Seducing The Perfectly Enchanting Marquess (Steamy Historical Regency Romance)

by Scarlett Osborne

  The Duke wasn’t scared of his wife in the slightest. He chuckled and took her other hand in his before he gave her another kiss. Hannah smiled a little to herself when her mother leaned into it without thought. “I missed you,” His Grace murmured to her.

  Her Grace looked at him, her brown and green eyes meeting his hazel ones. “I missed you, too.”

  They gazed at each other for a while before His Grace seemed to remember that Hannah was standing there. He let go of his wife and held his hands out to his daughter. “My lovely eldest,” he said with a broad grin. “I’ve missed you as well.”

  “I wondered when you two would remember you have an audience,” Hannah said as she stepped into his arms. It was the same as it was months ago, the same as the hug in farewell. Though it was foolish, it was comforting to know that nothing changed here. She relaxed into him. “How have you been, Father?”

  “You two are well aware that nothing is the same when you aren’t here,” he said.

  She stepped away from him. “What of Rosamund and Violet?”

  “Your sisters are with their governess. They are deep in their lessons right now so I didn’t think it wise to disturb them with your arrival.”

  “That’s fine,” Her Grace said. “We can all be together while we dine later.”

  “You must be tired from your long trip from London, are you not?” he asked them both. His eyes strayed from Her Grace to Hannah and back.

  Hannah did feel tired. Riding in a coach for long periods was always draining, though her mother was better company than most. But she shook her head. “I’m not tired but I am a bit famished. I think I will visit Karla once I get settled.”

  Karla would be happy to see her. Hannah could picture her making one of her special pies in honor of her return. Ever since Hannah was little, she would pass through the kitchens on the way from the stables and Karla would sit her on one of the stools, hand her a treat, and talk about little things in her life that didn’t matter to a girl Hannah’s age. As they grew older, Hannah began adding her own little tales.

  “She will be happy to see you,” her Father said. “I reckon she’s lonely not having you sneak around stealing her treats.”

  Hannah knew the words should have made her blush in embarrassment, but she only laughed. “Oh, lovely, I think I should surprise her by swiping a tart or two when I can.”

  The Duke chuckled. “Why don’t you go on and see her?” he said to Hannah. His grip on Her Grace’s hand tightened.

  Hannah nodded before turning away. She left her parents behind and, as quiet as a mouse, her lady’s maid slipped in behind her. Servants rarely lingered when her parents were together. They were openly in love and the servants preferred to give them their privacy whenever they could.

  “Karla will be happy to see you, M’Lady,” her lady’s maid, Lily, murmured. She was soft-spoken, one who preferred to keep her head down and out of sight. She had been even more reserved during their time in London.

  Hannah smiled at her. “Are you happy to be back, Lily?”

  “Yes, M’Lady. Everything seems the same.” Lily was always one step behind her, close enough for Hannah to hear her soft words.

  “Well, I can’t argue with that. I hope I don’t have to leave again for now.”

  Lily waited until they were within the confines of Hannah’s bedchamber to speak again. “But what if His Grace makes you attend the next Season?”

  “Well, Lily,” Hannah said, sitting on her bed with a loud sigh. “That would be utterly dreadful.”

  Chapter 3

  “How lovely this is,” Hannah said absently, her fingers making quick work of the needlework in her hands. “To have us all together again.”

  Though she didn’t look up, her mother nodded in agreement. She declined to join her in needlework. Instead, she sat opposite Hannah with a book in her hands. Under the light through the exposed windows, she was simply radiant. “It is,” she said. “It tears me up to see you three all together again.”

  “Mother…” To the left of her, Rosamund looked up. Her own needlework fell in her lap, her nose wrinkling. “Please don’t cry.”

  Hannah smiled softly. She knew Rosamund wasn’t saying that because she dreaded to see her mother sad, she simply hated seeing tears. It made her uncomfortable.

  Violet, ever eager to follow in Rosamund’s footsteps, chimed in. “Yes, Mother. Tears are unbecoming of a lady.”

  In the corner of the room, Rosamund’s and Violet’s governess, Miss Jolley, raised her hand in protest. Her Grace shot Miss Jolley a look of deep humor. “Unbecoming of a lady?”

  “Yes,” Violet said determinedly. She wasn’t as good at needlework as Rosamund but she continued on with it. “Miss Jolley told us that there are things a lady shouldn’t do because it is unbecoming.”

  “And did she say a lady is not allowed to cry?”

  “No, but…” Violet looked helplessly at Rosamund. Rosamund didn’t spare her a glance.

  “I’m sure Miss Jolley had other things in mind when she told you that, Violet,” Hannah said gently.

  Violet fell into silence, not knowing how to advance her argument. She was two years younger than Rosamund, only seven, with the same eyes as their father and the same hair as their mother. Rosamund, on the other hand, had bright green eyes that seemed to pick up on everything, and her hair was the same shade as the Duke’s. Currently, they both wore the same hairstyle, Violet copying her older sister as usual.

  Hannah glanced at her mother, who was silently smiling to herself. While Violet liked to follow Rosamund, Rosamund positively shadowed Hannah’s every move, which was why the two were both sitting still, working on their embroidery. Miss Jolley had a much more difficult time trying to get them to focus on such a task.

  “Hannah,” Rosamund spoke up suddenly. “Did you not find a husband while you were away?”

  Hannah was unsurprised to hear such a bold question from her bold sister. She decided to play around with her a little. “Did you want me to come back with a marriage proposal, Rosamund?”

  “Doesn’t every lady wish for that when they come out during the London Season?”

  Smart girl, you know too much.

  “Not every girl,” Hannah said. “Not me.”

  “Why not?” asked Violet.

  How can I best explain it to children?

  Hannah thought about it for a moment. Her Grace remained quiet, eyes on her book. Finally, Hannah settled on the simplest response. “I did not fall in love with any of the gentlemen I met.”

  Both her sisters looked at her in confusion. “Love?” The word was still foreign to them.

  Such young minds.

  “Yes, my dears. I had hoped to find someone I could love, but alas, it did not happen.”

  “I do not understand,” Violet said.

  “Your sister,” Her Grace spoke up, “is enraptured with the thought of marrying someone she truly loves. A rather daring thing to want in a society like ours.”

  Yet her mother supported her wholeheartedly. Her Grace was not born into the gentry. She had led a simple life with a band of Travellers when she met Hannah’s father. They married out of love, a story Hannah always held dear in her heart.

  Against all odds, against pressures of society and people who conspired to keep them apart, they had found each other in the end. Her Grace had given birth to Hannah before she found the Duke again and though she had no place in the Duke’s life—what with him already being married to the previous Duchess—the Duke of Gresham had still taken them into his manor, putting back together the pieces of their fractured love. Hannah still wondered what would have happened if the late Duchess, and her father, hadn’t been found guilty of the Duke’s poisoning.

  Violet and Rosamund, though they were well aware of their parent’s affection for each other, did not truly understand just how deeply it ran.

  Hannah did, however, and she had sworn to herself that she would follow in their footsteps. She would b
e foolish to witness such devotion and marry someone who didn’t love her with as much fervor. Her father had done so once before. She would not make the same mistake.

  But, alas, the Season had been a failure. None of the gentlemen drew her. They were all the same, stuffy gentlemen with flowery words who all blended together in her mind. They had been drawn to her, yes. With Hannah’s odd beauty, they flocked to her side, most attempting to court, others bold enough to go straight to a marriage proposal. Hannah had turned them all down, disinterested.

  Any other Duchess might have been upset at her daughter being so picky. They might have even forced her to choose. But not Her Grace. She simply went along with Hannah’s wishes, enjoying herself at each ball while she did so.

  “What is all this talk of love I hear?” The Duke swept into the drawing room, his voice booming.

  Her Grace looked up at him, her eyes lightening. They always did that. “Hannah was simply explaining to Rosamund and Violet why this Season was a failure.”

  “I wouldn’t quite call it that, Mother,” Hannah noted. “I did learn what I expressly did not want in a husband.”

  “Keep that up, Hannah, and you may never marry,” her father said.

  Hannah only shrugged. Her father was not opposed to her ideas, either. He knew more than anyone what it felt like to be in a loveless marriage.

  “Now, then.” The Duke sat in his favorite chair. “I have something to tell you all.” Everyone looked at him with interest. “My cousin will be visiting us from New South Wales. He happens to own many sheep ranches in the colony.”

  “How long will he be staying?” Hannah asked. She continued her needlework, not very interested in the topic. They entertained people at the manor all the time. Some stayed for a few weeks, others a matter of months.

  The Duke was not very forthcoming on that account. “A long while,” he said. “Until he has properly learned the business of running the manor and its subjects.”

  Hannah perked up at that, frowning slightly. Her sisters continued struggling with their needlework, listening but not aware of the conversation’s weight as were Her Grace and Hannah. “Your cousin,” Her Grace said. “Ah, your heir.”

  “Yes,” the Duke confirmed with a nod. “I thought it was high time he learned more of his inheritance. And high time you two met, Hannah.”

  Hannah noted the hidden meaning behind his words. If she failed to find a suitable partner during the Season, perhaps the heir might suit her tastes? After all, Hannah had always made it clear that, in addition to love, she did not want someone who was drifting through life with no goal or indication as to what he wanted to do with the time he was given.

  A gentleman coming all the way to Gresham Manor simply to learn how to be a proper Duke made her skin tingle with interest.

  How ambitious. How does a sheep farmer, as successful as he might be, be a Duke? As my husband?

  She kept her thoughts to herself, not wanting to give her parents the impression that she was actually considering it. The thought merely intrigued her. And, besides, her father had good intentions and he was a reasonable man. Hannah could not be forced to do something she didn’t want to. She wasn’t worried.

  “He has lived in the colony for all his life,” the Duke continued. “So I fear he knows nothing of the English society. It may be long before he is well acquainted with his duties once I have passed.”

  “We shall be proper hosts,” Hannah said. “Am I right, sisters?”

  “Yes, Hannah,” her sisters said in unison. Hannah smiled.

  “Good.” With a clap of his hands, the Duke rose. “He will be arriving within a month’s time.”

  Hannah nodded. She could feel his eyes on her, weighing her response, so she gave him nothing. Finally, he decided to leave. Her Grace spoke up after, “I hear he is a handsome man,” she said.

  “How would you know, Mother? You’ve never met him.”

  Want to know how the story ends? Tap on the link below to read the rest of the story.

  https://amzn.to/2Tbjdk0

  Thank you very much!

  Also by Scarlett Osborne

  Thank you for reading Seducing the Perfectly Enchanting Marquess!

  I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, may I ask you to please write a review HERE? It would mean the world to me. Reviews are very important and allow me to keep writing the books that you love to read! ♥

  Some other stories of mine:

  Courteously Seduced by an Enigmatic Duke

  Unleashed Desires of a Noble Lady

  The Scandalous Secret of the Tempting Duchess

  The Art of Pleasuring a Duke

  Addicted to a Rascal Duke

  The Viscount Who Seduced Her

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  Also, if you liked this book, you can also check out my full Amazon Book Catalogue HERE.

  Thank you for your support, you are a gem!

  Scarlett Osborne

  About the Author

  Born in the Sunshine State of Florida, but of both British and Nordic descent, Scarlett Osborne grew up reading historical romances from the land of her ancestors. Fascinated with the British society of the 1800s and armed with a wild imagination, she obtained a degree in Creative Writing and immediately started her career as a Regency romance author.

  A daydreamer extraordinaire, Scarlett likes to jump in the shoes of her heroines, immersing herself in her own stories, living the adventures that she wished she had experienced as a child. An avid reader and fan of the outdoors, Scarlett spends her free time either reading or going on long horseback rides along with her two sons.

  Get lost in a land of enchantment, where adventure and love await around every corner...Scarlett hopes that through her heroes, you too will get to live a whirlwind romance in the Regency era, when fairytales were real and all dreams possible!