“After much time, I finally recalled whose initials they were,” Mary continued. “It was a love story as I remember it. Your mother, Helen, fell in love with a merchant, your father, but your grandfather would not sanction the marriage as he was a viscount and the businessman had no noble blood. However, as love stories often go, your mother and father ran away and were married anyway. Sadly, your grandfather, the viscount, disowned her.”
The brown-haired woman reached for the dowager’s hand. “I never stopped loving her, but I was too young to disobey my father. How I have missed her. I was notified of her death, but I never knew she had a daughter.” Her eyes teared up as she spoke.
The duchess spoke up. “Sara, I would like you to meet your Aunt Elinor.”
Sara’s vision blurred from her tears as she stood. “You’re my aunt?”
“Yes, my dear.” Aunt Elinor smiled. “I would be honored if you would allow me to be a part of your life. You look so much like your mother that I cannot believe it. A part of my beloved sister lives on.” She held both hands up to her cheeks and sighed. “You are so beautiful.”
Sara and her aunt reached for each other at the same time. “I would like that very much, Aunt Elinor,” she said, leaning into the older woman’s embrace. Her tears mingled with laughter. She actually had a true aunt. How could she have not known? She could learn so much more about her mother.
“Oh, I have something for you. Your mother loved to sew, just as you do, and she had created her own wedding dress. But because she ran off to marry, she left it behind. I’ve treasured it all this time, and I wondered if you would like to have it.”
Aunt Elinor opened the long package and pulled out a pale blue gown decorated with the same beads as the reticule Sara had treasured for so many years.
“What do you think?” Aunt Elinor’s eyebrows rose as she held the dress up for Sara’s inspection.
Sara willed her legs to move. The dress was everything she could have dreamed. She stumbled over to it and brushed her hand across the satin skirt, running her fingers across the beaded bodice. “I think it is the most beautiful dress I have ever seen. I would love to wear it on my wedding day.”
“I think that would make your mother very happy. Oh, I also brought these if you would like them.” She handed Sara the other small sack the dowager held. It was full of a variety of beads, including the very ones she’d been searching for that matched her mother’s reticule. She would finally be able to fix it and make it whole again.
Sara choked back her tears enough to thank her aunt and to hug the duchess.
Mary St. James cradled her cheek and said, “It did not matter to me or my son—we love you for who you are. But I always believed you had noble blood in you somewhere.”
Sara was speechless.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Sara stood at the back of the church and smiled at Edward Davis, the Earl of Ardleigh, who had agreed to walk her down the aisle to her husband-to-be.
“You are absolutely lovely in that dress, Sara.” He nodded as he perused her gown.
“I cannot believe my good fortune. To have an aunt after all these years, and a man who loves me. Of course, I adore them both. This is definitely the happiest day of my life.”
“I couldn’t be happier to see you with the duke. You are marrying a good man.”
“Yes, I am, and I have you to thank for so much, Lord Ardleigh. You and Phoebe have been so wonderful to me.”
The earl beamed at her. “I feared I’d never see Brentwood marry again, but he’s a changed man. The fact that he’s encouraged you to continue designing your gowns is evidence of that. Someday,” he said, dropping his voice to a whisper, “I’ll tell him so, but not yet. I don’t want his chest puffing out too much.”
The earl gave her a kiss on her cheek and tucked her arm in his. They turned toward the front of the church.
She beamed with joy. Her business was doing well. Philip had taken over the financial end of it and hired several seamstresses for her so she could focus on her designs. As she took her first steps down the aisle, she was able to calm her butterflies by focusing on the love of her life, Philip St. James. He was so handsome, as usual. She smiled at her Aunt Elinor and Phoebe as she passed them.
Her gaze locked on Philip’s blue eyes as he took her fingers. His eyes were such a warm, beautiful blue.
Finally, the ice had truly melted, not just in his eyes. It had melted in her heart as well.
Epilogue
The following spring in London
Philip laughed as he helped his very pregnant wife excitedly pull on her fishing pole. They stood in his favorite place on the dock at his lake.
“Be careful, love. Don’t shake our baby up too much. I’ll get him for you.” He reached over Sara’s shoulders to grab the pole and tug.
“Philip, be careful! Don’t lose my fish! I can tell this is a special one. I have not caught anything in a long time.” Sara bit her lower lip in anticipation.
“I beg to differ with you, wife. You caught something, or your belly wouldn’t be sticking out so far,” he whispered in her ear.
Sara giggled as she relinquished the pole to her husband. She pinched his arm as she spoke. “I caught this from you and you know it. It was bound to happen, for you cannot keep your hands to yourself.”
“Hmph. I still cannot keep my hands off you. You are more beautiful than ever carrying our child.” He gave her a quick kiss before gently moving her to the side. Philip was amazed at how much his love had grown for his wife. It was almost a year since Sara Downey had walked into his life and turned it upside down. Soon they would have their first child together. He’d always thought he would want a son first. A strapping boy. But he wanted a little girl who looked just like Sara. They could have sons later.
“Be careful, Philip! Don’t lose my fish!” Sara yelled once more with a giggle.
“I am afraid you aren’t going to be happy when I reel it in.” Philip sighed. He could tell by the tug that it wasn’t anything living.
“Yes, I will. I am sure it is bigger than yours. Look at how hard you are pulling. It must be a really big fish.” Sara shouted her excitement as her husband fought with the pole.
“It may be bigger than mine, but I don’t think it’s a fish.” He gave one last tug and almost fell on his bottom when it came free.
“What are you talking about?” Sara gasped as she viewed the tangle of seaweed that was on the end of her hook. “Oh, Philip. I thought it was a fish. Oh, poo!”
He gave her his best smile as he held it up for her to see. His laughter echoed across the small valley. He let the large clump of seaweed dangle for his wife’s view before he reached for it to throw it back into the lake.
Something caught Sara’s eye. “Philip, wait! Don’t throw it back yet.” She reached for the cluster of weeds and dirt.
“Don’t touch it, Sara! You don’t know what’s in the middle.”
“Hold it still, I can see something.” She reached into the bundle of weeds and grabbed something hard. Pulling it out, she tugged away pieces of grass and held it up for him to see.
“Look, Philip! It’s a toy boat. Where did this come from?” She peered up at her husband as she held out the boat for his inspection.
He dropped the pole and took the boat from his wife, cradling it as if it would shatter. His voice broke as he spoke. “This was my boat.”
“Really? Imagine that, finding it now.” Sara smiled up at him.
“My father made it for me when I was a child.” He set it into the water, holding his hand there for a moment to make sure it floated. Sure enough, it floated on its own to the middle of the lake.
He pulled his wife into a warm embrace and whispered, “I knew you were meant for me.”
Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the updated version of The Duke and the Dressmaker. I think Reforming the Duke is a much more appropriate title.
As always, reviews w
ould be greatly appreciated. Sign up for my newsletter on my website at www.keiramontclair.com. I send newsletters out with each new release.
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Keira Montclair
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NOVELS BY KEIRA MONTCLAIR
THE BAND OF COUSINS
HIGHLAND VENGEANCE
HIGHLAND ABDUCTION
HIGHLAND RETRIBUTION
HIGHLAND LIES
HIGHLAND FORTITUDE
HIGHLAND RESILIENCE
HIGHLAND DEVOTION
HIGHLAND BRAWN
HIGHLAND YULETIDE MAGIC
THE CLAN GRANT SERIES
#1-RESCUED BY A HIGHLANDER-Alex and Maddie
#2-HEALING A HIGHLANDER’S HEART-Brenna and Quade
#3-LOVE LETTERS FROM LARGS-Brodie and Celestina
#4-JOURNEY TO THE HIGHLANDS-Robbie and Caralyn
#5-HIGHLAND SPARKS-Logan and Gwyneth
#6-MY DESPERATE HIGHLANDER-Micheil and Diana
#7-THE BRIGHTEST STAR IN THE HIGHLANDS-Jennie and Aedan
#8- HIGHLAND HARMONY-Avelina and Drew
THE HIGHLAND CLAN
LOKI-Book One
TORRIAN-Book Two
LILY-Book Three
JAKE-Book Four
ASHLYN-Book Five
MOLLY-Book Six
JAMIE AND GRACIE- Book Seven
SORCHA-Book Eight
KYLA-Book Nine
BETHIA-Book Ten
LOKI’S CHRISTMAS STORY-Book Eleven
THE SOULMATE CHRONICLES
#1-TRUSTING A HIGHLANDER
THE SUMMERHILL SERIES- CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
#1-ONE SUMMERHILL DAY
#2-A FRESH START FOR TWO
#3-THREE REASONS TO LOVE
OTHER NOVELS
FALLING FOR THE CHIEFTAIN-Book Three in Enchanted Falls Trilogy
THE BANISHED HIGHLANDER
REFORMING THE DUKE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Keira Montclair is the pen name of an author who lives in Florida with her husband. She loves to write fast-paced, emotional romance, especially with children as secondary characters in her stories.
She has worked as a registered nurse in pediatrics and recovery room nursing. Teaching is another of her loves, and she has taught both high school mathematics and practical nursing.
Now she loves to spend her time writing, but there isn’t enough time to write everything she wants! Her Highlander Clan Grant series, comprising of eight standalone novels, is a reader favorite. Her third series, The Highland Clan, set twenty years after the Clan Grant series, focuses on the Grant/Ramsay descendants. She also has a contemporary series set in The Finger Lakes of Western New York.
Her latest series, The Band of Cousins, stems from The Highland Clan but is a stand-alone series.
Contact her through her website, www.keiramontclair.com.
REFORMING THE DUKE
Copyright © 2019 by Keira Montclair
Previously released as The Duke and the Dressmaker in 2013.
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereinafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Printed in the USA.
Cover Design and Interior Format by The Killion Group, Inc.
Reforming the Duke Page 23
