o0o
Kingstag Castle
25 June 1813
Bridget Cavendish walked toward the lake, kicking pebbles off the path as she went. Now that the wedding day was past, all the guests would soon depart. She was happy for the married couples, of course, even if Lieutenant Newnham was now the only attractive unmarried man left in all of England, it seemed. But after a fortnight’s excitement of switched brides and sudden marriages and betrothals, Kingstag would be unbearably dull. Her friends Kate and Charlotte were packing at this moment, with her sisters Alexandra and Serena helping. They were all making plans for London next year, when Serena and Kate would be making their debuts and dancing with any number of handsome gentlemen in regimentals, while she would be chained to her mother’s side like a child.
She’d been permitted to attend all the wedding festivities this past fortnight. She would die if she had to be deprived of all the fun next year.
If only something exciting would happen. Perhaps she should visit Great-great-great aunt Sophronia. Sophronia always listened to her and even encouraged her to try her ideas. And now that Henrietta would be leaving—no doubt to spend her time racing about the countryside in Lord Willoughby’s magnificent phaeton—and Angela, too—which was a terrible pity because she had such brilliant opinions about what girls ought to be allowed to do—Sophronia was sure to be just as bored as Bridget. Yes, together they would surely come up with something ...
Her toe bumped a large rock. She scowled down at it, then her eyes widened.
Bending, she picked it up and wiped the dust from it on her white muslin skirt that was already smeared with marmalade anyway. Who was to notice a little dust?
Heavy, flat, and shiny, the metal-and-glass rectangle rested comfortably in the palm of her hand. Bridget turned it over curiously but couldn’t see a catch to release. Did it open?
“What’ve you got there?”
Hiding it behind her back, she pivoted to the boy sitting against a tree in shadow. “What’s it to you, Henry Ascot?”
He stood, dropping the flower from which he’d been plucking petals like the moonstruck looney he was. Lud, but her sister Alexandra’s pretty face drew them like flies. This one was worse than most. She clutched her treasure behind her as he approached.
“Curiosity, is all,” he said and stopped just before her. She had to bend her neck to look up at him and it struck her that he was a great deal taller than she’d thought. He was six months younger than her and it was absolutely not fair that a pipsqueak like Henry Ascot got to be so big and tall while she was trapped far below.
“Don’t think I’ve ever seen you stand still for a minute ‘til now,” he said. “Must be something worth seeing.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You can’t have it, Henry Ascot.”
“I didn’t say I wanted it, Bridget Cavendish.”
“Lady Bridget Cavendish,” she corrected him.
He seemed to consider that for a bit, which was imbecilic. Who needed to think to come up with an insult?
“I’ll call you Lady if you show me what you’ve found,” he finally said.
She blinked. He blinked back.
She pulled the object out from behind her. They stared at it.
“What’s that?” He pointed to the indentation at one end, a circle with a pale white square atop it.
“How should I know?”
“It looks like a secret button,” he said perfectly sensibly, actually.
“If it’s a secret button, then ...”
Their eyes met. Henry frowned. Bridget grinned.
She pressed it.
They gaped.
“Lady Bridget Cavendish,” Henry Ascot said in a hushed voice, “you’re a genius.”
-o0o-
Author’s Note
Abundant thanks for assistance with this story go from my heart to my sister authoresses Caroline Linden, Maya Rodale and Miranda Neville, who made fiction-writing into a whole new sort of fabulous fun with this project. I offer special thanks also to Anne Brophy, Laurent Dubois, Marie-Claude Dubois, and Nita Eyster.
For my wonderful readers, who greeted the news of a time-travel story from the pen of this author with gleeful enthusiasm, I am honored and deeply grateful.
About the Author
Award-winning Katharine Ashe is the author of How To Be a Proper Lady, one of Amazon’s 10 Best Books of 2012 in Romance, and eight more intensely lush romances set in the era of the British Empire and laced with adventure. Upon her debut in 2010 Katharine was honored with a spot among the American Library Association’s “New Stars of Historical Romance,” in 2011 she won the coveted Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Historical Romantic Adventure, and she has been nominated for the 2013 Library of Virginia Literary Award in Fiction.
Katharine lives in the wonderfully warm Southeast with her beloved husband, son, dog and a garden she likes to call romantic rather than unkempt. A professor of European History, she has made her home in California, Italy, France, and the northern United States. For more about her books and to read excerpts, please visit her at www.KatharineAshe.com.
If you enjoyed At the Duke’s Wedding, please consider posting a review of it online.
The Lady Authors invite you to visit www.AtTheDukesWedding.com for behind-the-scenes glimpses into the making of At the Duke’s Wedding and more about their other books.
Table of Contents
That Rogue Jack
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
Epilogue
Author Biography
P.S. I LOVE YOU
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Author Biography
When I Met My Duchess
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
About the Author
How Angela Got Her Rogue Back
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Epilogue
Author’s Note
About the Author
Table of Contents
That Rogue Jack
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
Epilogue
Author Biography
P.S. I LOVE YOU
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Author Biography
When I Met My Duchess
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
About the Author
How Angela Got Her Rogue Back
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Epilogue
Author’s Note
About the Author
At the Duke's Wedding (A romance anthology) Page 42
