More For A Duke
Jessie Bennett
CARLTON HOUSE PUBLISHING CO.
Contents
Copyright
More Goodies From Jessie
A Personal Note From Jessie Bennett
Dedication
About The Author
More For A Duke
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Preview of A Marquess’ Curse
More Goodies From Jessie
Also By Jessie Bennett
Acknowledgement
If You Have Enjoyed This Book…
Publisher’s Notes
Copyright © 2016 by JESSIE BENNETT & CARLTON HOUSE PUBLISHING CO.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This book is a work of fiction. Any similarities to real or dead people, places, or events are not intentional and are the result of coincidence. The characters, places, and events are the product of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the author/publisher. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
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CLICK THIS LINK below to get started…
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A PERSONAL NOTE
FROM JESSIE BENNETT
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To My Dearest Lovely Readers,
The female characters within my stories are women who have a strong faith of love, they know what they want to pursue during this era. They are constantly seeking and believe the true love really exists as they are often being looked upon as an inferior gender. Because of these social stigma, it motivates them to overcome challenges they may face while waiting for the man of their dreams to appear.
Will these insecurities and stigma encourages them in believing true love despite the differences and challenges in social standing that they will face during this Regency Era?
Read on to find out the answers!
Thank you very much for your strong support to my writing journey!
With Hugs, Kisses and Love…
DEDICATION
“A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment.”
Jane Austen (1775 - 1817)
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This Story Is Specially Dedicated To You, My Dearest Reader!
It is with gratefulness and gratitude that I am writing to you this personal dedication.
Thank you once again for giving me this opportunity to share with you my creative side of me.
I hope you will enjoy reading this story as much I have enjoyed writing it!
It is with such great support from you that keep us authors writing and writing, presenting to you with great and interesting stories.
Have you checked out my other historical romance books series?
Click the link below to get started
*** AMAZON USA ***
* * *
Do you like what you have read?
I would want to hear from you!
Please do get in touch with me:
https://www.facebook.com/JessieBennettBooks/
[email protected]
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jessie Bennett is an obsessed romantic freak. She loves historical romance stories. Recently, she discovered another interest within the historical romance, which is Regency Romance stories. She wants to use her ideas, knowledge and interest of the regency era to spin out characters that readers wants to read. She aspires to be the next Jane Austen that combine grace, love, and simplicity to delight readers to find their happy endings.
She lives in Norfolk county, England most of the her time. When she's not writing, you will find her walking down the countryside with her husband and her beloved dog.
MORE FOR A DUKE
* * *
by
JESSIE BENNETT
and
Carlton House Publishing Co.
“You are the closest to the Duke’s age. Perhaps he will choose you.”
He signed his name on her card twice.
Well, the Duke showed interest in several women. Even me.”
“I ask you to quit your pursuit of Miss Elizabeth, Lord Draper.”
He wants to marry you! Can’t you see that?”
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Nathan chuckled softly. “Should I not be happy, my lord? You have returned from fighting and we are all well pleased to see you.”
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CHAPTER ONE
RETURNING HOME
Duke Shawn William Worthington looked out of the carriage window, sighing for what seemed like the millionth time. He was so grateful to see the fields, hills and valleys he was used to. He was back home. Finally. His time as a Lt. General in the Army had come to an end and he was more than ready to return to his hometown. He’d grown up with a doting mother and an attentive father, along with his three brothers and two sisters. His father, Henry Worthington, was a cousin to the Prince Regent, though distant, and had been given a great deal of land and responsibility when King George III had been deemed unfit to rule. Henry Worthington spread the responsibility between his own cousins and, of course, his sons when they were old enough to rule.
All except his youngest brother, Lawrence, who was the last born. He was told to be caretaker for Shawn’s lands while Shawn served in the military.
The carriage rumbled over the rocks and dirt, jostling Shawn about in an almost brutal manner. He found himself irritated and wanted to say something to the driver, but held his tongue. He knew it was not the driver’s fault that the roads were rough.
It was Lawrence’s fault.
Shawn was the oldest of the children. Henry had always been exceedingly proud that his firstborn had been a son. Shawn proceeded, from the moment of birth it seemed, to excel at everything he did. He got high grades at the academy, among the highest of his class. He was a natural at all types of sports and spent some of his free time practicing the various forms of art, including singing and painting. His mother had laughed when he expressed a desire to do a needlepoint with her when he was 12 years old. That was women’s work and she wouldn’t let him. However, Shawn had secretly taken one of her projects and worked on it in a large closet by candlelight for a month. It had turned out beautifully.
The carriage was quick to pull up alongside the front porch of the expansive house. He hadn’t seen it in four years. He was once again glad to be home.
He stepped out of the carriage and was greeted by a small, thin man who had been the butler at the estate for what seemed like forever.
“Duke Worthington, my lord, it is wonderful to see you again after all these years, alive and well.”
“Thank you, James. I am glad to be home.”
“I’m sure that you are, sir. I shall have your bags brought to your room, sir. We have kept it as it was when you left, but we have kept it clean and ready for your return.”
“Thank you again. Where is my brother?”
“He is in the library waiting for you, sir.” The butler bowed deeply. Shawn could see that the old man was genuinely pleased that he was back. On another occasion, it would have pleased him to come to such a warm reception. In this case, it worried him. James was not easily rattled. The war had not touched his county of Fairbanks, except that many men went off to fight. Nevertheless, his citizens had been safe. As far as he knew.
“Are you all right, James?” Shawn narrowed his eyes, gazing intently at the butler.
James opened his eyes a bit wider and nodded twice. “Yes, my lord. I apologize.”
“For what are you apologizing? Have you done something wrong?”
“No, my lord.”
Shawn shook his head. “Then I see no need to apologize.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Shawn stared at him for a moment longer. He shook his head and proceeded up the steps to the front door. A footman opened it, also giving him a warm smile. He didn’t recognize the young man. He stopped. “Good afternoon,” he said.
The footman’s eyes opened wide in disbelief. The Duke was greeting him. His smile froze on his face. “Good afternoon, my lord,” he mumbled.
“And what is your name?”
The footman swallowed. “N…Nathan. Nathan Beauregard.”
“Well, it is good to meet you, Nathan Beauregard. Have you been with us for long?”
“About a year, my lord.”
Shawn gave him a sweeping look. “You look happy.”
Nathan chuckled softly. “Should I not be happy, my lord? You have returned from fighting and we are all well pleased to see you.”
“Why are you pleased when you have never met me?”
Nathan lifted his eyebrows. “You are known to be a respectable gentleman and a fine employer, my lord. This is always good news for servants like myself.”
Shawn cocked his head to the side. “Have you not been given the same impression by my brother, Lawrence, who has been ruling this land for the last four years?”
Nathan’s face darkened and his smile wavered. Shawn instantly knew what that meant. His heart sank. What had Lawrence been doing in these four years that would make a servant behave this way? He feared the worst.
Shawn closed his eyes for just a moment, mentally gathering his strength to keep his temper from exploding. He needed to know all the facts. Perhaps he was assessing too quickly by judging from the sometimes unreliable opinion of two servants.
However, James had been butler since his father had given the lands to Shawn and had the large house built to accommodate him and the family Henry had expected Shawn to have.
His thoughts put him in an even darker mood. It frustrated him that his arrival home couldn’t have been all around jovial and joyous. He had returned just two weeks after his father’s death. He’d been unable to return for the funeral and burial because he’d been in the midst of battle. Two weeks. If only he had been released from service in time.
Moreover, to return and find that Fairbanks County may have been on the road to ruin because of his brother’s behavior.
He shook his head as he entered the library. He was reading too much into this and needed to gather facts before making any judgments.
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I borrowed to make up the difference but am unable to return the money and goods borrowed as promised.
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CHAPTER TWO
ASSESSING THE SITUATION
The library had an extensive bar area. Shawn made for it immediately, picking up several of the bottles and gazing at them fondly. He knew his drinking was a little out of control, but it was expected of a returning soldier to drown their sorrows in a few bottles of liquor for at least a month after returning.
He couldn’t afford to spend his time with a fuzzy brain. He had responsibilities. However, he also had haunting visions and heard echoes of the sounds of cannons and gunfire. He had to do something to eliminate the memories. Alcohol typically worked best.
He made himself a drink. His brother was sitting behind the great desk in front of the large bay window and hadn’t bothered to look up at him yet. He was amazed that Lawrence wasn’t paying attention to him. Did he let anyone come in and fix a drink without even looking up to see who they were?
Lawrence was reading something unpleasant. At least it was unpleasant to him. Shawn didn’t know what he was looking at and wasn’t sure he cared. He and Lawrence had never gotten along well. Not only was Lawrence the youngest while Shawn was the oldest, Lawrence often failed while Shawn succeeded at everything he did. There were too many years between them to have anything in common. In addition, Lawrence didn’t take kindly to being ordered around by his oldest brother. On his own, he made terrible decisions, especially where women were concerned.
That was one area where Shawn was unable to council Lawrence. Shawn had never had a serious relationship and now, in his mid-thirties, he never expected to do so.
“What are you reading, brother?” he asked in a loud voice.
Lawrence jumped, his eyes darting up to his brother’s face. “Shawn! I didn’t hear you come in!”
Shawn was not surprised that his brother showed no joy at seeing him. He was, however, a bit taken aback by the look of relief he saw emblazoned on Lawrence’s face. He came around the bar, his drink almost half-gone already. �
��I was not intending to scare you, Lawrence. What are you reading that has you so upset?”
Lawrence shook his head, looking back down at the parchment. “This is rather upsetting, I must say. But now that you are back, things will begin to turn around, I’m sure of it.”
“What do you mean? What has happened?” He stopped in front of the desk and gave Lawrence a heated glare.
Lawrence returned the look with one of despair. “I have tried, Shawn. I really have. But I’m not a man of business. I don’t make wise decisions. I should not have been given this job while you were away.”
The Duke clenched his jaw, almost afraid to ask his next question. “What have you done?”
Lawrence looked ashamed, his cheeks flushed red. “Nothing was intended, Shawn. I tried my best to make good decisions, but…well, I’m just a fool when it comes to this. I need to make my music and concentrate on that. I will never be able to run a kingdom.”
“If you are unable to run Fairbanks County successfully,” Shawn said gruffly. “Where prosperity has reigned for a hundred years without incident, you are definitely in no shape to run a kingdom. I repeat. What have you done?”
“The economy is very bad right now, Shawn. I made some trade deals in error that left Worthington house and Fairbanks County in need. I borrowed to make up the difference, but am unable to return the money and goods borrowed as promised. The citizens are angry because they are not happy and prosperous as they were before…before you left. They know it’s me and my bad decisions that have caused the trouble. They are calling for my head.” He swallowed hard and lowered his head to hide his fear.
Suddenly, Shawn felt sorry for his youngest brother. Less than two decades had passed since the beheading of Marie Antoinette by the French. The mention of being beheaded had struck fear into Lawrence’s heart. As a nobleman, he knew that it was entirely possible for the citizens to rise up and strike down those in authority over them if they felt they were being treated unfairly.
Regency Romance: More For A Duke (The Fairbanks Series - The Familial Adventures) (CLEAN Historical Romance) Page 1