The Royals Series

by Bay, Louise

  A little ripple passed under my hands. “Scarlett?”

  “That’s our baby joining in this moment. It’s the first time I’ve felt kicking.”

  “That’s unbelievable.” I had the urge to scoop her up and wrap her in a duvet and not let her leave this room for the next four months. Scarlett didn’t like me fussing, but what did she expect? “You’re unbelievable.”

  I felt like the luckiest man alive. Scarlett had given me everything I never knew I wanted.

  Scarlett

  “What are you two talking about?” I asked my brother and husband as I walked toward them carrying Gwendoline on my hip. The sun spilled out of the Connecticut sky and it was only the slight breeze that stopped the river bank from being too hot. They claimed to be fishing, but that was what they always said when the two of them disappeared within thirty minutes of us arriving in Connecticut. I was pretty sure it was just an excuse to gossip.

  “Kids,” Max said. “Ryder wants more.”

  I tipped our daughter onto my husband’s lap and kissed him on the forehead. “It’s Gwendoline’s first birthday tomorrow. Give my body a break; we have time.” My cheeks pinched as Gwendoline squirmed under her father’s tickles. I hadn’t said anything to Ryder but I was three days late. I’d picked up a pregnancy test at the grocery store and tomorrow morning we could take the test together like we had with Gwendoline.

  “This one needs a little brother to take care of her,” Ryder said.

  “God, please, we need some more testosterone around here,” Max said.

  “Are you having another girl?” I asked.

  “We don’t know yet, but seriously, if it’s another girl, you can have it.”

  I smacked my brother on the arm as Ryder chuckled. “You don’t mean that,” I said.

  “I don’t. But I’d really like a son.”

  “I don’t mind what we have as long as all twelve of them are healthy,” Ryder said.

  “Twelve?” Max gasped. “Well, when you’ve had three daughters, tell me again that you don’t want a son. All that pink. It gets to be too much.”

  Ryder shrugged. I really wasn’t sure whether he would ever mind having all daughters. “I’m not committing to anything more than two at the moment,” I said.

  “Two what?”

  I turned to find Grace and Sam approaching.

  “I’m so pleased you made it; how’s the house?” Max asked.

  “Oh my God, we’re buried in boxes and contractors. Who knew a nineteenth century farmhouse would be so much work?” Grace sank to the grass on a sigh. “I’m so glad I hired people to decorate. We turned up with our suitcases last night. I can’t take any credit. Apart from the art. We have the most beautiful Chagall in the dining room.”

  “It’s colorful, that’s for sure,” Sam said with a grimace.

  Grace started to laugh. “It will grow on you, my love. I promise.”

  “It better, Grace Astor,” he replied as he kissed her on the head.

  “Lauren loves her bedroom but insisted that I put Miles’s cot in her room so he doesn’t get lonely,” Sam said and Grace shook her head.

  “Something tells me it’s not her baby brother she’s worried about. But she’ll be fine.” Grace beamed. “And we’re only up here on weekends. You’re next,” she said, lifting her chin toward Ryder and me.

  “I love it up here,” Ryder said.

  I turned to him as Gwendoline clambered up his chest. “Really?”

  “Of course. It’s nice to get out of the city without having to fly to England.”

  “Yes, the trip’s shorter.”

  “What trip?” Harper called out as she joined us and Max pulled her onto his lap. “You know we have a thousand square feet of patio to socialize on with enough chairs for everyone, right?”

  “We’re trying to convince Ryder and Scarlett to buy a place up here,” Max said. “You interrupted our sales pitch.” He stood, wrapping his arms around her. “Now that we’re all here, let’s go get some beers.”

  I glanced up at Ryder as he slid his arm around my waist and we headed back to the house behind everyone else. “You want a place in Connecticut?”

  He blew a raspberry on Gwendoline’s neck and she covered his lips with her chubby fingers as she giggled. “Yeah, I think it would be nice to have a place up here with your family. But I know that it’s maybe not what you want.”

  I’d been dead set against a place in Connecticut after my divorce—there were too many memories and broken promises—but now all that felt redundant. Life before Ryder was forgotten. I wanted what was best for my family and my future.

  “I think it would be great,” I said. The way Ryder’s lips started to twitch at the edges gave away how happy he was. “You don’t mind not going back to Britain so often?”

  “My life is here with you and our family. We’ll still visit and Darcy can come over and stay. I actually saw a plot of land a couple of weeks ago that might be perfect.”

  “Land?” How long had he been thinking about this?

  “About a mile from here. Maybe we can go and take a look tomorrow.”

  “Okay. But there’s something we have to do before that. And we have to be home to prepare for the party.”

  “What?”

  I shrugged. “Just a pregnancy test.”

  Ryder stopped with a jolt and turned toward me, our baby in his arms between us. “You’re pregnant?” he whispered, his head dipping to take in my face.

  “I don’t know. That’s why we need to take a test.”

  “You’re pregnant,” he said. “Gwendoline, did you hear that? You’re going to have a baby brother.”

  “Shhh,” I said as he kissed my forehead and then our daughter’s crown. “We don’t know anything and we certainly don’t know if it’s going to be a boy.”

  “I know,” he said. “I know because I’m the luckiest guy on earth. I’ve done nothing to deserve it, but the best things keep on happening to me.”

  What he didn’t realize was I was the luckiest woman on earth. I had everything I’d ever thought possible and more. He might be British aristocracy, a duke and one of the most powerful men in Manhattan—what was more important was he was the best man I knew, my lover and my best friend.

  The most incredible things kept on happening to us and, pregnant or not, I had everything I’d ever dared wish for.

  * * *

  I hope you enjoyed Duke of Manhattan, keep reading for the next book The British Knight.

  The British Knight

  Published by Louise Bay 2017

  Copyright © 2017 Louise Bay. All rights reserved

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  ISBN – 978-1-910747-50-6

  Chapter One

  Violet

  Men and cocktails were two of my favorite things to waste time on, and I made sure my day always had plenty of either one or the other. “Cheers.” I raised my drink and clinked it against the glasses of two of my most treasured people in the world—my sister, Scarlett, and her sister-in-law Darcy. We were at some fancy bar in SoHo where the drinks were twice the price of a car. It was Darcy’s first night in New York City, and I wasn’t going to worry about how I was going to pay for anything tonight when I had no job to go to tomorrow. I adored her and didn’t get to see her as often as I’d like as she lived in England, so I was all about the positive. Maybe I could get her laid as a welcome gift? Sex always put me in a good mood. I was certainly going to find someone to go home with. I needed to forget what a terrible week I’d had, and I wasn’
t sure just one of my favorite things was going to be enough. It was going to take alcohol and a man.

  “Is there anyone special in England at the moment?” Scarlett asked Darcy. “Someone to sweep you off your feet?”

  I groaned. “She’s not Cinderella. She’s a capable, confident woman who needs no sweeping. The question you should be asking is whether or not she’s had any good sex lately.”

  “I’m not saying she’s not capable and confident, but a knight in shining armor is always a good thing,” Scarlett replied.

  “I wish I had sisters,” Darcy said, grinning at the two of us.

  Scarlett and I bickered because we were opposites. She was married for a second time. I had no desire to tie myself down to one man. Scarlett had a successful career whereas I couldn’t even keep a waitressing job. She had two kids and I wasn’t allowed a cat.

  She was going to kill me when she found out I’d been fired.

  But she was my sister and I loved her.

  “It’s the best,” Scarlett said, “though I wish she’d listen to me a little more often.”

  “You just need to accept that not everyone wants the house in Connecticut with the perfect husband and two perfect but very loud children.” I glanced around the room. What I wanted was ferocious sex with someone who could make me forget about what was or wasn’t going to happen tomorrow. But no one had caught my eye so far.

  “I just want you to be happy,” Scarlett said, tilting her head to the side.

  “Well that makes two of us.” The last thing I needed was my sister’s pity. Especially today. “Anyway, what are you going to do while you’re in New York?” I asked Darcy. “I can come on the tourist trail with you if you’d like.”

  “Don’t you have work?” Scarlett asked.

  The problem with being close with my sister was that as much as we might be dissimilar, we couldn’t hide things from each other.

  “Sure, but I can fit my shifts around Darcy. I want you to have a good time.” I took another sip of my cocktail, avoiding my sister’s burning gaze.

  “Oh, Violet. You didn’t quit your job again, did you?”

  From the corner of my eye, I caught the sag of Scarlett’s shoulders and the bow of her head.

  “Not exactly,” I said.

  I didn’t want to see that look of disappointment in her eyes. Couldn’t she just accept that I wasn’t interested in a highflying career? Life had taught me more than once that the moment was to be enjoyed and that tomorrow could be figured out when it arrived.

  “Not exactly?” she asked. “I thought you liked the girls at that place?”

  “I did.” The other waitresses had been a lot of fun and the tips had been amazing. “But I don’t think I should put up with it when my ass gets grabbed at work.”

  “Who grabbed your arse?” Darcy asked.

  “This regular we have. He does it to all of us, but I don’t see why it’s okay.”

  “It’s totally not okay. So you quit?” Scarlett asked.

  “No, I called him a sleazy prick and I got fired,” I explained, ready to move on. I’d dealt with enough assholes in my time—I didn’t want to waste any time thinking about them. “Hopefully it will mean he’ll lay off the other waitresses. At least for a while.”

  I’d discovered that the way not to be disappointed in life was to have few expectations and the easiest way to keep expectations to a minimum was not to get too involved. It didn’t matter if it was a job or a man—I didn’t keep either long enough to emotionally invest, and that meant I could walk away from either without it hurting. Losing a job wasn’t a problem—I was over it the moment I left. Not having any money was more of an issue.

  Scarlett sighed. “It’s not like you to lose your temper like that. I totally know he shouldn’t be grabbing anyone’s ass but . . .”

  “You expected me to suck it up?”

  “Absolutely not. I’m just saying it’s not like you to lose it. I’m worried about you. Is this about the news yesterday?”

  “News?” I asked, feigning ignorance. I was a terrible liar. The worst. But the last thing I wanted to do was discuss my ex-boyfriend and the fact that yesterday’s business pages had announced he was taking the company we’d founded together public.

  This was exactly the conversation I’d been avoiding.

  “Are you upset?” Scarlett asked, clearly knowing I was full of shit.

  “Not at all. You know I’m totally over it—it was years ago.” It had been almost four years since I’d been betrayed by my college boyfriend and had the company I’d worked so hard to build taken from me. “I’ve told you before, life is good.”

  I’d genuinely thought I was over it. But yesterday’s news had been a shock and brought back a lot of emotions. I enjoyed my life—most of the time. I had an amazing family, good friends, and I didn’t have to worry, make difficult decisions, or do any of the stressful stuff that came with running your own business. I just didn’t have the life I’d thought I’d end up with. I’d expected to be in the photograph alongside David. We’d be married—maybe with a kid or two—a tech power couple. Instead he was standing with his new wife, months away from winning the IPO lottery, and I was a waitress.

  Scarlett reached across the table and squeezed my hand. “I think it’s great you’re happy. But honestly, sometimes it’s good to have a plan, mix things up a bit. Isn’t that right, Darcy?”

  It was a low blow bringing Darcy into this conversation. She didn’t know how loaded the question was.

  “I love to plan,” Darcy said. “I’m slowly increasing profits of the estate. We’re looking at a fifteen percent jump over the next three years. If that happens, I want to open a farm shop, selling local produce. Also, I want to adopt a kid before I hit thirty-five. Oh, and if a knight in shining armor shows up, I don’t need to be swept off my feet, but if he wants to take me to dinner and give me a foot rub then I’m not going to say no. Business, kid, foot rub. In that order.”

  I laughed at her to-do list. Darcy always seemed so happy-go-lucky, but now I thought about it, running her country estate must take a lot of planning and skills. And she was obviously good at it.

  “Have you thought about going back to school?” Scarlett asked me.

  “Are you serious? School?” I had so many bad memories intertwined with my college experience that repeating it was the last thing I would consider. David and I had met as sophomores and stayed together four years. We’d been lovers, business partners, and now strangers.

  “I mean, if you’re not sure what you want to do. And now that you don’t have a job or a plan it might be the perfect place to figure stuff out,” Scarlett said.

  “Why give up today to make tomorrow better when you don’t know if you’ll live to see it?” Having my business taken from me when I’d spent so much time and effort building it into something I’d been so proud of had been devastating. I was determined not to repeat that mistake. I’d sacrificed so much of my early twenties for . . . nothing. The past few years I’d been trying to get that time back—partying, living life in the moment, dating lots of guys.

  “That’s a little depressing,” Darcy said.

  “It’s just the opposite,” I replied. “I don’t waste all that time planning for things that might never happen. I don’t have a rainy-day fund, so I don’t have to spend time planning for a rainy day—that’s what’s depressing. Better to enjoy the sunshine.”

  “And when the rain falls?”

  I was pretty sure getting fired qualified as a rainy day and I was still having fun—now I was with Darcy and Scarlett. “I find a hot guy and have some wild sex until the clouds pass.”

  Scarlett shook her head. “What are you going to do about a job?”

  “I have no idea. Get another, I guess.” I had about three hundred dollars to my name, which wasn’t even half what I needed if I wanted to renew my lease next month. The problem was, waitressing was getting old. I was growing tired of the drinks after work and the
making up for lost time. I just didn’t know what else I could do. I might have a computer science degree and a couple of years’ experience at running a start-up, but the last few years had qualified me for nothing other than being able to memorize the specials and carry three dishes at a time.

  “Why don’t you come back to England with me?” Darcy said. “You don’t have to be out with me in the country. You could stay at the London house and wait for the clouds to pass for a couple of months. You never know, the city might inspire you to find your passion.”

  I’d never been to Darcy and Scarlett’s husband’s London house, but Scarlett had told me it was like something out of a Jane Austen novel.

  London could be fun, but there was no way I could afford to go.

  “That’s so nice of you but . . .”

  “The place is totally empty and it’s right in the center of things,” Darcy said.

  I glanced at Scarlett, waiting for her to interject and tell Darcy it was a crazy idea and that I needed to buckle down and find another job, but she just stared straight back at me, waiting for my answer.

  “I can’t. I have my apartment and I need to start job hunting. But thank you.”

  “Didn’t you say that your lease was coming up for renewal anyway?” Scarlett asked. Was she on board with me just abandoning New York?

  “You were all for me going to college five seconds ago.”

  “I just think a change would be good for you. Maybe London is what you need—a few weeks to reassess what you want from your life. Since the start-up you’ve . . . With this IPO coming up in a few months, a break from New York might be good.”

  “I’m happy, Scarlett.” I really didn’t want to talk about my ex. “Surely, that’s the most important thing?”

  Scarlett smiled reluctantly. “I hope so. Because that’s what I want for you above anything else.”