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Copyright © 2019 by Lucinda Nelson
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Table of Contents
Copyright
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Table of Contents
An Unforgettable Night with the Desirable Duke
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 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 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
The Extended Epilogue
Book 11- A Preview
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
An Unforgettable Night with the Duke A Preview
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
A Short Note About Starfall Publications
Also By Lucinda Nelson
A Lady to Redeem a Rakish Lord
Chapter 1
The Campbell’s Cottage, Havenwood, the Outskirts of London, Early December 1836,
Miss Ophelia Campbell
“Do you think father will come back early, mother?” Ophelia asked, pausing her needlework.
“I suppose he should,” replied her mother. “Either way, I’d rather we not expect him so soon.” It was just the two of them in the parlor, busy knitting. Ophelia hated knitting, but this was a task her mother said every lady was supposed to know.
Ophelia sighed. “It will be a shame if he is to miss the Christmas fair,” she sulked as she continued her needlework. She wanted to be done with her embroidery before Emily, her best friend, came for it.
She wanted to impress Emily who her mother had always said was better than her in everything. No wonder she got engaged on time.
“It wouldn’t be the first time and neither will it be the last,” replied her mother. “Surely, you have grown used to not having your father around during a time like this?”
Ophelia sighed, knowing how right her mother was. Having a merchant as a father was one challenge Ophelia had always battled with, especially since she and her father were really close.
However, even though she had grown used to not having him around at important festive periods, she couldn’t stop hoping that he would be around more.
“Has he always been this way, even during your courtship?” Ophelia asked with a slight smile. She loved hearing about the story of when her parents were still courting. She believed she would never get tired of it. To her, it was really interesting.
Her mother threw her a frowny look. “There you go again, asking about your father and I. Don’t you think it is high time you created your own love story?”
Ophelia expected that. “I certainly know, mother. But, I wouldn’t mind hearing about you two over and over. I’ve learned a lot from it.”
“What is there to learn from?” retorted her mother. “Your father was a merchant right before I met him, and even during courtship, I hardly saw him. That was why marrying him was easy. I knew he was not going to be around all the time, and I was alright with it. I knew what to expect.”
Ophelia looked surprised by this new information but then smiled. “I hope father knows how lucky he is to have you?”
“Oh, trust me, he does,” replied her mother and they both chuckled.
“At the same time, mother. I do not think I would want my husband to be far away from me all the time,” Ophelia stated, not looking up at her mother.
“Are you certain of that?”
“Yes, mother,” she replied, now looking up. “My father is hardly at home. Having a husband who follows the same pattern will be an everlasting torture. I’d rather stay single.”
Her mother smiled. “Well, that is a good decision. You need to know what you want before going for it,” replied the mother. “At the same time, once you marry him, I do not think anything else matters. You just have to get along with whatever he does.”
Ophelia smiled and looked up. “Did you love father before marrying him?” she asked again. She had never asked her mother this question.
“Love wasn’t really necessary during that time. He was always away tending to business and I was always home, alone. He needed someone to hold the forte when he would not be around and there I was. We balanced each other out. That is all that matters”
“I do not wish to go into a loveless marriage,” Ophelia replied with a solemn tone. “It will make a lot of things easier when you love each other.”
Her mother frowned. “You amaze me, child. Most girls of today only care about wealth and status. You seem not to care about these things.”
Ophelia shrugged with a sigh. “No, mother. I believe girls who seek wealth are just greedy and they do not know what’s best for themselves. And as for those who seek status, the same thing applies to them. I believe in love.”
Her mother smiled. “You are so wrong, my dear. Love is not a necessity for a lasting marriage. I never loved your father before I married him. But as time went on, I grew to love your father.”
Ophelia shook her head. “I have heard that love is a beautiful thing and it makes a lot of things easier.”
“That is naïve thinking. Society does not have time for that, Ophelia. You have to do the right thing at the right time!”
“Well, society is wrong,” said Ophelia. “I shall not marry someone I do not love.”
Her mother shook her head. “What about Emily?”
“Emily,” Ophelia said, thinking for a while. Emily was engaged to be married in the next four month. “Well, it’s difficult to say,” she replied. Emily and her fiancé had an arranged marriage and it was the last thing that Ophelia would succumb to.
Her mother inhaled. “Love or no love, Ophelia. You are twenty. You need to find yourself a suitor.”
Ophelia knew where this was heading and immediately regretted starting the whole conversation.
“I shall, mother!” she replied while trying hard not to groan.
“Surely you shall not find a man by staying indoors all day. Thankfully, this fair shall provide you a chance to meet good looking gentlemen, and you better put that whole idea of love at the back of your mind.”
Ophelia grimaced. “I shall marry, mother. But on my own volition, and I insi
st that I shall not enter a loveless marriage.”
“You are running out of time and if you delay too much, your father and I might have no other choice than to find one for you.”
She looked up sharply, stopping her needle work. “I understand, mother and I thank you for your patience,” she replied. That was the only way to keep her mother from talking about it any further.
“Have you heard from Peter lately?” her mother asked shortly after.
Ophelia shook her head and continued knitting. Peter was the son of one of her father’s close associates and she detested him. She believed he had too much pride. She could have turned his proposal down but she kept keeping him. To her, he was just her last resort.
“You should give him an answer soon, Ophelia. I do not quite understand what you propose to do with keeping him waiting for so long.”
Ophelia gasped. “He had only proposed to me last week, mother. I do not think that is too long. If he indeed loves me as he claims to, waiting for me to make a decision should not be such a difficult task for him. Should it?”
As they were talking, Martins, the butler came in. He was a man in his early fifties.
“My lady,” he said, bowing slightly to Ophelia. “Miss Allen is here.”
“Oh! Emily is here!” said Ophelia eagerly. “Do let her in,” she said, heaving a sigh of relief. She was tired of the conversation with her mother and was grateful for the distraction.
Martins bowed and left only to return with Emily a few seconds later. Both Emily and Ophelia were of the same age and had been friends since childhood.
“Mrs. Campbell,” said Emily, walking over to Ophelia’s mother and bending to kiss her on both cheeks. “How do you do?”
“Very well, my darling. How are your parents?” asked Ophelia’s mother.
“They are very well, thank you,” replied Emily before sitting beside her friend.
“I shall excuse myself ladies,” said Mrs. Campbell as she took her leave from the parlor.
“Is everything alright?” Emily asked, looking at Ophelia with a concerned look.
She sighed. “Mother was just reminding me that I needed to marry,” Ophelia replied.
“Well, that is the bitter truth,” Emily joked. “You do need to marry, friend.”
“I know,” Ophelia said. “I really do know and I would appreciate if I am not being reminded of that.”
“Well, someone needs to remind you.”
Ophelia sent her friend a scowl and Emily laughed. She was only trying to frustrate her.
“Do you hear from Francis often?” asked Ophelia.
“Yes, he wrote to me yesterday. He might not be able to make it to the Christmas fair.”
“Oh! That will be a shame,” replied Ophelia. “But, I am happy to be spending the day with you.”
They both chuckled and seconds later, Martins came in again, this time holding a bouquet and a letter.
“My lady,” he said, bowing slightly to Ophelia before handing to her the items.
“Who are these from?” Ophelia asked with a deep frown creasing her brows.
“Mr. Pyke’s footman came to drop this off,” Martins said.
“Well, thank you. You may leave,” Ophelia replied with a lack of interest.
“Oh, goodness! Who are those from?” Emily asked, grinning from ear to ear as Martins left.
“I am about to find out,” Ophelia replied, tearing out the letter and began to read. After going through the first two lines, she scoffed and stood up to discard the letter into the burning fire of the fireplace.
“What did you do that for?” shouted Emily in horror. “You could have at least allowed me to read it!”
“It is from Peter. Who else would send me these if not him?” Ophelia said in disgust. “I detest him so much. I cannot tolerate his continuous pestering. It is becoming quite burdensome. I’m afraid, I may have to turn down his proposal afterall.”
Emily sighed. “Be reasonable, Ophelia. You barely go out these days and if you do not go out, how will you find a suitor? You need to go out more often. Thankfully, we have the fair to prepare for. Be patient; do not discard him so soon. If you let him go now and fail to find someone that matches your taste at the fair, you will be left without your last resort.”
“He is lesser than my last resort. He is too pompous. I wish I had allowed you to read the letter. He was asking if he could chaperone me to the fair and then stated that I must reply his request promptly for he had a little time to wait for my reply. Such impoliteness is intolerable!”
Emily shook her head. “I do agree with you but be more patient. Go to the fair and then afterwards, if you still feel like turning down his proposal, you may do that.”
Ophelia nodded. “I shall do that, Emily. Thank you.”
Emily leaned back on the couch. “What was your mother saying before I came in? I couldn’t help but notice some tension as I walked in.”
“Oh! We were talking about marriage as usual. I wanted to seek her opinion on something, and we ended up talking about my marriage situation. She said that if I do not hurry with my decision, they may have to find a suitor for me.”
Emily shrugged. “That is how it is, Ophelia. I honestly do not understand why this seems like a difficult task for you.”
Ophelia glared daggers at her. “Just because you were lucky in getting yourself engaged to your distant cousin, whom you have had a crush on, doesn’t mean it is going to be that easy for the rest of us.”
Emily straightened up. “I do not mean it like that. I apologize if it seems a bit proud, but have you simply asked yourself what would happen if you found no suitor?”
“Isn’t it obvious that this is the reason why I chose to keep Peter around?”
“Then you are willing to live a life of everlasting pain, because I know you will never be happy with him.”
Ophelia shrugged. “Society determines what choice we have, Emily. Once I marry him, I would not have any expectation. I already know him to be the arrogant peacock that he is.”
Emily was quiet for a while. “What is it that you seek in a man, Ophelia?”
She looked up all of a sudden. “Well,” she started putting down her embroidery work. “I do not want a man who will not be around and who always travels, leaving me to an empty house.”
Emily smiled. “You are still worried that your father might not make the fair?”
“Oh! Yes, I am. This Christmas fair is just preparation towards Christmas and if father can’t even make it to that, what are the odds that he will make it home for Christmas?”
Emily smiled. “Well, I know you are used to it and knowing how close you both are, I am certain that you will forgive him if he does not make it. But, you honestly would not settle for a man like your father?”
“A man that does not stay around like my father,” Ophelia corrected her and continued. “However, if that is the case with Peter if we finally marry, I honestly would not mind not having him in the house at all.”
Both ladies laughed.
Chapter 2
Barrington’s Estates, Westborough, London.
Christopher Crampton, Viscount Barrington.
The only noise that could be heard in the Crampton’s dining room was the noise of cutlery as the family, excluding their father, ate their breakfast.
Christopher looked up at his father’s empty seat, sighed and then continued with his meal. His father had been sick for weeks and nothing seemed to be improving his health.
Different physicians had come to treat him but there was little they could do. While they ate their breakfast, his father laid in his sickbed, in his room.
He glanced at his mother. He could never understand how worried she must feel. He looked at his older and only sister. She was just two scores and two years old but was married, however, she had decided to stay with them to take care of the home while their mother tended to the health of the father. Her husband was away on business and they had no children
yet.
“Is everything alright, brother?” Rebecca asked.
“Why are you in a hurry to finish your food? Why don’t you take things easy?” he asked.
Rebecca looked at their mother and then back at him. She looked like she was about to say something but instead shook her head.
“Have you two arranged for your travel to Eltonwood?” asked their mother.
“Yes, mother. I have,” Rebecca replied.
“And what about you?” asked their mother as she looked at Christopher.
“Mother,” he started. “Is it really compulsory for me to go? Why can’t I stay at home with father?”
Their mother shook her head. “No, son. I shall stay at home with your father. I am his wife, not you. So you need to start making the arrangements.”
A Lady to Redeem a Rakish Lord: A Historical Regency Romance Novel Page 1