by Quinn, Ella
“They will be dealt with shortly. This sloppiness is inexcusable. Did you question the maid?”
“Yes, your grace, but she was hysterical, and I couldn’t make any sense of what she was saying. The housekeeper gave her a sedative. I’ll talk to her again in the morning.”
“At least I don’t have to worry about Ross’s questions. He’s eating opium again.”
Somerset noticed his servant had nothing to say to that. If the duke kept indulging, they could depart with him being none the wiser. The only person he had to explain himself to was his duchess. If she even cared to listen to him. Knowing her, she already had all the information he did. He knew that she’d publically excoriated Sittle for losing Euphrosyne.
Four days later, the butler brought him the London Times.
Lady Euphrosyne Trevor, daughter of the Duke of Somerset, and the Marquis of Markville in Edinburgh on the 17th of December.
“Sittle, tell her grace we are going home.”
May 1819
Euphrosyne had been surprised to see how many members of her family were present for the christening of hers and Charles’s son, Charles Fredrick Damon, Earl of Hartwick. The only one missing was Laia, who had given birth to twin boys a few weeks before Euphrosyne.
“He is precious.” Mama held her eighth grandchild. Meg had given birth last September, and Quartus and his wife had had twins in autumn. Mama might never see Frank and Jenny’s twins in America.
“It will be nice that he has cousins near his age.” Charles hadn’t left her side during the birth, and was always willing—much to Nurse’s consternation —to take care of the baby.
Even Sarah, who had given birth two months ago, was here.
“Mama, where does Somerset think you are?” Since she had made her vow last year, Euphrosyne never called or thought of him as her father. What real father would do what he had tried to do to his daughter?
“He knows I am here.” She smiled gently. “He is well aware that no matter the circumstances, I will not miss the christening of any of my grandchildren. Except Frank and Jenny’s, which could not be avoided. They are planning a trip to England next spring.”
“It will be wonderful seeing them again.” Euphrosyne still found it hard to believe that her mother, a seemingly placid woman who never contradicted her husband, had a network of friends and allies ready to assist her. Chief of whom were Meg and Hawksworth, but Mama also knew Meg’s grandmother, and the Dowager Duchess of Bridgewater, and numerous other people. And Mama knew codes, which she used regularly, not only to remain in practice, but so that if the duke read her letters, he’d be none the wiser.
Tears sprang to Euphrosyne’s eyes. “Thank you for making sure Charles and I married.”
“My dear, dear, child. I could do nothing less. It was clear the two of you were deeply in love and belonged together.” She smiled ruefully. “I only wish I’d known what Somerset planned to do at Laia’s wedding. That was a miscalculation on my part that I will not make again.”
Euphrosyne believed that wholeheartedly. She glanced at her mother. “We read that Ross had died. Who was the cousin?”
“His land-steward. He and Lady Emily were very much in love. He asked for her hand several years ago, but Ross refused to allow the marriage. They wed privately a few days after her brother’s death.”
“No wonder she didn’t like me.” The absurdness of the situation struck Euphrosyne. “She would have been more than happy to help me escape.”
“Indeed she would have.” Mama took the baby and cuddled him.
“I wonder which of us will be next,” Euphrosyne mused.
Charles joined them, handing her and her mother glasses of champagne. “Whoever it is, we will be there to help them if they need it.”
“Yes.” Euphrosyne stood and held up her glass. “I want to thank everyone for your support and making sure that Markville and I were able to marry. We will pledge our assistance for the next of our brothers or sisters who require it.”
“Here, here!” Charles slipped his arm around her waist. “I knew it. I knew you were going to be a dangerous woman to cross.”
Author’s Note
I hope you enjoyed the continuing saga of The Trevors. Those of you who have read One Duke Or Another, the third in the series, will understand the references to the Duke of Bolton and his death more fully. For those of you who have not yet done so, enjoy! Unfortunately, the length of this book did not allow me to fully delve into all the particulars.
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Likewise, if you have read Miss Featherton’s Christmas Prince (The Marriage Game Book #8) you’ll already have been introduced to the Duchess of Bridgewater and Lady Featherton. Lady Theo and Lord Titus were first introduced in A Kiss for Lady Mary (The Marriage Game book #6). I hope you enjoyed their return.
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As always, I studied old maps of Bath and Edinburgh. Sidney Gardens was built to be like Vauxhall.
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The stories of the Trevors are initially released in box sets. As I receive the rights back, I make them available as single titles. The first book, A Promise of Love, is free if you sign up for my newsletter at www.ellaquinnauthor.com. The second book, It Takes a Hero, is at your favorite e-retailer. The third book is in The Scoundrel Who Loved Me box set, available on Amazon. I’m working on making each of these novellas available in print.
About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Ella Quinn’s studies and other jobs have always been on the serious side. Reading historical romances, especially Regencies, were her escape. Eventually her love of historical novels led her to start writing them.
Find out more about Ella and all her books at https://www.ellaquinnauthor.com/
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Ella loves when friends connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.