A Kiss Before the Wedding (Love at Pembroke Palace Book 5)

by Julianne MacLean

  He kissed her devotedly, then drew back and smiled down at her. “Now it begins,” he whispered, as he took her hand and led her across the room to the door behind the tapestry.

  “What begins?” she asked.

  “Our future together.”

  Quietly they slipped into the secret, narrow corridor that would see them out of the palace.

  Adelaide clasped William’s hand tightly as he led her down the dark passageway. Her heart pounded with a combination of fear and daring exhilaration. She felt as if they were prisoners making a brave escape from a dungeon.

  They were not out of the woods yet, however. Anything could happen before they reached the stables.

  Nevertheless, as they made their way toward freedom, Adelaide knew that nothing would keep them apart. Even if her father caught them, even if he beat her and locked her up again, she and William would find a way to be together somehow, for it was their destiny. He was the other half of her soul.

  She had known it the moment he kissed her.

  The End

  Author’s Note

  Dear Reader,

  I hope you enjoyed A KISS BEFORE THE WEDDING, the fifth story in my Love at Pembroke Palace Series. I confess I was unsure about calling it the fifth instalment, as it takes place almost thirty years before the series begins with IN MY WILDEST FANTASIES, which is set in 1870. At the end of the day, I felt it would work best as a bridge to the series conclusion, SEDUCED AT SUNSET. Read on for an excerpt from that novel, which features Lady Charlotte, the last unmarried daughter at Pembroke Palace. She has been ‘on the shelf’ for a number of years, while her brothers have all been finding love. It will also resolve the enduring love story between Lady Charlotte’s mother, Adelaide, and Dr. William Thomas.

  (For those of you who haven’t read the first four books in the series, you may be surprised to discover that Adelaide does, in fact, marry the Duke of Pembroke, but it is a tumultuous relationship. Dr. Thomas remains a constant devoted presence in her life, however, and his friendship helps her through many difficult times.) Please continue reading for a complete list of the books in this series, as well as other contemporary and historical novels I’ve written.

  If you would like to stay informed about my future releases and take part in my monthly autographed book giveaways for newsletter subscribers, please visit my website at www.juliannemaclean.com. I would love to send news to you.

  Lastly, if you would like to know when an e-book edition from my backlist goes on sale for 99¢ (or is occasionally offered for free), please go to my author profile on Bookbub and click the “follow” button. You’ll be sent an email whenever there’s a flash sale. You can also follow me on Amazon to be informed of discounted e-books for your Kindle.

  I am also on Facebook and Twitter where I chat with readers every day.

  –Julianne

  Excerpt from Seduced at Sunset

  Pembroke Palace Series Conclusion

  (Charlotte’s Story)

  From bestselling author Julianne MacLean comes a grand historical romance series set in the lavish palace of an English duke, where duty and desire collide.

  Sometimes the matchmaker finds a love of her own…

  Lady Charlotte Sinclair has long given up her dreams of happily ever after. Years ago, a tragic accident claimed the life of her beloved fiancé, but somehow she found the strength to go on–as an independent woman with a secret double life that has earned her a fortune of her own. Lately, however, she has begun to yearn for something more…

  While setting out to play matchmaker for her mother, Lady Charlotte meets a rugged, handsome stranger who saves her from a thief in the street, but her heroic rescuer soon turns out to be more mysterious—and dangerously captivating–than any man she has ever known. Swept away by passion into a glorious summer affair with a man who leads a double life of his own, she vows to live only for pleasure with no promises of tomorrow. But soon she must accept that one final night in the arms of a stranger might never be enough…

  “A terrific story filled with passion, wit and heart.”

  –Romance Junkies

  “There is no doubt that Ms. MacLean’s

  writing style is a gift from the gods.”

  –Romance Junkies

  Seduced at Sunset

  Excerpt Copyright © 2020 Julianne MacLean Publishing Inc.

  Chapter 1

  Pembroke Palace, England, 1886

  In every life, there comes a time when one must let go of certain regrets, stop mourning for the paths not taken, and forge ahead into the future with fresh new goals, and somewhat altered expectations.

  Standing at the window, looking out over the vast expanse of green lawns and thick forests reaching all the way to the horizon, Lady Charlotte Sinclair raised her teacup to her lips and settled her gaze on the red brick dower house in the distance.

  “Do you ever wonder if she’s lonely?” Charlotte asked her sister-in-law, Lady Anne, who rose from her chair and came to join her at the window.

  “Are you referring to Adelaide?” Anne replied. “She certainly hasn’t seemed melancholy, not that I can see. It’s been two years now, since the duke passed. I think she is doing remarkably well under the circumstances. Why? Do you feel differently?”

  Charlotte set her teacup down upon the saucer with a delicate clink. “I cannot help but wonder if Mother ever thinks about Dr. Thomas. They haven’t seen each other since Father’s funeral.” She turned her eyes to Anne. “You know the story, don’t you? That she attempted to run off with him and flee the palace through the underground tunnels on the eve of her wedding?”

  “No, I did not know that particular detail,” Anne said with surprise, looking sharply out the window toward the dower house. “I knew, of course, that she and Dr. Thomas were close at one time, and that they had been sweethearts before she married the duke.”

  Anne spoke tactfully, well aware that the two were more than sweethearts, for Adelaide had also left her husband for a brief interval during their marriage and had spent time away from Pembroke with Dr. Thomas. As a result, Charlotte and her twin brother Garrett were born nine months later—one of the many secret scandals hidden within the palace walls.

  For years, the secret had been kept safe. No one outside the family knew that Charlotte and Garrett were illegitimate, and that Dr. William Thomas was their true father.

  “What in the world happened?” Anne asked. “Because obviously, she didn’t jilt the duke at the altar. She went ahead with it. Otherwise she would never have become Duchess of Pembroke.”

  Charlotte turned to sit on the wide painted windowsill and set her teacup and saucer down beside her. “Mother told me everything about it shortly before Father passed away. She said she had no regrets about marrying him—that it was her destiny to be duchess here, and mother to all of us, just as we are. Though she loved Dr. Thomas quite passionately in her youth, I believe, in the end, she was content with the choice she had made.”

  “Naturally I am pleased to hear that,” Anne said as she sat down beside Charlotte on the windowsill. “But you still haven’t told me what happened on the eve of the wedding. Did she keep the duke waiting at the chapel?”

  “No, she was there on time. Her father caught Mother and Dr. Thomas as they were attempting to flee the palace. There was some violence, I believe, and poor Dr. Thomas was dragged away, unconscious. I do not know all the particulars, but Mother chose to walk down the aisle the next day to save him from any further harm. She wrote to him and told him that she had changed her mind, that her father was right, and it was her duty to marry the duke, and that William must never contact her again. When he found out she had gone through with it, he left England and didn’t return for a few years. It was when he came back that he and mother spent those…intimate hours together.” Charlotte picked up her tea again. “Father knew nothing about her infidel
ity until much later, when he realized Garrett and I looked nothing like him or our brothers.”

  Anne laid a hand over her chest. “Goodness. That is quite a story,” she said.

  “Yes, indeed, and I have not been able to push it from my mind since I learned of it. Imagine, poor Dr. Thomas being thumped on the head and dragged out of the tunnels. And poor Mother, who was desperately in love with him… How she must have suffered. It is quite a tale of woe, which is why I believe it’s high time someone made it right. Their day has come, Anne. Do you not agree? Mother was a dutiful wife to the very end, but she is a widow now. And Dr. Thomas—so skilled in the art of medicine—was such a good friend to her when Father was ill. He was her knight in shining armor. Surely they both deserve happiness. They have waited so long.”

  Anne considered it. “Do you not think they are old enough, and wise enough, to make their own decisions? If they want to be together, there is nothing standing in their way. They can do so without someone—and that would be you, I presume—making it happen.”

  Charlotte smiled. “Of course it would be me. Why do you think I brought it up?” She rose to her feet and went to pour herself another cup of tea. “Dr. Thomas is always delighted to see me when I visit my publisher in London,” she said as she picked up the teapot. “I am sure he would be open to an invitation of some sort. Perhaps he just needs a little prodding.”

  “Do you intend to try your hand at matchmaking?” Anne asked, intrigued.

  “I most certainly do,” Charlotte replied. “I am the perfect candidate for such an undertaking. They are my parents, after all, and I know them better than anyone. Besides, I must have some form of romance in my life, even if it is not my own.”

  Anne and Charlotte had been sisters-in-law for twelve years now. They were the best of friends, and for that reason Charlotte did not need to explain why she had long given up dreaming of her own happily ever after. Charlotte was no stranger to heartache and disappointment, which was probably why she and Dr. Thomas rubbed along so well. She felt a deep connection to him, for he had lost his beloved tragically at an early age, just as she had.

  Before that loss, Charlotte had actually believed she was leading a charmed life, for she had met the perfect man during her first week of her first Season in London. Lord Graham Spencer was the most handsome gentleman she had ever seen, with jet-black hair, piercing blue eyes, and a tall muscular build. If his looks weren’t enough to make a young lady swoon, he was also charming, intelligent, and exceptionally honorable. To top it all off, he was heir to a dukedom, and was soon to inherit his ailing father’s title and estate in Devonshire.

  Charlotte and Lord Graham had fallen in love instantly upon introduction, and the courtship was as passionate and romantic as any woman could ever dream. By the end of the Season Graham had proposed and given Charlotte his grandmother’s gigantic diamond ring, and they fell more deeply in love with each passing day as they anticipated their wedding the following spring.

  It was a passionate love, and they had both been far too impatient…

  Then, three weeks before Charlotte’s highly anticipated walk down the aisle, Graham was thrown from his horse in the middle of London’s Trafalgar Square on a sunny afternoon. The coroner told them he died instantly from a head injury, and Charlotte was left to endure the unbearable agony of losing the man she loved with all her heart, and with that, the happy future of which she had dreamed.

  A month later, she discovered she was with child. While most women would have feared and dreaded the scandal, Charlotte had wept tears of joy. She announced it to her family with pride—and a careless disregard for how Society would judge her—for in her womb, she carried a piece of her beloved that would stay with her forever.

  But fate was cruel to her yet again. At the end of her first trimester, she lost the baby and fell into a deep pit of despair that lasted nearly a year. The grief was immeasurable, and it was a long hard climb back to a life that included any thoughts of the future, for she couldn’t possibly imagine how to ever find happiness again.

  And so, she passed through her best years in a quiet state of melancholy. Her family tried to coax her to begin again at the next London Season, or the Season after that, but Charlotte had no interest in flirting, and surely no man could possibly compare to Graham, the great love of her life, who had been so cruelly ripped from her world.

  Now she was long past a marriageable age, but had found a different sort of happiness from within—through her writing. A year ago, her first novel The Boxer had been published under the pseudonym Victor Edwards, and it was now a literary sensation, which proved to be exceedingly lucrative for Charlotte. The book was in its seventeenth printing and was selling well in Europe as well as America. She had already been commissioned to write a second novel, which was due on her editor’s desk next summer.

  Hence, her life—though it was not what she’d imagined it would be when she was young and full of romantic dreams—had turned out to be surprisingly satisfactory.

  Nevertheless, Charlotte had recently begun to desire something more. She was not a block of ice. She had known passion and desire once before. Though she did not yearn for a life of matrimony—she was financially independent and quite happy in her solitude—her body longed for certain physical pleasures with a man. She wanted to be touched. By a lover. By someone handsome and experienced. Someone compelling.

  She would never be as young as she once was, but by God, she had not lost her looks yet. If she were honest about it, without conceit, she was in fact quite comely, with golden hair and a curvaceous figure. In the right situation, Charlotte was confident she could do what was required to attract a desirable candidate for the sort of encounter she had in mind.

  “How do you plan to begin?” Anne asked as she rose from her seat on the windowsill to return to the sofa. “Will you invite Dr. Thomas to Pembroke?”

  Charlotte shook away the other fantasy that had been on her mind so often lately and sat down beside Anne. She chose a raspberry scone from the biscuit plate. “Eventually, yes, but first I will pay him a call in London. He is always pleased to see me, as I am his only daughter. Since the Season is in full swing, I shall persuade Mother to accompany me this time. I will suggest that we take in the theater and accept a few invitations to dinners and balls. For years she has been trying to convince me to enjoy myself, so I will inform her that I am ready to do just that.”

  “Oh, Charlotte.” Anne laid a hand on her knee. “Please tell me that you are indeed ready to enjoy yourself, and that it is not simply a charade to lure Adelaide to London.”

  Charlotte popped the last bite of the scone into her mouth. “I believe I am more than ready,” she replied. “I have been too bookish of late. It’s time to live a little. Do you not agree? Heaven forbid I become a recluse in my old age.”

  The maid entered to collect the tea tray, and Anne smiled with encouragement. “Will you write to me from London?” she asked. “And tell me everything?”

  “I will write to you each day,” Charlotte replied.

  Though she was not certain she would be able to divulge all the details – for some of the activities she planned to engage in might turn out to be exceedingly private.

  Chapter 2

  London

  Immediately following the meeting with her publisher, Charlotte instructed her coachman to take her to Dr. Thomas’s medical offices on Park Lane. A short while later she was greeted by the clerk at the front desk and shown into her father’s study, which was located down a narrow red-carpeted corridor at the rear of the clinic.

  As always, Charlotte paused at the door to behold the cluttered yet cozy state of the room, with books and papers piled high and spread everywhere, and a faded coat of dark green paint on the walls. Aside from the fact that there was a skeleton standing by the window, the room was quite inviting, though definitely in need of a woman’s touch. Dr. Thoma
s needed some help with organization. Charlotte suspected, however, that too much of it might upset his professional balance. He was a brilliant surgeon who specialized in diseases of the brain, and he probably knew the exact location of every book and document in the building.

  This was obviously his sanctuary, his place of private reflection, where he researched the newest methods of scientific investigation. Charlotte was exceedingly proud of her father and pleased that he derived so much pleasure from his work. He had once told her that his work gave his life meaning, even when he had been forced to endure certain disappointments.

  He was referring, of course, to the loss of his great love—Charlotte’s mother Adelaide, now the Dowager Duchess of Pembroke. It had been years since Charlotte and Dr. Thomas spoke of it, but she knew the hole in his heart would remain there forever, just as the hole in her own heart would always be a part of her. ‘Like father like daughter,’ he once said to her. ‘We are two peas in a pod.’

  Not exactly, however, for his lost love was still alive and now attainable. There was hope for them yet.

  Charlotte heard her father leave one of the examination rooms and approach her from behind. “William,” Charlotte said with a warm smile as she waited in the doorway. (They were on intimate enough terms to use their given names, at least in private, but he refused to let her call him ‘Papa.’ It was not to be acknowledged.)

  “My darling girl,” he said, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. “What brings you to London? Another meeting with your publisher, I suspect? They must be so pleased with the success of your book.”