It's All About the Duke--The Rakes of St. James
Page 30
“I am guilty of all you say, and more.”
Justine didn’t look surprised. “I knew it. I knew you were trying to fool me with sweet confections and coming to see Marlena when my back was turned. I knew you wanted to be alone with her today. I don’t know how many times you came when I went for a ride in my carriage. The carriage you gave me so I would use it and leave you free to come and see Marlena whenever you wished. Well, Your Grace, I’m telling you right now, your days of trying to seduce and ruin my cousin are over!”
“I agree, Mrs. Abernathy,” Rath said, and then turned and smiled at Marlena. “I just told Marlena that I love her and want to marry her. She just agreed to be my wife.”
“What?” Justine’s word was almost a croak as her hand flew to her chest.
“It’s true,” Marlena said, smiling and feeling happier than she’d ever felt. “We are going to be married.”
“I hope I can count on you to live with us and continue to be her trusted companion,” Rath said. “Or if you prefer, I can set you up in a house of your choosing in Mayfair.”
Justine dropped her parasol. “Mayfair? With my carriage?”
“Of course,” Rath agreed.
“Why, yes,” Justine said as she touched her hair. “Yes, of course I’ll continue to be her companion.”
“Perhaps there is someone you’d want to tell. I mean, since your carriage is waiting.”
Marlena took hold of Rath’s arm and looked lovingly up at him. “He’s my guardian, Justine. He won’t do anything to harm me.”
Justine smiled. “Of course, he won’t. I do believe there are a few ladies I’d like to tell about your coming nuptials since I have your permission, Your Grace.”
Rath bent down, picked up her parasol, and handed it to her.
“I shall return in an hour or two.”
As soon as Justine was out of sight Rath caught Marlena up to his chest. “You do know I never had designs on Mrs. Abernathy, don’t you?”
Marlena frowned and then smiled. “Of course, but I’m not sure she will ever believe that.”
“I think you might be right, but I believe she will accept the house in Mayfair rather than live with us.”
“Oh, I know she will. It’s her dream come true and you are my dream come true. I love you, Rath.”
“And I love you.” He bent his head and captured her lips with his.
My Dear Readers,
Endings are never easy and seldom welcomed. But endings come, be it the end of spring, a satisfying read, a bottle of port, or a life. So it is with this salutation that I end Miss Honora Truth’s Weekly Scandal Sheet.
We have it on good authority that the last of the Rakes of St. James is to be married by the end of the week to Miss Marlena Fast, his ward of only a few weeks. I have decided to retire from my weekly column and possibly think about my next book. Thank you to all who have followed me these three years. I do hope we meet again in the scandal pages or in a book.
MISS HONOR TRUTH’S WEEKLY SCANDAL SHEET
Epilogue
He could be a rake if he gives a young lady the surprise of her life.
MISS HONORA TRUTH’S WORDS OF WISDOM AND WARNING ABOUT RAKES, SCOUNDRELS, ROGUES, AND LIBERTINES
Rath watched Marlena talking to Esmeralda and Loretta, sipped his champagne, and smiled. He wasn’t surprised the three duchesses had settled into a good friendship during the past year and a half. He only wished the Rathburne, Hawksthorn, and Griffin Estates weren’t so far apart. It was easy for them to get together during the spring in London for the Season, but in the winter months when they resided at their country estates it was harder.
Marlena hadn’t minded the isolation of the Rathburne Estate and small nearby village. She had all the gardens and grounds she wanted, and she enjoyed walking in them with her and Tut.
He looked around the room. One of six that had been partitioned in the building and the biggest, since it was also the entrance into The Portington Museum of History.
What a nightmare it had been to get it finished. Rath had workers busy night and day for weeks to make the opening date they’d set. He might have to partake of another glass of champagne in celebration though the damned stuff gave him an awful headache the morning after.
All the displays had been roped off. A necessary barrier in the museum that Portington and the Royal Society had insisted on. Rath understood. It was for the best. There was always the possibility someone would want to pick up one of the smaller fossils or clay pots, or touch the very sharp sword or some other valuable artifact from the past. The pieces needed to be preserved for history and not broken by those who couldn’t contain themselves.
And then there was the huge warehouse-style room on the first floor that was filled with crates and under lock and key—the Megalosaurus eggs and more, all awaiting certification, which Rath believed would happen one day. Maybe in the distant future when more was known about the unknown history of the earth and its inhabitants—human, reptile, mammal, insect, or any other species.
Portington was an odd fellow to be sure. But he was wise not to want anyone touching his possessions. Rath smiled when he looked over at the man standing beside his wife, who was hoping her dress hid that she was with child. Mrs. Portington hadn’t wanted to miss the opening of her husband’s museum.
Standing close beside her was her sister. After much wailing and time, Mrs. Portington had finally forgiven her for marrying beneath her. Miss Everard—no, Mrs. Bramwell—now looked as if she didn’t have a timid bone in her body. Rath’s gaze stayed on Mr. Bramwell for a few seconds. Rath wasn’t sorry he’d offered his coach for them to elope. It was the least he could do for Miss Everard after making her faint so many times. And he liked seeing her happy. Rath would never like Bramwell, but then he had no reason to see the man often.
Everyone in the room thought the welcoming committee was there and waiting for the invitees to start arriving. The Duke and Duchess of Griffin, and the Duke and Duchess of Hawksthorn. The Portingtons, the Bramwells, and Mrs. Abernathy were standing near the entrance eager to see and speak to everyone who entered.
Rath kept watching the door, too. They were late. They were supposed to arrive before the museum opened to the guests. He was beginning to worry so he took another sip of his champagne.
“Are you listening to me, Rath?” Griffin asked.
“No, I can’t say I am.”
“I thought as much. You can’t keep your attention off Marlena.”
“Can you blame me? She’s beautiful.”
“She is, so go stand by her.”
“Yes, please,” Hawk said. “So we can be by our wives, too. They are much better company than you are.”
Rath grimaced and then grinned. “I can’t believe you were the two I offered to share my port with when I first entered Oxford. I should have kept the whole bottle for myself and left you dry.”
The three of them laughed as they walked over to their wives.
Rath slid his arm around Marlena and gently pulled her close to his side. “Should we stand closer to the entrance?” he asked.
“I don’t think so,” she answered, looking up at him with a smile. “This is Mr. Portington’s night. I think we should stay in the shadows.”
“The shadows? Hmm. That is an interesting turn of phrase.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“And I’m glad you now write poetry and short stories and not scandal sheets.”
“I’m glad, too. Though I sometimes wonder if—”
“No,” Rath said.
“Not even another book of words, wisdom, and warning?”
“Miss Truth no longer exists. However.” He stopped.
“Yes?” she asked with a hopeful look in her eyes. “However what?”
“I don’t think I would object to you thinking about the possibility of a book of words, wisdom, and warning about gardening.”
Marlena laughed. “Yes,” she said, touching his arm and giving it a
squeeze of appreciation. “I could do that. Why hadn’t I thought of that?”
He smiled. “Perhaps you can now that you no longer have to worry about Mrs. Portington or Mrs. Bramwell.”
“That is comforting and I owe Veronica’s happiness to you, Griffin, and Hawk for giving them this wonderful and educational museum.”
“Sometimes I do miss it when you don’t call us the Rakes of St. James.”
“In that case—” She smiled, rose on her toes and lifted her face to his. “—perhaps you should do something scandalous and remind me you are a rake.”
“I think I will.” He lowered his head toward hers to kiss her when out of the corner of his eye he saw the door open. He turned. “At last,” Rath said softly. He leaned away from her and turned toward the entrance. “Marlena,” he said. “Look who has arrived.”
She followed his gaze. Her lips parted. Her eyes widened. “It can’t be,” she whispered. She took a step and faltered.
Rath took hold of her arm and steadied her. “You didn’t,” she whispered breathlessly.
“I did,” he smiled. “It took a while, but I found your aunt Imogene and uncle Fergus, and they have brought two of their sons with them. The other three are well but have families of their own and couldn’t make the journey. I know you’ve missed them and wanted to see them again.”
Marlena threw her arms around Rath and buried her face in his neck as tears of happiness threatened. “I can’t believe you thought to do this for me. I—I don’t know what to say.”
Rath took hold of her upper arms and forced her to look at him. “I love you, dearest wife. I want to do things for you that make you happy. I think the only thing you have time to say is I love you. They are looking at you with smiles and waiting for you to go to them.”
Marlena dried her eyes and sniffed, too. “I love you, Rath.” She reached up and kissed him quickly on the lips and then ran toward her family.
Rath smiled.
Dear Readers,
I hope you enjoyed the third book in my Rakes of St. James trilogy. It has been a delightful series to work on. I based the whole premise of this trilogy on the very real foundation that most, if not all, young ladies like the thought of having a secret admirer. I have especially enjoyed writing It’s All About the Duke.
The fossilized dinosaur eggs mentioned in this book are a figment of my imagination. In fact, the word dinosaur wasn’t used until 1841, so I never used that word in this story. However, Mr. William Buckland was a real person, and he discovered Megalosaurus bones in 1819. They weren’t given the scientific name until 1924.
When I first heard that, in the twenty-first century, we have fossilized dinosaur eggs from centuries past, I found it fascinating and knew I wanted to use them in a book one day. This storyline gave me the perfect outlet. I did most of my research on dinosaur eggs online, but my husband and I were fortunate enough to see and hold in our hands some that were, at the time, in a private collection. These specific dinosaur eggs have since been donated to a museum.
During the Regency, it wasn’t uncommon for women and men to live together as strangers in a loveless marriage, as was the case for Mr. and Mrs. Portington. However, it’s always difficult to write a happily-ever-after ending for my hero and heroine and not let other characters have a happy ending in the book as well.
If you missed either of the first two books in the Rakes of St. James Series, you can still go to your favorite local bookstore or any online e-retailer and get a copy of the first one, Last Night with the Duke, and the second, To the Duke, with Love.
I love to hear from readers. You can email me at ameliagrey@comcast.net, follow me on Facebook at FaceBook.com/AmeliaGreyBooks, or visit my website ameliagrey.com.
Happy reading,
Amelia Grey
Look for these other wonderful reads in the Rakes of St. James series from New York Times bestselling author Amelia Grey
TO THE DUKE, WITH LOVE LAST NIGHT WITH THE DUKE
And don’t miss the Heirs’ Club novels
WEDDING NIGHT WITH THE EARL
THE EARL CLAIMS A BRIDE
THE DUKE IN MY BED
From St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Praise for New York Times and USA Today bestselling author AMELIA GREY and her acclaimed novels …
“Each new Amelia Grey tale is a diamond.… a master storyteller.”
—Affaire de Coeur
“Enchanting romance.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Devilishly charming … A touching tale of love.”
—Library Journal
“Sensual … witty and clever … Another great story of forbidden love.”
—Fresh Fiction
“Grey neatly matched up a sharp-witted heroine with an irresistible sexy hero and let the romantic sparks fly.”
—Booklist
“Delightful … charming and unforgettable.”
—The Long and Short of It Reviews
“A beautifully written tale … delicious historical romance.”
—Romance Junkies
“Such a tantalizing and funny read, you won’t be able to put it down.”
—Rendezvous
“Fun, fast-paced, and very sensual.”
—A Romance Review
“Well written and entertaining.”
—Night Owl Romance Reviewer Top Pick
“Humor, romance, mystery, and comedy of errors … All of it well done.”
—Books Like Breathing
“Delightfully captivating.”
—Rundpinne
Also by Amelia Grey
To the Duke, with Love
Last Night with the Duke
The Duke in My Bed
The Earl Claims a Bride
Wedding Night with the Earl
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Amelia Grey read her first romance book when she was thirteen and she’s been a devoted reader of love stories ever since. Her awards include the Booksellers Best, Aspen Gold, and the Golden Quill. Writing as Gloria Dale Skinner, she won the coveted Romantic Times Award for Love and Laughter and the prestigious Maggie Award. Her books have sold to many countries in Europe, Indonesia, Turkey, Russia, and most recently to Japan. Several of her books have also been featured in Doubleday and Rhapsody Book Clubs. Amelia is the author of twenty-five books. She’s been happily married to her high school sweetheart for over thirty-five years and she lives on the beautiful gulf coast of Northwest Florida. Visit her at: www.ameliagrey.com, 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
Epilogue
Also by Amelia Grey
Praise for Amelia Grey
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 imagin
ation or are used fictitiously.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE DUKE
Copyright © 2018 by Amelia Grey.
All rights reserved.
For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
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eISBN: 9781250102546
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St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / June 2018
St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.