Cursed & Cherished--The Duke's Wilful Wife (#2 Love's Second Chance Series)

by Bree Wolf

  Cooing to the little bundle in his arms, Edmond whispered, “You are a princess, are you not? But even a princess needs to know how to handle a foil.” Looking up at Anna, he winked at her. “Your mother will teach you.” Anna laughed, drawing the blanket tighter around her. “You will be strong, and when the day comes that a prince asks for your hand, I know you will make the right decision. I promise you a fine dowry, but I also promise you the free reign of your heart. I promise I will never force your hand.” Lifting his gaze from his daughter, Edmond turned to look at her, and Anna could read the sincerity of his words in his eyes. Then he smiled, a mischievous twinkle lighting up once more. “Although it worked out fine for your mother and me.”

  Laughing, Anna lay her head back, eyes caressing the sight of her own little family. Then she held out her hand to her mother, who immediately sat down beside her. “Thank you for being here.”

  Her mother smiled. “It’s what mothers do.” Once more dipping the cloth in the basin with cool water, she returned it to Anna’s forehead. “How are you doing?”

  “Tired,” Anna whispered, feeling the strain of the previous night slowly taking its toll. “And yet I don’t want to sleep. I don’t want to miss a moment of her.”

  As she patted her hand, a knowing smile came to her mother’s lips. “She is a miracle. Just like you were.”

  Glancing at her husband, Anna whispered, “Once he is ready to loosen his hold on her for a moment,” Anna turned to her mother, “would you take her downstairs so that…Father can see her?”

  “Of course, I will.” Brushing her hand over her daughter’s forehead, her mother sighed, eyes shining like the early morning sun. “He has probably worn a hole in the floor by now.”

  Smiling, Anna nodded. “Yes, please, go now and set his mind at ease. Then later he can meet his grand-daughter.”

  Kissing her on the cheek, her mother rose and hurried out of the room.

  When sleep tucked on her eyelids, Anna surrendered after all…and slowly drifted off to sleep. Happiness flooded her being, travelling to the farthest regions of her body, from her toes to the tip of her ears. Anna sighed deeply, and from somewhere deep down Henrietta’s image rose before her eyes. Not since the day her friend had walked out of the drawing room and left her behind had Anna spoken to her, her absence burning a hole into her heart that she didn’t quite know how to heal. “I wanted her to be here today,” Anna murmured half-asleep. “She should have been here today. Will I ever see her again?”

  Slumber claimed her then, leaving yet another question unanswered.

  Who can tell what tomorrow will bring?

  Also by Bree Wolf

  Historical Romance:

  Love's Second Chance Series

  #1 Forgotten & Remembered - The Duke's Late Wife

  #2 Cursed & Cherished - The Duke's Wilful Wife

  #3 Despised & Desired - The Marquess' Passionate Wife

  #4 Abandoned & Protected - The Marquis' Tenacious Wife

  #5 Ruined & Redeemed - The Earl's Fallen Wife (Coming summer 2017!)

  #6 Betrayed & Blessed - The Viscount's Shrewd Wife (Coming fall 2017!)

  Middle Grade Adventure:

  Airborne Trilogy

  #1 Fireflies (Now Perma-free!)

  #2 Butterflies

  #3 Dragonflies (Coming 2017)

  Paranormal Fantasy:

  Crescent Rock Series

  #1 How to Live and Die in Crescent Rock

  #2 How to Love and Hate in Crescent Rock (Coming 2018)

  About Bree

  Bestselling author, Bree Wolf has always been a language enthusiast (though not a grammarian!) and is rarely found without a book in her hand or her fingers glued to a keyboard. Trying to find her way, she has taught English as a second language, traveled abroad and worked at a translation agency as well as a law firm in Ireland. She also spent loooong years obtaining a BA in English and Education and an MA in Specialized Translation while wishing she could simply be a writer. Although there is nothing simple about being a writer, her dreams have finally come true.

  “A big thanks to my fairy godmother!”

  Currently, Bree has found her new home in the historical romance genre, writing Regency nov-els and novellas. Enjoying the mix of fact and fiction, she occasionally feels like a puppet master (or mistress? Although that sounds weird!), forcing her characters into ever-new situations that will put their strength, their beliefs, their love to the test, hoping that in the end they will triumph and get the happily-ever-after we are all looking for.

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  Love's Second Chance Series - Overview

  #1 Forgotten & Remembered - The Duke's Late Wife

  One night, they found themselves under some mistletoe. Now he owes her a kiss. And she is determined to claim it.

  His heart torn in two, Graham Astor, Duke of Kensington, mourns his wife. As he distances himself from everything that reminds him of happier days lost forever, he comes to realize that there is one thing he cannot run from.

  Graham needs a new wife, if only for the sake of his daughter.

  Disillusioned with love, Rosabel only wishes to not remain a burden to her uncle’s family much longer. After seeing her parents’ love turn against them, Rosabel dreams of an independent life as a governess.

  But then a stranger asks for her hand in marriage, and to her utter shock her uncle instantly agrees.

  Will Rosabel find love after all? Or will the memory of Graham’s late wife keep him from finding happiness?

  #2 Cursed & Cherished - The Duke’s Wilful Wife

  One night, she stole his kiss. Now, he is determined to steal it back.

  Edmond Dunsworth, Duke of Cromwell, is bankrupt. The solution to his problem: a wife with a sizable dowry.

  Not worried in the least, Edmond takes his pick. After all, what woman could resist his charms?

  Anna Hanford, a merchant’s daughter, is faced with a difficult choice: allow her sister to marry the duke and see her happiness shattered…or marry the duke herself.

  Determined to ensure her sister’s future, Anna makes her choice. After all, isn’t marriage just a minor inconvenience in life?

  #3 Despised & Desired - The Marquess' Passionate Wife

  Long ago, he kept her secret. Now, she will save his soul.

  Elsbeth Munford is set to marry the man she loves until an accident destroys her life. Her beauty tainted by ugly scars, Ellie resigns herself to a life of spinsterhood.

  Frederick Lancaster, brother to the Marquess of Elmridge, returns home from war. A hero in the eyes of others, he is haunted by nightmares. Unable to make his peace with the past, Frederick retreats into the dark until his brother dies and he not only inherits his title, but with it the obligation to produce an heir.

  When two damaged souls find themselves tied to one another, will they pull each other under? Or will they help each other rise again from the ashes of their shattered lives?

  #4 Abandoned & Protected - The Marquis' Tenacious Wife

  He forced her hand. Now, she will deny him her heart.

  After what her father did to her mother, Henrietta’s worst fears are to be realised when her uncle decides to marry her off to a Scot. Gentleman or not, Henrietta knows that at his core he is still a barbarian. What will she suffer at the hands of this savage?

  Connor Brunwood, Marquis of Rodridge, can’t believe
he fell head over heels in love with this thin, pale twig of a girl. However, the moment he saw her, he knew he had to make her his wife. If only she didn’t hate the very sight of him!

  However, when his life is suddenly in danger, an assassin lying in wait, everything they thought they knew is put to the test.

  Will Henrietta betray her husband or stand by his side? Will she take the opportunity to rid herself of him forever? Or will she risk everything to save his life…as well as her heart?

  #5 Ruined & Redeemed - The Earl's Fallen Wife (coming summer 2017)

  She was the victim of a heinous crime. Then, she sought revenge.

  He seeks to punish his father and finds more than he bargained for.

  Once Lady Charlotte Frampton had been a young debutante, hoping to find a husband who would win her heart. Then, one night shattered everything and turned her life into a nightmare and herself into a monster.

  Determined to leave her past behind, she buries Lady Charlotte and becomes Lotte, the temporary companion to a Viscount’s younger sister.

  Everything seems to take a turn for the better until the Viscount’s best friend visits and makes her an offer.

  Sebastian Campbell, Earl of Weston, will never forgive himself. During his grand tour on the continent, his father, driven by the desire to increase the family’s standing in society, forced Sebastian’s younger sister, Victoria, into a miserable marriage that threatens not only her happiness but her life as well.

  Haunted by guilt, Sebastian seeks to punish his father wherever possible. So when he meets ‘Lotte’, she seems the answer to his prayers. Marriage to an unsuitable woman would just put his father where he belonged: in an early grave.

  While Charlotte finds that her past is not as dead as she’d hoped, Sebastian realises that protecting his sister might be more important than punishing his father. Does love have any chance at all to blossom under these circumstances? Or is it the worst times in our lives that bring out the best in us?

  #6 Betrayed & Blessed - The Viscount's Shrewd Wife (coming fall 2017)

  His days are numbered. Her curiosity is piqued.

  Only together can they protect themselves from the lies of their past.

  Tristan Turner, Viscount Elton, is haunted by a night he cannot remember.

  After his parents’ untimely demise, he has done his utmost to live up to his family’s…or rather his uncle’s…expectations. However, despite his best intentions, his reputation is far from respectable. More than once he thought his life forfeit: for a reason he cannot fathom, he seems to be a preferred target for every highwayman in London. Aside from being robbed on a monthly basis, Tristan stumbles from one bar brawl into another, has a knife drawn on him repeatedly and is called out more often than he can count. If it weren’t for his best friend, he’d already be in the grave a dozen times over.

  Wary of the life he cannot escape, Tristan wishes for nothing more but a family of his own with a wife who knows the best and the worst of him and loves him nonetheless. However, so far he hasn’t had any luck finding the woman of his dreams among the ladies of the ton.

  Until one night when he comes upon a young maid in the Earl of Radcliff’s household.

  Elizabeth “Beth” Walker is faced with a terrible truth.

  Brought up in less than favourable circumstances, Beth has often watched the ladies of the ton with envious eyes only to find out upon her mother’s death that she ought to have been brought up among them. All her life, she believed her father to have been a simple man who had died before his time. However, according to her mother’s letters, her father is none other but the Earl of Radcliff. Although stunned beyond imagining, Beth is determined to discover the truth of her mother’s past as well as her own.

  Accustomed to hard work, she finds a position in the earl’s household only to discover that life holds surprises where she would least expect them. Before long, Beth’s priorities shift as the future suddenly holds more sway over her than the past ever could and her heart leads her down a different path.

  Will Beth uncover the reason for her mother’s silence? Will Tristan live long enough to find the woman of his dreams? In a world where a privileged upbringing is not always what it seems and simple joys can outweigh high social standing, two people must face their past and determine who they are on their own apart from the lies their parents forced on them.

  Read a sneak-peek of

  'Despised & Desired - The Marquess' Passionate Wife'

  Prologue

  England 1794 (or a variation thereof)

  Beads of sweat formed on Ellie’s brow and ran down her temples. Trying to shield her face from the scorching sun, she pulled her bonnet deeper into her face. Ellie knew she ought not to be here, and yet, she could not help herself.

  The rising heat of this year’s unusually hot summer had her escape the earl’s garden party in search of a little refreshment.

  Excitement had seized her when she had heard other children whisper about the small brook that snaked its way through the forest to the south of the manor. However, uncertain whether or not to dare go against her mother’s rather stern instructions of proper conduct, Ellie had waited until the very last moment before she was sure she would melt away. Only then had she dared sneak away.

  Now, following in its general direction, Ellie soon heard the soft babbling of the small brook as it fought the sun for its continued existence.

  Stepping over large boulders and wading through a sea of long-stemmed grass, Ellie glimpsed the brook’s shiny surface, glistening in the sun like an oasis in a desert. Hurrying her step, she hastened toward it at the very moment it seemed to beckon her closer.

  A smile spread over her face as she beheld the cool water before her feet. Kneeling down, Ellie reached out a hand, and a soft moan escaped her lips when the fresh water touched her heated skin. For a moment, she closed her eyes, feeling a slight chill run from her submerged hand up her arm. It felt wonderful!

  Opening her eyes, Ellie scanned her surroundings and found a cluster of trees a little farther down the stream providing ample shade. Reluctantly withdrawing her hand from the cooling brook, she strode through the grass and then sank down under the trees’ large canopy. She removed her bonnet and leaned forward, hand searching for the refreshing wet. Collecting a little water in her cupped hand, she brushed it across her arms, enjoying the tingle that ran through her. And yet, it wasn’t enough.

  Not nearly enough.

  Eyeing her shoes and stockinged feet with a hint of disgust, Ellie took a deep breath. She really ought not to. Even at twelve years old, Elsbeth Munsford was very much aware that a lady ought not to remove her clothing in public.

  Glancing around, Ellie frowned. What public?

  A mischievous smile spread over her face as her nimble fingers worked to loosen her shoes. When they came off, her stockings quickly followed, and Ellie delighted at the feeling of soft grass under her bare feet. Then she glanced at the water and wiggled her toes.

  Taking a deep breath, she pushed all thoughts of her mother away and rose to her feet. After making sure that she was, indeed, alone, Ellie slowly pulled up the hem of her dress, revealing her ankles. Grinning from ear to ear, she bit her lower lip in excitement and then stepped toward the brook.

  As the cooling water rushed over her skin, Ellie sighed with delight, wiggling her toes and digging them into the muddy stream bed. For a moment, she closed her eyes, savouring the moment until she realised it still wasn’t enough.

  The coolness barely spread to her knees, let alone chase away the beads of sweat still pop-ping up on her forehead.

  Lifting up her skirts to just above her knees, Ellie revealed a small birthmark that resembled a bird taking flight. Although her mother had always considered it an oddity, relieved it was in a place covered by clothes, Ellie had always felt special because of it, wishing that she, too, could simply spread her wings and fly.

  Sighing, Ellie waded deeper into the stream. When the water
swirled around her calves, she finally felt its cooling effect spread into every part of her body. Welcoming the slight chill chasing away the hot air resting on her skin, Ellie once more closed her eyes.

  Lost in a moment of pure pleasure, Ellie did not hear them coming.

  Only when they broke through the underbrush, their boots snapping dry twigs as they went, did Ellie’s eyes snap open.

  Instantly, shock froze her limbs, and she stared at the three young men standing but a few feet from the water’s edge.

  In that moment, Ellie was too stunned to observe anything else but the cold that slowly spread through her body, bringing with it an old fear. What would her mother say?

  Then, she swallowed, and her eyes travelled from the tall, dark-haired youth, who−as her mother had informed her−went by the name of Frederick Lancaster, second son to the Marquess of Elmridge, to the two others standing to his left and right, Oliver Cornell and Kenneth Moreton. While Frederick bore an expression that did not betray his thoughts, his friends looked rather sur-prised to find her in the stream, the corners of their mouths slowly drawing up into a smile, clearly showing their amusement.