by Burke, Darcy
“Oh yes!” Jane hugged her again. “Of course you will.”
Anthony came to interrupt them, his gaze settling on Jane. “The rector is ready.” He offered Jane his arm, and they walked to the center of the garden where the rector stood.
Anne joined them, standing near Jane, and Ripley moved next to Anthony.
“I’m so pleased to marry at least one Miss Pemberton today,” the rector said with a smile, clearly referencing the wedding that wasn’t last week.
“Not as pleased as I am.” Jane beamed up at her soon-to-be husband as the rector started the ceremony.
And then, in the presence of those she loved most, with kittens running around the rector’s feet, all of Jane’s dreams came true.
Epilogue
Sarah Havers, Countess of Ware, laid the cornflowers on the ground between the graves of their parents, then stood back to join Anthony. Their arms touched as they looked down together.
“I’m glad you decided to come,” Sarah said softly.
Anthony slid a glance toward his sister. “Well, you wouldn’t let up.”
She smiled. “Once you married Jane, you must have realized there was no stopping the both of us.”
He laughed. “No, but then I’d already told you I would come before I married her.”
“I suppose that’s true. I’m just sorry I missed the wedding.”
He turned to her. “I know, but we agreed there would be no more regrets. Actually, I think that was your insistence.”
She faced him, her familiar blue eyes warm with love. “Yes. When I think of all that you’ve endured…alone.” She shook her head.
After he’d sent her the letter detailing his failures, she’d responded with a vehement admonition that he stop blaming himself. It was a response he’d never expected—and had taken time to feel he deserved. Thankfully, Jane had helped.
“I’m not alone anymore.”
“You never were.” She swatted his arm. “Men are so frustrating.”
He smirked. “We can be, yes.”
Sarah looked back at the headstones of their parents. “They’d be proud of you.”
“I’ll spend every day trying to ensure that’s true.”
“Mama would be absolutely delighted to know you married Jane. She always liked her.”
“Mama would have been delighted if I’d married a shrubbery.”
Sarah laughed. “Perhaps. I’m glad it was Jane—she’s been exceptionally good for you.”
“She has been everything.” It was a simple and completely unavoidable truth. She was the reason he woke up every day, the love in his heart, and the very air he breathed.
With a final look at the graves, they turned back toward the house. Sarah looped her arm through Anthony’s. “How is it with Jane’s sister living with you?”
“It’s fine. She’s very busy with the Spitfire Society project.”
“The ladies-only workhouse? Such a marvelous undertaking. I can’t wait to help. I’m going to teach them to sew and, if they like, to make hats.”
“You’re going to do that personally?” Anthony asked.
“When I can.”
“You are an exceptionally enterprising woman,” he noted. Wife, mother, owner of a millinery shop in London. He realized just how unengaged he’d been the past year. But no more. He’d already taken on two committees in the House of Lords and looked forward to returning to work when Parliament was back in session.
They returned to the house, where Jane was holding Marianne. Felix met them at the door and bussed his wife’s cheek.
“She woke up?” Sarah went to take her daughter from Jane.
“Yes, but she’s been quite happy,” Jane said, smiling as she delivered her niece to Sarah.
Her niece. He loved that Jane was now a part of his family. He looked over at Felix, his oldest and dearest friend, who gazed at his wife and child with such open adoration, it would have made most gentlemen in London roll their eyes.
“I never imagined you as a smitten father,” Anthony teased.
“Yes, well, I never imagined you would be such a pain in my ass for more than a year.” Felix sent him a sardonic look.
Anthony knew he was joking. Felix had greeted him with such fierce affection the day before, almost moving him to tears. But then they shared a bond that was almost brotherly, and Felix had known Anthony’s parents nearly as well as Anthony had. It was a connection Anthony would cherish forever.
“Nearly sorted, though?” Felix asked.
Anthony wasn’t sure about nearly, but things were getting better every day. “Still some dark spots, but overall, there’s improvement.” He’d started having nightmares every once in a while. He awakened Jane with his thrashing and crying out, and she invariably soothed him, lulling him back to a place where he knew all was right—or would be.
His gaze settled on his wife of almost two months, and his heart nearly burst with pride and love. He still didn’t know how he’d ended up on her doorstep that morning, but he would be eternally grateful.
As if she could feel his attention, Jane looked over at him, her eyes narrowing slightly as a secret smile teased her lips. His breath caught, thinking he was the luckiest man in the entire world to have her look at him like that.
Later that night, when they climbed into bed, Anthony didn’t falter as he had the night before. This had been his parents’ chamber, and he wasn’t sure he could sleep there. But then Jane had taken him into her arms and held him until he’d surrendered to a dreamless slumber.
Tonight, however, he had other plans.
As soon as she was beneath the coverlet, he rolled on top of her and kissed her thoroughly. She drove her hands into his hair, kissing him back and rising up off the bed to press her breasts into his chest.
He pulled her night rail up to her waist. “Why are you wearing this?”
“I wasn’t sure you wanted to—”
He kissed her again. “I want to.”
She wriggled her hips. “Good, because I want to too.”
Together, they worked to discard the garment, and Jane pulled him back down for another kiss. Several minutes later, he licked down her throat as she clasped his head.
“Sarah assured me that we could do this without any problems while I’m carrying a babe.”
Anthony froze just before he took her nipple into his mouth. He looked up at her. “You’re with child?”
“I think so. I haven’t had my courses in… Well, since you came to stay with me. I think that day at your house, when we got carried away and you didn’t—”
He claimed her mouth again as joy swept through him. He looked down at her with more happiness than he’d ever thought possible. Then darkness washed over him.
She reached up and touched his jaw. “What is it?”
“What if I’m a terrible father?”
“You won’t be. I have only to look at you with the kittens. Oh, I miss them.”
“You think because Daffodil and Fern adore me, I’ll be a good father?” He let out a soft laugh. “Kittens are not children.”
She chuckled, stroking his face. “No, but you are sensitive and kind and absolutely charming. Plus, you make me feel like the most wonderful person in the world. I’ve no doubt you will make our child feel the same.”
Anthony kissed her again, bearing her down onto the mattress and settling himself between her legs. She curled herself around him, welcoming him into her, and for some time, he was quite blissfully lost.
Later, when he rolled to the side, he gathered her against him. She snuggled into him and stroked his chest.
“Why did you fall in love with me?” he asked. “I specifically told you I wasn’t going to love you.”
“Or marry me,” she said. “And look at us now.” She traced her finger around his nipple. “It was when you came to stay with me. In fact, I think it was when the kittens decided you were their favorite person.”
“You were jealous?”
&nb
sp; She laughed. “Maybe.”
“I can’t imagine why you would have loved me then. I wasn’t remotely worthy. And, God, I looked atrocious.”
“You were also incredibly vulnerable. And sweet. And charming. I didn’t realize it, but I was lonely, and I felt as if I wasn’t worthy of having people around me. You showed me I was wrong.”
He turned to face her. “You’re the worthiest woman I know. I’ll spend my life proving it to you.”
She caressed his face, bringing her lips to his. “You already have.”
Want to read about Lady Gresham and her mysterious past when she tangles with Bow Street Runner Harry Sheffield? They’ll sizzle the pages in the first book of The Pretenders trilogy, A Secret Surender, coming August 2020!
Then stay tuned for a truly shocking partnership between newly widowed Lord Rockbourne and Miss Whitford when she sees something she shouldn’t in A Scandalous Bargain!
Finally, find out how Rafe Blackwell became the Vicar and the many ways in which he’s had to pretend in order to survive, and see if Anne Pemberton may be the one to heal his soul in A Rogue to Ruin!
Thank you so much for reading A Duke Will Never Do! It’s the second book in The Spitfire Society series. I hope you enjoyed it!
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Want to read about some of the characters in this book such as Felix and Sarah, the Earl and Countess of Ware? Or Marcus and Phoebe, the Marquess and Marchioness of Riple? Grab The Duke of Distraction and A Duke is Never Enough! Then stay tuned for my next heart-stopping Regency series, The Pretenders, featuring Lady Gresham and Beatrix Whitford, Anne Pemberton, Harry Sheffield, Lord Rockbourne (yes!), and…the Vicar. I’m so excited and hope you are too!
Need more Regency romance? Check out my other historical series:
The Untouchables - Swoon over twelve of Society’s most eligible and elusive bachelor peers and the bluestockings, wallflowers, and outcasts who bring them to their knees!
Wicked Dukes Club - six books written by me and my BFF, NYT Bestselling Author Erica Ridley. Meet the unforgettable men of London's most notorious tavern, The Wicked Duke. Seductively handsome, with charm and wit to spare, one night with these rakes and rogues will never be enough...
Love is All Around - heartwarming Regency-set retellings of classic Christmas stories (written after the Regency!) featuring a cozy village, three siblings, and the best gift of all: love.
Secrets and Scandals - six epic stories set in London’s glittering ballrooms and England’s lush countryside, and the first one, Her Wicked Ways, is free!
Legendary Rogues - Four intrepid heroines and adventurous heroes embark on exciting quests across Regency England and Wales!
If you like contemporary romance, I hope you’ll check out my Ribbon Ridge series available from Avon Impulse, and the continuation of Ribbon Ridge in So Hot.
I hope you’ll consider leaving a review at your favorite online vendor or networking site!
I appreciate my readers so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Also by Darcy Burke
Historical Romance
The Untouchables: The Spitfire Society
Never Have I Ever with a Duke
A Duke is Never Enough
A Duke Will Never Do
The Untouchables
The Forbidden Duke
The Duke of Daring
The Duke of Deception
The Duke of Desire
The Duke of Defiance
The Duke of Danger
The Duke of Ice
The Duke of Ruin
The Duke of Lies
The Duke of Seduction
The Duke of Kisses
The Duke of Distraction
The Untouchables: The Pretenders
A Secret Surrender
A Scandalous Bargain
A Rogue to Ruin
Love is All Around
(A Regency Holiday Trilogy)
The Red Hot Earl
The Gift of the Marquess
Joy to the Duke
Wicked Dukes Club
One Night for Seduction by Erica Ridley
One Night of Surrender by Darcy Burke
One Night of Passion by Erica Ridley
One Night of Scandal by Darcy Burke
One Night to Remember by Erica Ridley
One Night of Temptation by Darcy Burke
Secrets and Scandals
Her Wicked Ways
His Wicked Heart
To Seduce a Scoundrel
To Love a Thief (a novella)
Never Love a Scoundrel
Scoundrel Ever After
Legendary Rogues
Lady of Desire
Romancing the Earl
Lord of Fortune
Captivating the Scoundrel
Contemporary Romance
Ribbon Ridge
Where the Heart Is (a prequel novella)
Only in My Dreams
Yours to Hold
When Love Happens
The Idea of You
When We Kiss
You’re Still the One
Ribbon Ridge: So Hot
So Good
So Right
So Wrong
About the Author
Darcy Burke is the USA Today Bestselling Author of sexy, emotional historical and contemporary romance. Darcy wrote her first book at age 11, a happily ever after about a swan addicted to magic and the female swan who loved him, with exceedingly poor illustrations. Join her Reader Club newsletter at http://www.darcyburke.com/readerclub.
A native Oregonian, Darcy lives on the edge of wine country with her guitar-strumming husband, their two hilarious kids who seem to have inherited the writing gene. They’re a crazy cat family with two Bengal cats, a small, fame-seeking cat named after a fruit, and an older rescue Maine Coon who is the master of chill and five a.m. serenading. In her “spare” time Darcy is a serial volunteer enrolled in a 12-step program where one learns to say “no,” but she keeps having to start over. Her happy places are Disneyland and Labor Day weekend at the Gorge. Visit Darcy online at http://www.darcyburke.com and follow her on social media.