“He has gone to live with his sister in Scotland,” Sophia said. “I can’t say I blame him, really. It would be painful to be so close to where Marianne’s crimes occurred.”
“Did he and Lady Celeste ever meet after he came back to this area?” Ivy asked. “Surely they must have. Serena said that she attended the little church regularly.”
“We’ll never know,” Daphne said. “Unless there was some mention of it in Lady Celeste’s journals.”
But none of them could recall reading anything relating to the vicar in their benefactress’s diaries.
“So much heartbreak,” Ivy said with a shudder. So easily, she and Quill could have ended up dead along with Marianne Vance’s other victims.
Which reminded her. “What of Dr. Vance?”
“He was quite overwrought when he came to speak to the duke,” Daphne said with an air of disdain. She hadn’t quite been able to forgive the doctor for not realizing he was married to a killer it would seem.
“I suppose he was here to discuss his wife’s prosecution?” Ivy asked, curious about the doctor’s condition. Now that she was married herself, she understood just what a betrayal it had been for the physician’s wife to lie to him about her every motive.
“Yes.” Sophia set her empty brandy glass on the table. “He looked as if he hadn’t slept in days. I must confess that I think the crime against him is as horrible as any Marianne committed against her murder victims. At least they do not have to live with the consequences.”
“To spend your whole life helping people only to realize that you’re harboring a disease in your own house,” Gemma said grimly. “It has to have him going over his marriage with a fine-tooth comb to see if his wife left any more victims in her wake.”
“At least she’s finally caught,” Ivy said. The other ladies echoed the sentiment.
Epilogue
Sometime later, after the ladies had taken tea and caught up on all the other news Ivy had missed while she and Quill were away, the subject turned to living arrangements.
“Where will you and Quill make your home, Ivy?” Sophia asked, stretching a little. “At Kerr Castle or the London townhouse?”
Ah, Ivy thought with a bit of trepidation, the moment of truth. She had a proposal for the other ladies, but there was no guarantee that they’d agree to it. After all, the house belonged to all of them equally so long as they remained here for a year. She didn’t want to risk her stake in it.
Especially since Quill had such fond memories of his childhood here.
“Would you all mind terribly if we made our home here for the rest of the year?” she asked, tentatively, hoping against hope that they’d agree to the idea. If they didn’t, she and Quill could, of course, go to any of his numerous homes. But she’d only scratched the surface of the collection of ancient Greek and Latin texts in the library. And she wished more than anything to use Lady Celeste’s bequest to her to the fullest. It was the sincerest way she could give thanks to the woman who had given her more happiness than she’d ever imagined. “I understand if you object, of course. We were supposed to be a sort of bluestocking refuge, and there was never any plan for gentlemen to reside here too. In fact, I know what you’ll say. Just give me a short time to let the marquess know, and we’ll be on our way back—”
“Will you please be quiet, you ninnyhammer?” Daphne said in a loud voice after each of the ladies had attempted and failed to put a stop to Ivy’s monologue.
Her eyes wide, Ivy hushed.
“Why would you think we would wish you gone?” Daphne continued, her puzzlement clear in her eyes. “Lady Celeste left Beauchamp House to the four of us. There is no rule that says you must leave if you marry. Or that one is no longer a bluestocking upon marriage—I have a feeling Madame D’Arblay, the former Frances Burney, would have some strong words at that notion.”
“She’s right, Ivy,” Sophia said with a warm smile. “Besides, I thought we’d agreed when we first arrived that since Maitland, Lady Serena, and the marquess had all but grown up here, it would be cruel to bar them entry now. We can hardly eject you while allowing your husband to remain. It would be a breach of the bluestocking code!”
“Besides all that,” Gemma said wryly, “Maitland has all but set up housekeeping here. Why would we toss your husband out on his ear? Lord Kerr can hardly be any more disruptive than the duke, who puts Daphne to the blush at every opportunity and in general makes her impossible to live with.”
At a speaking look from her sister, Gemma gave a rueful laugh. “More impossible than usual, then.”
“I am not impossible,” Daphne protested. “And it is not my fault that the duke will not forget about my indecent proposal to him at the beginning of our acquaintance. It’s almost as if he thinks I set my cap at him. When, in fact, it couldn’t be farther from the truth. I didn’t want to marry the man, I just wanted to f—”
“We understand you perfectly, dear,” Ivy interrupted before Daphne could finish her thought.
“If only Maitland did,” Daphne sighed.
“So you see, Ivy,” Sophia said, returning the discussion to its original subject, “we need you both here—you to give Gemma and me someone besides each other to gossip about Daphne with, and Lord Kerr to give the duke a sobering influence. “
Ivy felt a wave of relief wash over her. She had hoped the others would not object to her living here with Quill, but since they’d begun their tenure here with his vocal objection to their presence in his aunt’s home, it would have only been fair if they chose to banish him.
* * *
“I promise we will not be one of those annoying pairs of newlyweds who makes everyone feel ill with our constant billing and cooing,” she assured them. “You’ll hardly know we’re here.”
“Speak for yourself, wife,” said Quill stepping into the room followed by a sheepish-looking Maitland and Lady Serena with Jeremy in tow. “I will bill and coo from sunrise to sunset. And there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”
Unable to resist him, Ivy turned up her face to his to accept his kiss, which was a bit more heated than strictly proper.
“Oh dear,” she heard Serena say. “I am a very poor sort of chaperone, am I not?”
“Thank God for that,” Quill whispered into Ivy’s ear. “It took a scandal to make me realize I loved you.” But Ivy knew deep in her bones, that even if Serena had been a dragon, she and Quill would have found a way to come together.
Scandal or not, they were meant to be together.
And Lady Celeste, who had herself been denied a happy ending, had all but ensured Ivy and Quill had theirs.
The only question now, she thought as her speculative gaze fell on Daphne—who was pretending to ignore Maitland—was which bluestocking would fall next. She knew which of the three she’d place her bet on.
And from the looks of the duke, he would not wait long before he set that adventure in motion.
Amid the chattering of the others, she felt a calm wash over her.
Thank you, she said silently, sending up a little prayer to her benefactress.
“What is it?” Quill asked her in a low voice from where he’d taken a seat beside her. “Is something wrong?”
“Nothing.” She kissed him softly, her heart full of love. “Everything is just as it should be.”
And Ivy knew, from wherever she watched them, that the redoubtable Lady Celeste approved.
THE END
Don’t miss the next Studies in Scandal novel from Manda Collins
Duke with Benefits
Coming soon from St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Also By Manda Collins
Good Dukes Wear Black
Good Earl Gone Bad
A Good Rake is Hard to Find
Why Lords Lose Their Hearts
Why Earls Fall in Love
Why Dukes Say I Do
How to Entice an Earl
How to Romance a Rake
How to Dance with a Duke
&nb
sp; Praise for Manda Collins’s delectable Regency novels
A Good Rake is Hard to Find
“A fresh and promising start to the series.”
—Publishers Weekly
“An exciting mystery and a powerful love story!”
—Fresh Fiction
“This book has fighting, fast driving, mystery, a super bad guy, and some sweet love.”
—Romance at Random
“Warmth, wit, wicked sensuality and an intriguing whodunit take this story over the top.”
—Romance Junkies
Why Lords Lose Their Hearts
“This sweet and sensuous novel has an undercurrent of mystery that will keep readers riveted.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Collins’ tale blends intrigue and desire in a story that is an unusual and intriguing combination of chilling and sweet.”
—RT Book Reviews
“A suspense-filled tale, Why Lords Lose Their Hearts, the third book in author Manda Collins’ Wicked Widows trilogy, is a witty, sensual historical romance that will captivate readers from the very beginning. Filled with warmth, clever dialogue, engaging characters, sizzling chemistry, mystery, danger, surprising plot twists, tender romance and true love, this story is a delight.”
—Romance Junkies
“Fresh dialogue, suspense, revenge, a most unlikely villain, and of course romance, make Why Lord’s Lose Their Hearts a definite must-read!”
—Reader to Reader Reviews
Why Earls Fall in Love
“With its shades of I Know What You Did Last Summer and strong gothic overtones, Collin’s latest is a chill seeker’s delight. Along with the surprising climax, readers will thoroughly enjoy the well-crafted characters, the charming setting, and the romance that adds spice to the drama.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Sparkling romance amid mystery.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Combining love, wit, warmth, suspense, intrigue, emotion, sensuality, interesting characters, romance, and plenty of danger, Ms. Collins’ has created another enthralling story.”
—Romance Junkies
“Award-winning author Manda Collins brings sensual historical romance to a new level with wit, heat, and beautifully written detail, finely drawn characters, and a flair for fun.”
—Examiner.com
Why Dukes Say I Do
“Witty and smart, Collins’ prose flows smoothly as she merges a charming, compassionate love story with gothic suspense … Add strong pacing and depth of emotion, and there’s no doubt this is a winner.”
—RT Book Reviews (Top Pick, 4½ stars)
“Collins has a deft touch with characterization, and she expertly weaves a thrilling thread of danger throughout the story. Why Dukes Say I Do is highly recommended for readers who enjoy their historical romances with a generous soupcon of suspense.”
—Reader to Reader Reviews
“Manda Collins pens a charming, romantic tale with Why Dukes Say I Do.”
—Single Titles
“Totally engrossing, witty, and suspenseful.”
—Tulsa Book Review
About the Author
Manda Collins spent her teen years wishing she’d been born a couple of centuries earlier, preferably in the English countryside. Time travel being what it is, she resigned herself to life with electricity and indoor plumbing, and read lots of books. When she’s not writing, she’s helping other people use books, as an academic librarian. Visit www.mandacollins.com to learn more. Or sign up for email updates here.
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
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 13
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 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Epilogue
Also By Manda Collins
Praise for Manda Collins’s delectable Regency novels
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
READY SET ROGUE
Copyright © 2017 Manda Collins.
Cover design Danielle Christopher
Cover Illustration © Tom Hallman
All rights reserved.
For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
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eISBN: 978-1-250-10987-3
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St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / January 2017
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Ready Set Rogue Page 28