To the Duke, With Love--The Rakes of St. James
Page 30
Hope for the lad soared inside Loretta. “Can we know more about your new friend?” she asked.
“Don’t need to tell ye.”
It saddened her that Farley told her so little, but she’d learned she couldn’t help him until he wanted it. “All right.” Swallowing past a tight throat, she said, “Thank you for returning my jewelry. I’m very happy to have it back.”
Farley looked down at the ground for a few seconds and then back to Loretta and said, “I’m sorry I took it.”
Loretta smiled sadly. He’d learned some things from her after all. She’d told him to say he was sorry when he’d done something that was wrong.
“Thank you for letting me know that.”
Farley glanced at Hawk again and then started backing up.
“Wait,” Loretta said. “Before you go.”
Loretta reached down and gathered the cheese, bread, and all the food together and hurriedly wrapped it in a napkin. She slowly walked toward him, holding it out. He waited, took it from her, and then looked up at her and nodded. That was as good as him saying thank you.
“Come winter,” she said, “if you’ve outgrown your coat, will you let me know?”
He shrugged, hugged the napkin to his chest, and continued to back up as if he didn’t trust her not to chase him down and take the food. When there was a safe distance between them, he stopped, glanced at Hawk again, and then suddenly turned and ran away.
Loretta didn’t know why but she felt a sense of peace as she watched him disappear. And it pleased her that in the end, Farley had done the right thing.
It was the same feeling she’d had when she’d recanted her vow. When someone had done all they could to rectify a wrong, there needed to be a peace about it so that one could move on.
Hawk strode over, picked up the small bag that lay not far from her, and handed it to her. “I hope your favorite necklace is in there.”
She opened it, looked inside, and with a smile nodded. “It is. It looks as if most of it is probably in here. I’m surprised whoever had it didn’t sell it all.”
“Most footpads can’t just walk into a shop and hand over a bag of jewelry and sell it all at one time. That would raise too many suspicions. They usually get rid of it a little at a time by saying they found it in the park or on the street. They usually go to different shops, and they don’t go often.”
There was no reason Loretta should suddenly feel like crying, but she did. She wished Hawk could take her in his arms so she could lay her head on his chest, feel his comfort, but there were too many people in the park to be so bold. She could wait until they returned home and were alone to feel the strength of his embrace.
With the back of her hand, she wiped at the corners of her eyes and said, “He’s probably not coming back, is he?”
“I don’t know.”
“I only wanted to help him have a better life.”
Hawk touched her cheek with the backs of his fingers. “I know that. He knows that. I can’t say for sure what will become of him, Loretta. But he’s young, and he knows his way around. He took the food,” Hawk added. “And he didn’t reject the offer of a new coat for the winter.”
Loretta looked into Hawk’s eyes and suddenly knew why she’d felt a peace about Farley. “Since the day you found him, you’ve been having someone keep an eye on him, haven’t you?” she asked.
Hawk remained silent but his expression pled guilty.
“Though he may not know it, you somehow helped him get the jewelry back, too, didn’t you? I bet you even know who his new friend is.” Loretta laughed. “I should have known immediately you were behind all this.”
“I will do anything for you, Loretta. I love you. And I love you for wanting to help him whether or not he accepts it. I know you wanted him to have a true family and not go back to the streets. But he had to want that, too. You wanting it for him wasn’t enough.”
She tightly squeezed the bag in her hand. “Paxton said something very similar to me recently.”
“He was right. Farley now has a safe place to live with an older man who lost his family. He’ll be good to him. And because of you, I think Farley now knows how to be good in return.”
“How did you find him?” she asked. “How did you work it out so Farley would want to live with him?”
“The man takes care of my stables and several others here in London. He has a good life. With the help of some runners from Bow Street, I made sure the kindly old man was there to help Farley when he approached the thief who had your jewelry. Together they got the best of him and I don’t think he’ll be bothering anyone anytime soon.”
“And Farley wasn’t hurt?”
“No. Though he denied it, I was convinced he knew who had your jewelry. It was only a matter of time until he tried to get it back. The owner of the stables will see to it Farley makes a good life for himself. Farley wasn’t going to accept help from us. He had to believe he’d found this opportunity all by himself.”
“And he does believe that. I love you, Hawk,” she whispered earnestly. “So much it swells my heart. Did I ever thank you for being so patient with me about Farley, my stubbornness, my vow, and then loving me anyway?”
“You know”—he touched her cheek again and seemed to think about what she said as merriment danced in his eyes—“perhaps you told me more than once, but I’m not certain you’ve shown me adequate appreciation for all that I’ve done.”
“Then I promise I will. As soon as we return home.”
“I’ll eagerly await that, my beautiful bride,” he responded. “In fact, I’m thinking that since we no longer have food to eat, we’d best be getting back home. What do you think?”
“I was thinking about something you once said. Do you remember telling me that you are not known for following the rules of Society?”
“I do,” he answered. “And you reminded me that you are not known for following them either.”
“That’s right,” she answered. “So why don’t we break one of them right now and give London another scandal, because I’m not sure I can wait until we get home for a kiss.”
Hawk smiled. “I’ve been waiting to give the gossipmongers something else to talk about.”
With that, Hawk lowered his head and intended to kiss her, but their lips never touched.
“Hawk! Loretta!” came Adele’s voice. “We thought we’d never find you!”
Loretta and Hawk looked up to see Adele and Paxton hurrying toward them.
“I was afraid it would be difficult to hide from those two,” Hawk said with an exasperated breath. “We’ve hardly had a moment to ourselves.”
Loretta sighed. “I fear our bedchamber might be our only haven from them until they marry and have a home of their own.”
“Did she say we had to wait until Christmastide for that happy occasion to arrive?”
“Unfortunately,” Loretta whispered as the beaming couple stopped in front of them.
Greetings were ignored as Adele rushed to say, “Why didn’t you invite us to join you in the park on this lovely day? You knew we’d want to join you.”
“We do like to be alone once in a while, Adele,” Hawk informed her.
“Oh, nonsense,” she argued. “No one wants to be alone. That’s why Minerva has agreed to continue to live with me after Paxton and I marry.”
“Yes,” Paxton added. “We’re delighted she accepted. However, I came over to your house for a special reason today only to find the two of you had left without telling Adele. Luckily Price knew where you were.”
Hawk bent to Loretta’s ear and whispered, “I must have a talk with Price.”
“Oh, it doesn’t matter now,” Adele said. “We forgive you for not asking us. Your wedding gift arrived today. I had it delivered to Paxton’s house so I could surprise you, and when he brought it over, I knew we had to find you.”
Loretta looked at them and saw no gift. Adele held only her parasol and a satin drawstring reticule swinging from h
er wrist. Paxton held only a picnic basket, which he promptly thrust toward Adele and opened the lid for her. She reached inside, and pulled out Cocoa. The puppy wiggled and made the sweetest little bark Loretta had ever heard.
“Here,” Adele said, extending the dog to Loretta. “She’s yours and Hawk’s.”
Shivers of delight peppered Loretta’s arms and she gasped. “No, no.” She looked at Hawk, who was smiling, too. “Adele, she’s your favorite puppy. We can’t take her from you.”
“Of course you can!” Adele exclaimed happily. “She’s a gift. I want you to have her.”
“Take her, Loretta,” Hawk said.
Loretta then joyously scooped Cocoa out of Adele’s hands and carried the squirming little pup to her neck and nuzzled her warm fur as she laughed. “Oh, Adele, I don’t know what to say.” She glanced at Hawk, her expression letting him know she was too overcome with gratefulness and happiness to speak.
“Thank you, Adele,” he said for her.
“Yes, you couldn’t have given us anything we would love more.” Loretta held the warm puppy close to her breast, looked up at Hawk, and whispered, “I love you.”
Hawk looked down into her eyes and whispered, “You are my heart, my sunshine, and my soul, Loretta.” Hawk then surprised them all by placing a very loving kiss on Loretta’s lips.
Loretta thrilled to her husband’s touch.
Dear Reader:
I hope you have enjoyed the second book in my Rakes of St. James trilogy. Hawk and Loretta’s story is somewhat of a departure from my usual lighthearted romances. Most of the time, I write only about the glamorous side of the Regency and stay away from the harsh realities of life for the less fortunate members of London’s society at that time. It’s easy to write about a tall, handsome gentleman wearing shiny black knee boots and beautiful young ladies wearing gorgeously beaded gowns and carrying white lace handkerchiefs. I love to describe the serene countryside, stately homes, candlelit ballrooms, and fabulous grounds and gardens. I enjoy the challenge of weaving in and bringing to life London’s streets and parks with their secrets, mysteries, and stories.
But in this book I’ve also written about a young boy who was left an orphan to grow up alone on the dirty, lonely, and often dangerous streets of old London. The lives of these street urchins were often sad and at times disturbing. I’m sure there were kind and generous people, like my heroine in To the Duke, with Love, who tried to help these unfortunate, forgotten children, who through no fault of their own had been either lost or abandoned by all in society who could have helped them.
I feel most readers yearn for orphans to be taken in by a true family and not just by a servant or employee. No romance reader wants to see the hero and heroine walk off happily into the sunset if the street child doesn’t find happiness, too.
If you missed the first book in the Rakes of St. James series, Last Night with the Duke, I hope you’ll look for a copy at your favorite bookstore or e-retailer. And don’t forget to be watching for the third book in the series, It’s All About the Duke, which will be published in June 2018.
Until then, I am sending you all good wishes.
Happy reading,
Amelia Grey
Coming soon …
Look for the next novel in the Rakes of St. James series from New York Times bestselling author
AMELIA GREY
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE DUKE
Available in June 2018 from St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Also by Amelia Grey
Last Night with the Duke
The Duke in My Bed
The Earl Claims a Bride
Wedding Night with the Earl
Praise for the novels by New York Times bestselling author
AMELIA GREY
“Each new Amelia Grey tale is a diamond.… a master storyteller.”
—Affaire de Coeur
“Enchanting romance.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Devilishly charming … A touching tale of love.”
—Library Journal
“Sensual … witty and clever … Another great story of forbidden love.”
—Fresh Fiction
“Grey neatly matched up a sharp-witted heroine with an irresistible sexy hero and let the romantic sparks fly.”
—Booklist
“Delightful … charming and unforgettable.”
—The Long and Short of It Reviews
“A beautifully written tale … delicious historical romance.”
—Romance Junkies
“Such a tantalizing and funny read, you won’t be able to put it down.”
—Rendezvous
“Fun, fast-paced, and very sensual.”
—A Romance Review
“Well written and entertaining.”
—Night Owl Romance Reviewer Top Pick
“Humor, romance, mystery, and comedy of errors … All of it well done.”
—Books Like Breathing
“Delightfully captivating.”
—Rundpinne
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Amelia Grey read her first romance book when she was thirteen and she’s been a devoted reader of love stories ever since. Her awards include the Booksellers Best, Aspen Gold, and the Golden Quill. Writing as Gloria Dale Skinner, she won the coveted Romantic Times Award for Love and Laughter and the prestigious Maggie Award. Her books have sold to many countries in Europe, Indonesia, Turkey, Russia, and most recently to Japan. Several of her books have also been featured in Doubleday and Rhapsody Book Clubs. Amelia is the author of twenty-five books. She’s been happily married to her high school sweetheart for over thirty-five years and she lives on the beautiful gulf coast of Northwest Florida. Visit her at: www.ameliagrey.com, or sign up for email updates here.
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Epilogue
Also by Amelia Grey
Praise
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
TO THE DUKE, WITH LOVE
Copyright © 2017 by Amelia Grey.
All rights reserved.
For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
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eISBN: 9781250102522
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St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / December 2017
St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
Amelia Grey, To the Duke, With Love--The Rakes of St. James