?” she asked playfully. She loved the way he smiled, much as he did now, the dimples in his cheeks making him look even more handsome.
“I do,” he replied. “In fact, I thought that perhaps you would enjoy visiting that shop several times before we leave.”
Lucy smiled as they headed to the door. When she had met him nearly two years ago, the rumors concerning him were mostly unfounded. Sadly, a few she found to be true. He was notorious for being a miser when it came to his money back then, and his cold demeanor was almost intolerable. However, the coldness and anger left him after they began courting, replaced by a light that shone in his eyes and his smile. A light that was called Love.
Though Lucy knew she could spend the next week shopping, and even hire an extra carriage to bring back the wealth of purchases to Chudleigh Hill, she did not care, nor did she wish to do so, for, in Andrew, she had everything she could need.
Well, I could add a new hat to that, she thought with a tiny giggle.
“Another beautiful day indeed,” Andrew remarked. “Good fortune is upon us both.” The sun reflected brightly off the water, making Lucy squint. However, to have this weather in January was a treat, and she would not complain. Even the people moving about, either on foot or by horse, seemed to radiate the sun with their smiles. Though she could not see her own smile, Lucy felt it and knew that she, too, exuded that radiance, both inside and out.
“Good fortune is upon me,” Lucy said. “I married the handsomest of men. I will have to fight off any woman who lays her eyes on you.”
Andrew laughed. “Fear not, my love. No woman will attempt to woo me, for it is not only I who would rebuke them, but if they see that fierceness in your eyes, they would run away in fe
ar.”
Lucy giggled when Andrew winked at her. Not a year earlier, she had heard a rumor that Andrew had been caught alone with Lucy’s best friend Charlotte, a rumor started by her cousin, Anne. It had struck so close to her heart that she had believed it the moment she heard it. Later, however, having found Anne had exaggerated the situation, and after speaking with Charlotte personally, she found herself apologizing profusely. Though it had been quite embarrassing, it was a lesson well learned.
As difficult as it was to admit now that she was a mature woman of twenty, Lucy had previously been a renowned gossip who enjoyed spending her days discussing the latest tales, and no one was safe from the gaggle of gossips with whom she spent a good portion of her time. Just the thought of those days gone by made her flush with embarrassment; they had been childish games and nonsense, and she was glad those days were now in the past.
“Rhos Milliners?” Andrew asked, breaking Lucy from her thoughts.
Lucy stopped in front of the shop and studied the samples in the window display with an appreciative sigh. A friend of her parents’ family had recommended this particular shop, as it was renowned for its hats. However, Lucy found it much more intriguing that the shop was run by a woman. Not just any woman, but in fact a lady. Lucy admired the fact that a woman who was titled would be allowed to be the proprietor of any business. How forward thinking her husband must be.
They entered the shop and Lucy could not help but look around in awe. The walls were lined with rolls of fabrics of all sorts of patterns and hues. Ribbon choices were so numerous, they were difficult to count. Several books lay open to different plates depicting women in a variety of hats and bonnets, which could be made using any combination of fabrics, ribbons and other adornments. Lucy could not wait to get started and she worried only for a short time that Andrew would be left waiting outside for an undetermined amount of time. Well, let him wait; a woman’s hat was her calling card in Lucy’s opinion.
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