For the Love of the Marquess (The Noble Hearts Series Book 2)

by Callie Hutton

  Table of Contents

  For the Love of the Marquess

  About the Book

  Copyright

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  For the Love of the Viscount

  About the Author

  For the Love of the Marquess

  The Noble Hearts, Book 2

  Callie Hutton

  About the Book

  She will never trust her broken heart to him again.

  Shortly after Lady Juliet trusted her heart to Graham, the Marquess of Hertford, he disappeared with no explanation. Eight months later he is back in London, eager to resume their relationship, but claims he cannot tell her where he’s been.

  Graham was fulfilling a duty to the duke who had once acted as his guardian. Sworn to secrecy, Graham is frustrated in his attempts to win back Juliet’s trust and convince her he wants her for his wife. As he works hard to chip away at her frozen heart, a twist of fate might snatch happiness away from them forever.

  Copyright

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Author.

  Author’s website: http://calliehutton.com/

  Cover design by Erin Dameron-Hill

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  First Edition May 2017

  Prologue

  London, England

  July, 1818

  The Marquess of Hertford looked up from the book he read as Stevenson, his butler, entered the library. “My lord, a note has just been delivered to our door.” He held out a cream-colored piece of vellum with the seal of the Duke of Reading’s crest on it.

  Graham took the paper from the butler’s hand. “Thank you. Is there someone waiting for an answer?”

  “Yes, my lord.”

  Odd that His Grace would send a note around in the evening, and then expect an answer, since in most cases Graham would be out for the night. He would have been at the theater, in fact, but had no desire to attend social functions while Lady Juliet was busy with her sister’s wedding.

  He opened the note and read:

  Hertford,

  A situation has come up that requires your assistance. Please attend me tomorrow morning.

  Reading

  Graham smiled. It sounded so much like the duke. The man who had been his guardian from the time Graham’s parents had died in a fire when he was a mere three and ten years. Graham had spent the time between then and leaving University as the duke’s protégé, preparing to assume the duties that came with his title.

  He scribbled his answer that he would arrive at ten the next morning and handed the note back to Stevenson. The man took the paper and left the room.

  Graham checked the time on the long case clock in the corner. An hour before midnight. He stretched and considered visiting one of his clubs. What he wanted to do was climb through Lady Juliet’s window and spend hours making love to her.

  They’d been courting almost from the beginning of the Season, and just recently they’d taken the step that would have her father demanding marriage, except that was exactly what Graham had in mind. Juliet was precisely who he desired for his marchioness.

  He’d wanted to speak with her father and sign the marriage contracts, but Juliet had asked him to wait until her sister’s wedding was over. It seemed their father, in order to get his eldest married, had told Juliet and her two sisters that until Lady Elise was married, he would not accept offers for the other two girls’ hands. Since Lady Elise and Lord St. George were a mere two weeks away from speaking their vows, Graham had thought it silly to wait, but abided by Juliet’s request.

  Despite the early hour, he had a small brandy, and then took himself off to bed, curious as to his morning visit with the Duke.

  ***

  At precisely ten o’clock the next morning, Graham entered the duke’s study. The man stood as Graham entered, a grave look on his face. “Thank you for coming, son. I appreciate it.” He looked past Graham’s shoulder at the butler who had shown him in. “Please send for coffee.” He glanced at Graham, “Have you eaten?”

  “Yes, Your Grace, but coffee would be welcomed.”

  The duke nodded and waved at the two chairs in front of the fireplace. Once they were both settled, Reading leaned forward, his forearms resting on his thighs. “I have a serious problem to deal with. Very serious.”

  Graham settled back, concerned at the duke’s obvious distress. “What can I help with?”

  The man stood and ran his fingers through his hair. “I don’t even know how to say this, since this is not a situation I had ever imagined.” He took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. “Amy is with child.”

  To say Graham was taken aback was an understatement of great magnitude. Amy was the duke’s only child, a girl two years older than Graham’s seven and twenty. She was what was known as ‘different.’ A sweet girl, but very childish in her manner, and well protected by her father, who had kept her out of the public eye most of her life.

  Beautiful, with curly blonde hair and wide blue eyes, Amy was lively and full of laughter, a joy to be around. The poor girl had struggled to learn to read and do her numbers. Anything else seemed to be beyond her. The duke had consulted several doctors over the years, and they all seemed to believe confinement to an institution was best. The duke threw the men out of the house one by one and continued to love and cherish his only child.

  “How?” It was the only word Graham could get out. He and Amy had spent hours together when he lived with the duke on his estate, Euston Hall, in Suffolk. They’d run together, swam together, played games, climbed trees, and took their studies with the tutor until Graham was ready for University. He still remembered how she’d clung to him and cried when he’d left.

  “The best I can deduce is she got involved with one of the staff at the Hall. She won’t say—as you know she can be quite stubborn—and no one, of course, is stepping up, since they know the wrath that will descend upon the head of whoever is responsible for this. Rape is about all I can label it. She is certainly unable to offer consent for such activities.”

  Amy had made her come-out at eight and ten years, but after a few blunders, the duke had bundled her up and taken her back to Euston Hall. She’d lived there quite happily with her various activities of tending to the flower garden, sewing, and playing games with some of the staff. Until now, apparently.

  “What is it you to would like me to do?” They might as well get to the crux of the matter.

  Reading sat and studied him. “My sister resides in Paris. Now that the occupation has ended, I feel it is safe enough for travel. She is married to the Marquis of Agneaux, and has agreed to accept Amy into her home and see that the child born is placed into a foundling home before my daughter returns home.”

  Graham was still confused as to his role in this drama, but kept silent as the duke stared off into the distance. “Amy is unaware of our plans, and may cause some problems
when the babe is born, but we all believe it is beyond question that the child must be given up and Amy returns to her life at the Hall. Although she will be carefully watched.”

  He remembered his former playmate as a sensitive, loving young girl, who, no doubt, had turned into the same type of woman. Since Amy was not fully aware of, or able to comprehend, the strictures of Society, he could see where she would balk at giving away a child born to her, regardless of the circumstances. ’Twas not an easy task his former mentor faced.

  “What I ask of you, Hertford, is to accompany Amy and her maid to France. I would trust no one more than you. For several reasons, I am unable to leave London right now, and I cannot risk discovery of Amy’s condition. It would ruin her.”

  Leave London to go to France? Just when he was about to offer for Lady Juliet? The duke could not have picked a worse time. The travel there, seeing Amy settled in, and then the return home, would take months to complete.

  Then he thought of all the years he’d relied so heavily on this man. All the nights they said by the very fireplace and discussed Graham’s future, and the assumption of his duties. The times the duke allowed the young, confused orphan to cry, without censure. He helped to shape Graham into the man he now was. How could he deny what the duke asked?

  As it was, it must be breaking the duke’s heart to see this happening to his daughter whom he loved tremendously. Despite the inconvenience, there was no other answer he could give the man.

  “Of course I will accompany her to France, Your Grace. When will she be ready to leave?”

  The duke let out with a huge breath that he must have been holding in. “Unfortunately, I would like you to leave today.”

  “Today?” He could never be ready for such an extensive trip on short notice like this.

  “Yes.” The duke stood and leaned his elbow on the fireplace mantle. “I have every reason to believe Amy will find a way to leave London and return home to” —he winced— “her lover. I cannot fully make her understand the repercussions of her actions. Since I have discovered what has been going on in Suffolk, she has become somewhat estranged from me. I am hoping getting her out of England quickly will avoid a complete disaster.”

  “I can take care of that, sir. I will have my valet pack as quickly as possible. I assume we will be using your carriage?’

  “Yes. It is being readied as we speak.” He looked at him with an awkward smile. “I knew I could count on you.”

  “I shall return about three o’clock. Will that suffice?”

  “Yes. Amy and her maid, Mildred, will be ready to go. I don’t think she will give you any trouble; she was always very fond of you. Over the years, she often referred to you as her ‘brother.’”

  That brought him a sense of guilt, since he had not visited with Amy in well over a year. He and the duke shook hands and Graham left.

  The first thing he had to take care of was Lady Juliet. Even though she was not expecting him, he went directly to her townhome. The man at the door informed him that Lady Juliet was away and he had no idea when she was to return. When he inquired after Lord Pomeroy, he was told the man was also away from home.

  Graham spent the next few hours attempting to find Juliet somewhere in the shops along Bond Street, and when that hadn’t worked, he tried a few of the clubs to see if he could run down Lord Pomeroy.

  Without success, he penned a quick note to Juliet, telling her he had to leave London unexpectedly and would write as soon as possible. Not feeling very good about the whole thing, nevertheless he appeared at the duke’s house at the appointed time and helped Amy into the carriage that set off for Dover where they would catch a packet to Calais and continue to Paris.

  Chapter One

  Lady Juliet looked into her mirror at the sad eyes that stared back at her. It was her sister Elise’s wedding day, and she should be happy for her. As much as she wanted to feel joy, all the happiness in her life had fled when Graham left her the night they’d made love in the very bed behind her.

  He’d kissed her softly and said he would talk to Papa in the morning, but she’d asked him to wait until after Elise’s wedding. Papa’s edict that he would not accept offers for his younger daughters until Elise wed still stood. Even though Elise was close to marrying, Juliet wanted to make sure Papa had no reason to refuse Graham.

  However, she had expected to see him at various events, and possibly receive an invitation for a ride. True, she’d been busy with her sister’s wedding, but not hearing a word from him was frightening her. She hadn’t seen him since the night they’d been together.

  Two weeks. Two very long, very disturbing, weeks. She’d been tempted to send a note to his house, but held back. Something scared her more than his neglect. Had he decided after she’d given herself to him that she was no more than an easy woman, and one he would not want as his wife?

  “Oh, Juliet, you look beautiful!” Marigold entered her room, dressed in a demure pale rose gown. Juliet’s gown was also pale rose, but a bit more fashionable. Marigold had always seemed more than only one year younger than Juliet. “Thank you, sister, and you look lovely as well.” She hugged her sister and stepped back. “I guess we should go fetch the bride.”

  Arms wrapped around each other’s waists, they left the room.

  “Elise, you are a stunning bride.” Juliet sailed into her room with Marigold right behind her.

  Elise studied Juliet in her mirror with a frown. “Juliet, are you unwell?”

  “No, I am fine, why do you ask?” Lord, she never could hide anything from Elise. When Juliet had been only six years, their mother had died from consumption, leaving a devastated husband and three young daughters. Elise had stepped easily into the mother role, even though she’d only been ten years, herself.

  “No reason.” Elise continued to study her. Once her dear elder sister got a bug in her ear that something might be wrong with either of her sisters, she would not let it go. She considered it her duty to know everything about Juliet and Marigold and solve whatever problem they might be dealing with.

  Even though, in a moment of weakness, Elise had confessed to her that she and Simon had been intimate, Juliet did not want to reveal the same thing to Elise. Her sister’s situation had ended wonderfully. Right now, Juliet was not so sure hers would end the same.

  Elise crossed the room and placed her hand on her forehead. “Are you sure, sweeting? You are not looking well.”

  Juliet snapped her head away. “I am fine. I just told you.” Glancing at the look of surprise on her two sisters’ faces, she re-arranged her features into something more pleasant. “Truly, I am fine. It is your wedding day, Elise. We must focus on you, and not on non-existent problems.”

  A glance in her own mirror earlier had revealed a pale face and an obvious loss of weight. Perhaps Elise had been so caught up in her own happiness she hadn’t noticed Juliet, for which she was thankful. Now that her wedding day had arrived, her hovering sister would soon be off on her wedding trip and not be examining Juliet so closely.

  Elise gave her one more glance and said, “Shall we go downstairs and see about this marriage business?”

  Both girls grinned at her, and they left the room.

  ***

  Two days later, Juliet descended the staircase and entered the breakfast room. All the remaining wedding guests had departed earlier in different directions. She’d heard the last of the carriages rolling away from the house before she left her room. She was relieved to not have to continue acting the happy hostess, a role she’d never played before. Life would be very different with Elise married and living in St. George’s townhouse

  She was halfway through her breakfast, wondering what she would do with her time now that the frenzy of the wedding preparations was over, when the butler, Mason entered the breakfast room. He looked at her sheepishly, very unusual for their usually staid butler.

  “Yes?”

  “Please forgive me, my lady. A gentleman brought a note for you some
time ago, but with all the wedding business, it got pushed to the back of the small table in the entrance hall and ended up on the floor. I just now noticed it.”

  “That is fine, Mason. I understand things have been a little hectic lately.” She reached out and took the missive from him. The butler left the room, and with shaky hands Juliet opened the note.

  J—

  My deepest apologizes, but something has come up that makes it necessary for me to leave London. I will write as soon as possible.

  G—

  She frowned and read the note several times. However, no matter how many times she read it, the words did not change. Graham had left London, giving no indication how long he would be gone, or where he’d gone. Had he been called back to his estate for a problem that only he could handle?

  Her initial relief at having received word from him did not last long. Was this his way of extraditing himself from what he now considered a sticky situation? Thankfully, her courses had started only a few days after their encounter, so that worry was no longer a threat.

  Very well, she would take his word for it. He was called away, and would send news soon. She would carry on, and most likely a letter would arrive shortly, since Mason said the note had been delivered some time ago. Graham’s estate was not so far that he could not write to her presently.

  Feeling better, she decided to make morning calls. She would see if Marigold wanted to attend with her.

  The days went by, and no word from Graham. Each time she questioned Mason on the arrival of the mail, she felt worse. In desperation, she’d broken with propriety, and sent a note to Graham’s country home, Hertford Place. No response.

  There was only one conclusion she could draw. Once he’d learned she was not a woman who held her virtue for marriage, he’d abandoned her. He’d lost his respect for her and decided she was not the sort of woman he wished to marry and have as the mother to his children. Her heart ached and her stomach was constantly in knots.