The Duchess in His Bed
Page 32
It had been a small, quiet ceremony with only family and friends present. After all, she was still in mourning and wouldn’t publicly disrespect Lushing any more than she already had with the kiss at the Elysium. That had been required in order to make her point: she was not ashamed to be seen with Aiden Trewlove.
It was a good thing indeed since her name was now Trewlove.
“Come here, Mrs. Trewlove.”
Wearing only his trousers and a shirt partially unbuttoned, Aiden stood beside the huge four-poster bed in an incredibly well-appointed room that was part of a grand suite at the Trewlove Hotel. He hadn’t wanted their first night as husband and wife to be spent at the club. He’d wanted her to have a special memory. She couldn’t help but believe that every night with him would be special.
As she neared, he drew her into his arms, buried his face in the curve of her neck, and began nibbling. She moaned softly.
“Your brother seems to have grudgingly accepted me.” He trailed his mouth over to the other side, creating delicious sensations as he went.
“That probably has to do with you and your brothers going over his books and suggesting ways for him to increase his income. I also think you lot terrify him, and he decided it would be wiser to dance with the devils he now knows.”
He chuckled low, his breath tickling her ear. “Your sisters will make good matches, Lena.” He straightened. “I swear it.”
“All I really ever wanted was for them to have choices, choices I didn’t have. I think your sisters showed them that they can be independent, live on their own terms. Perhaps they will each find someone to appreciate them. But they’ll find happiness, I’ve no doubt. Now, I merely want to concentrate on making you happy.”
“Then take off your clothes, woman. Because I know I’ll find happiness with you in my bed.”
Epilogue
Eight Years Later
Aiden stood on the parapet and watched as his son—who would have been a duke if Lena had gone through with her plans—and his two daughters, who had followed in the years after the boy’s birth, frolicked around the angel statue as the sun began bidding its farewell to day. The Duke of Lushing’s properties had been placed on the market. With the money Wyeth had returned to him and the increasing success of his businesses and investments, he’d had enough to purchase Sheffield Hall. He liked to think the duke would have been pleased with the care he gave it.
He’d assisted the Earl of Camberley in making his estate once again profitable and it was now returned to its former glory.
Between Camberley, himself, and Selena’s trust, they’d managed to provide impressive dowries for the twins, both of whom had made fine love matches. Alice preferred her books and lived in Selena’s house in Hertfordshire, where she penned romantic novels with quite a bit of success. It seemed the world was in want of happy stories.
The Earl of Elverton had passed away three years after suffering apoplexy. The countess’s esteem among the ton had risen because of her devotion to her husband during his prolonged illness. She often visited the Elysium and had recently taken on a lover several years her junior.
The new Earl of Elverton was a far better lord and man than his predecessor. On occasion, Johnny would meet Aiden and Finn at the Mermaid and Unicorn to share a pint. Sometimes they spoke of the past, but mostly they concentrated on the future, advising each other on investment opportunities and business ventures.
Hearing the door open, Aiden glanced over and smiled at his wife.
“I thought I’d find you out here,” she said as she sauntered sexily over to him. Or tried to. Their fourth child was due to arrive any day now, and Selena’s increasing made her a bit more wobbly than she would have liked.
When she was near enough, he pulled her in close, wrapped his arms around her, splayed his hands over her belly, and felt the kick of their child. “It’s my favorite view.” He kissed her temple. “Other than you.”
She laughed lightly. “After all these years, you are still such a flirt.”
“But I am and will always remain only a flirt to you.”
Turning, she wound her arms around his neck, and he lowered his mouth to hers. He would never tire of kissing her.
The children’s laughter floated up, adding to his contentment.
He’d always feared he’d be like his sire. But unlike the earl, for Aiden, only one woman would ever hold his heart, and he was the luckiest of men because he held hers as well.
Acknowledgments
The British system of peerage and entailments is a fascinating study in primogeniture and can be rather complicated at times. I wish to thank Mr. Grant Bavister, Registrar at the College of Arms, London, for patiently explaining the intricacies of how the system works when there are no male heirs to inherit and a title goes extinct. In addition, he shared information on the distribution of entailed properties in the absence of a male heir. All the information he provided was invaluable. Any errors in understanding or interpretation are mine or a result of literary license.
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Coming next:
Fancy’s story
As Fancy Trewlove embarks on her first Season, she isn’t nearly as intrigued with the lords flirting with her as she is with the darkly handsome and mysterious gentleman who resides around the corner from her bookshop.
About the Author
LORRAINE HEATH always dreamed of being a writer. After graduating from the University of Texas, she wrote training manuals, press releases, articles, and computer code, but something was always missing. When she read a romance novel, she not only became hooked on the genre, but quickly realized what her writing lacked: rebels, scoundrels, and rogues. She’s been writing about them ever since. Her work has been recognized with numerous industry awards, including RWA’s prestigious RITA®. Her novels have appeared on the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists.
lorraineheath.com
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By Lorraine Heath
The Duchess in His Bed
The Scoundrel in Her Bed
Texas Legacy (novella)
When a duke loves a woman
Beyond Scandal and Desire
Gentlemen Prefer Heiresses (novella)
An Affair with a Notorious Heiress
When the Marquess Falls (novella)
The Viscount and the Vixen
The Earl Takes All
Falling into Bed with a Duke
The Duke and the Lady in Red
The Last Wicked Scoundrel (novella)
Once More, My Darling Rogue
The Gunslinger (novella)
When the Duke Was Wicked
Deck the Halls with Love (novella)
Lord of Wicked Intentions
Lord of Temptation
She Tempts the Duke
Waking up with the Duke
Pleasures of a Notorious Gentleman
Passions of a Wicked Earl
Midnight Pleasures with a Scoundrel
Surrender to the Devil
Between the Devil and Desire
In Bed with the Devil
Just Wicked Enough
A Duke of Her Own
Promise Me Forever
A Matter of Temptation
As an Earl Desires
An Invitation to Seduction
Love with a Scandalous Lord
To Marry an Heiress
The Outlaw and the Lady
Never Marry a Cowboy
Never Love a Cowboy
A Rogue in Texas
Texas Splendor
Texas Glory
Texas Destiny
Always to Remember
Parting Gifts
Sweet Lullaby
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or
persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
the duchess in his bed. Copyright © 2019 by Jan Nowasky. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins Publishers. For information, address HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.
Digital Edition SEPTEMBER 2019 ISBN: 978-0-06-267607-8
Print Edition ISBN: 978-0-06-267606-1
Cover design by Amy Halperin
Cover illustration by Victor Gadino
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