A Heart of a Duke Collection: Volume 1-A Regency Bundle

by Christi Caldwell

  Large hands settled on her shoulders, startling her. She’d not heard his quiet approach. Then, the familiar weight of a gold chain settled about her neck and a spark of warmth singed her skin at the reunion. With shaking fingers, she touched her mother’s pendant that Will had fastened about her. He turned her about to face him. “You are no longer that woman.”

  Her soul clung to the sliver of hope that he was indeed correct; a tantalizing possibility that would free her of the chains of this horrid creature she’d been for eleven years. “But what if I am?” she whispered. What if that vileness was in her blood and could not be forever buried because it was an inextricable part of her soul?

  “Oh, Cara, the very fact that you worry as much means you are not that woman.” William raised her knuckles to his mouth, kissing first one hand, then the other. “You crafted such a perfect façade for the world of a remote ice princess that even you believed it. I saw past that to the woman who smiled and cursed.” His lips twitched. “And who wished to be kind and know kindness.” He brushed his lips over hers in a faint meeting. “Marry me.”

  For a moment she believed the whisper, part of the dream she’d carried from the Fox and Hare Inn, echoing around her mind. She tried to drag forth breath to make words, but had nothing. Cara shook her head.

  He grinned, the half-smile that dimpled his cheek and gave him a boyish look. “Is that a no?”

  “I—” Am not that person. The lady her father and Society had spent years shaping, had been a hollow, empty figure of the woman she was, and more, the woman she was learning to be. She smiled gently up at William. “That is a yes.” A single tear squeezed past her lashes and slid down her cheek.

  William widened his smile and then, lowering his head, claimed her mouth.

  Cara returned his kiss and for the first time in eleven years, she knew love.

  Epilogue

  London, England

  January, 1818

  In the quiet, empty streets of London, the carriage sat outside the townhouse, as it had for…well, Cara knew not how long, but at the very least, knew it had been a good deal of time. Not that it mattered how much time had passed. There were more important matters to attend. She peeled the curtain back ever so faintly and peaked out the window then gulped and let it fall promptly into place.

  “Er, you do realize we’ve been sitting here for almost fifteen minutes, love?”

  “Hmm?” She swung her attention up to her husband who occupied the seat beside her on the bench. He was saying something. What was he saying? She tried to order her muddled thoughts. Cara swallowed hard and stole another look outside at the front façade of the Marquess of Waverly’s townhouse. Anxiety roiled through her. Then, it was not every day a lady went to make amends with the half-sister she’d so wronged in life. William settled his hand over hers and she took undeserved strength from that offering. “She hates me.”

  “Perhaps,” he said with an honest directness she appreciated. “But you will hate yourself more if you do not attempt to make amends.”

  Cara caught her lower lip and stared at the red velvet curtain covering the carriage window. Yes, her husband was indeed, correct. If she did not meet her sister and ask for her pardon, she’d not forgive herself, and yet… This was about something so much more than her own eased conscience.

  This was about…two sisters who’d been shaped by their own experiences as the Duke of Ravenscourt’s unfortunate daughters, a bond that no one but those wronged children might understand. The woman she’d been at one time would have scoffed at the very idea of asking forgiveness of a woman who, through her efforts, had lost her position. But William was correct. She’d been changed. By him. By their time at the Fox and Hare Inn. And more, because love had flooded her life.

  Aware of her husband’s gaze on her, she gave a slight nod and then drew in a breath. “It is time,” she said softly.

  He quickly rapped on the carriage door and the driver pulled it open.

  Her husband leapt to the ground and then held a hand up to assist her down. Cara’s gaze crept up the length of the townhouse and unease churned within her. What if she does not wish to see me? Then, why should she wish to? As all the doubts and indecision paraded through her mind, the wind pulled at her cloak. She touched the pendant about her neck for strength. “I am ready.”

  William slid his fingers into hers and gave her hand a slight, reassuring squeeze. They reached the front door of the marquess’ townhouse and as though he feared she’d change her mind, William knocked once.

  “What if she does not wish to see me?” the question slipped from her lips, followed by a stream of inquiries she could not hold back. “What if she has words of hate and loathing? What if she tells me she doesn’t care to ever speak to me again?”

  “Then you will know.” He applied gentle pressure to her fingers once more. “I am here, Cara mia. You aren’t alone.”

  With the surety of his love, her fear receded and she gave a nod. Cara let her breath out on a slow exhale as her unease faded. “I am ready,” she said softly. “As long as you are beside me.”

  William raised her knuckles to his lips. “Always,” he pledged. “I will always be beside you.”

  Cara smiled up at him.

  For the first time, she was not alone.

  The End

  Other Books by Christi Caldwell

  “The Rogue Who Rescued Her”

  Book 3 in the “Brethren” Series by Christi Caldwell

  Martha Donaldson went from being a nobleman’s wife, and respected young mother, to the scandal of her village. After learning the dark lie perpetuated against her by her ‘husband’, she knows better than to ever trust a man. Her children are her life and she’ll protect them at all costs. When a stranger arrives seeking the post of stable master, everything says to turn him out. So why does she let him stay?

  Lord Sheldon Graham Whitworth has lived with the constant reminders of his many failings. The third son of a duke, he’s long been underestimated: that however, proves a valuable asset as he serves the Brethren, an illustrious division in the Home Office. When Graham’s first mission sees him assigned the role of guard to a young widow and her son, he wants nothing more than to finish quickly and then move on to another, more meaningful assignment.

  Except, as the secrets between them begin to unravel, Martha’s trust is shattered, and Graham is left with the most vital mission he’ll ever face—winning Martha’s heart.

  “The Lady Who Loved Him”

  Book 2 in the “Brethren” Series by Christi Caldwell

  In this passionate, emotional Regency romance by Christi Caldwell, society’s most wicked rake meets his match in the clever Lady Chloe Edgerton! And nothing will ever be the same!

  She doesn’t believe in marriage….

  The cruelty of men is something Lady Chloe Edgerton understands. Even in her quest to better her life and forget the past, men always seem determined to control her. Overhearing the latest plan to wed her to a proper gentleman, Chloe finally has enough…but one misstep lands her in the arms of the most notorious rake in London.

  The Marquess of Tennyson doesn’t believe in love….

  Leopold Dunlop is a ruthless, coldhearted rake… a reputation he has cultivated. As a member of The Brethren, a secret spy network, he’s committed his life to serving the Crown, but his rakish reputation threatens to overshadow that service. When he’s caught in a compromising position with Chloe, it could be the last nail in the coffin of his career unless he’s willing to enter into a marriage of convenience.

  A necessary arrangement…

  A loveless match from the start, it soon becomes something more. As Chloe and Leo endeavor to continue with the plans for their lives prior to their marriage, Leo finds himself not so immune to his wife – or to the prospect of losing her.

  “The Spy Who Seduced Her”

  Book 1 in the “Brethren” Series by Christi Caldwell

  A widow with a past… The last thin
g Victoria Barrett, the Viscountess Waters, has any interest in is romance. When the only man she’s ever loved was killed she endured an arranged marriage to a cruel man in order to survive. Now widowed, her only focus is on clearing her son’s name from the charge of murder. That is until the love of her life returns from the grave.

  A leader of a once great agency… Nathaniel Archer, the Earl of Exeter head of the Crown’s elite organization, The Brethren, is back on British soil. Captured and tortured 20 years ago, he clung to memories of his first love until he could escape. Discovering she has married whilst he was captive, Nathaniel sets aside the distractions of love…until an unexpected case is thrust upon him—to solve the murder of the Viscount Waters. There is just one complication: the prime suspect’s mother is none other than Victoria, the woman he once loved with his very soul.

  Secrets will be uncovered and passions rekindled. Victoria and Nathaniel must trust one another if they hope to start anew—in love and life. But will duty destroy their last chance?

  “Rogues Rush In”

  A Regency Duet by Tessa Dare & Christi Caldwell

  New York Times and USA Today Bestselling authors Tessa Dare and Christi Caldwell come together in this smart, sexy, not-to-be-missed Regency Duet!

  Two scandalous brides…

  Two rogues who won’t be denied…

  His Bride for the Taking by NYT Bestselling author Tessa Dare

  It’s the first rule of friendship among gentlemen: Don’t even think about touching your best friend’s sister. But Sebastian, Lord Byrne, has never been one for rules. He’s thought about touching Mary Clayton—a lot—and struggled to resist temptation. But when Mary’s bridegroom leaves her waiting at the altar, only Sebastian can save her from ruin. By marrying her himself.

  In eleven years, he’s never laid a finger on his best friend’s sister. Now he’s going to take her with both hands. To have, to hold…and to love.

  His Duchess for a Day by USA Today Bestseller Christi Caldwell

  It was never meant to be…

  That’s what Elizabeth Terry has told herself while trying to forget the man she married—her once best friend. Passing herself off as a widow, Elizabeth has since built a life for herself as an instructor at a finishing school, far away from that greatest of mistakes. But the past has a way of finding you, and now that her husband has found her, Elizabeth must face the man she’s tried to forget.

  It was time to right a wrong…

  Crispin Ferguson, the Duke of Huntington, has spent the past years living with regret. The young woman he married left without a by-your-leave, and his hasty elopement had devastating repercussions. Despite everything, Crispin never stopped thinking about Elizabeth. Now that he’s found her, he has one request—be his duchess, publicly, just for a day.

  Can spending time together as husband and wife rekindle the bond they once shared? Or will a shocking discovery tear them apart…this time, forever?

  “A Lady’s Guide to a Gentleman’s Heart”

  Book 2 in the “Heart of a Scandal” Series by Christi Caldwell

  Honor demands he give her up—

  Heath Whitworth, Marquess of Mulgrave and heir to a dukedom, is honorable to his handsome bones. When his mother insists he spend the holidays dancing attendance on Lady Emilia Aberdeen, he has no choice but to do the gentlemanly thing. For years, Heath has harbored feelings for the lady, but he knows exactly why his best friend jilted Emilia years ago, and that secret makes a happily ever after for Heath and Emilia an impossibility.

  Love demands she follow her heart—

  Heartbroken after the man she loved ended their betrothal, Lady Emilia Aberdeen, is quite content to live a spinster’s life penning an anonymous column that offers guidance to young ladies. Except, the more she is thrown into Lord Mulgrave’s company, the more she sees that the proper, always-aloof gentleman is also charming, clever, and inconveniently attractive. Emilia discovers maybe it is possible to love again but with secrets between them, Heath will face his greatest challenge yet: loving Emilia Aberdeen or letting her go.

  “Schooling the Duke”

  Book 1 in the “Heart of a Scandal” Series by Christi Caldwell

  A lady betrayed:

  Finishing school instructor, Mrs. Rowena Bryant is hated by her students, revered by the headmistress, and absolutely determined to maintain her financial security. Deceived years ago by the only man she’d ever given her heart to, Rowena relies on no one but herself—that is the best way to keep her most scandalous secret.

  A soldier turned duke:

  When Graham Linford returned from war on the cusp of death, he discovered he’d been betrayed by the woman he loved. From that moment, Graham shaped himself into an unfeeling nobleman, refusing to ever suffer the agony of betrayal again. Now a duke, Graham is determined no one will ever discover the touch of madness that has haunted him since battle.

  Lovers reunited:

  When Graham finds himself named guardian to a young lady, the woman sent as a companion to his ward is none other than Rowena Bryant. With every moment spent together, their passion reignites, and the walls they’ve built to keep one another out begin to crumble. But when their dark past tests them again will true love be enough to repair their damaged hearts?

  “In Need of a Knight”

  Prequel Novella in the “Heart of a Scandal” Series by Christi Caldwell

  Years earlier, a gypsy woman passed to Lady Aldora Adamson and her friends a heart pendant that promised them each the heart of a duke.

  Now, a young lady, with her family facing ruin and scandal, Lady Aldora doesn’t have time for mythical stories about cheap baubles. She needs to save her younger siblings and has resigned herself to marrying a titled gentleman with wealth, power, and a respectable name. She sets her bespectacled sights upon the Marquess of St. James. Until…

  An Unexpected Meeting

  Turned out by his father after a tragic scandal, Lord Michael Knightly has grown into a powerful, but self-made man. With the whispers and stares that still follow him, he’s been shut out of respectable society. He would rather be anywhere but London…

  Then he meets Lady Aldora, a young woman who mistakes him for his brother, the Marquess of St. James. The connection between Aldora and Michael is immediate and as they come to know one another, Aldora’s feelings for Michael grow.

  Now, Aldora is left to choose between her responsibilities as a sister and her love for Michael.

  “The Vixen”

  Book 2 in the “Wicked Wallflowers” Series by Christi Caldwell

  Set apart by her ethereal beauty and fearless demeanor, Ophelia Killoran has always been a mystery to those around her—and a woman they underestimated. No one would guess that she spends her nights protecting the street urchins of St. Giles. Ophelia knows what horrors these children face. As a young girl, she faced those horrors herself, and she would have died…if not for the orphan boy who saved her life.

  A notorious investigator, Connor Steele never expected to encounter Ophelia Killoran on his latest case. It has been years since he sacrificed himself for her. Now, she hires orphans from the street to work in her brother’s gaming hell. But where does she find the children…and what are her intentions?

  Ophelia and Connor are at odds. After all, Connor now serves the nobility, and that is a class of people Ophelia knows firsthand not to trust. But if they can set aside their misgivings and work together, they may discover that their purposes—and their hearts—are perfectly aligned.

  “The Hellion”

  Book 1 in the “Wicked Wallflowers” Series by Christi Caldwell

  Adair Thorne has just watched his gaming-hell dream disappear into a blaze of fire and ash, and he’s certain that his competitors, the Killorans, are behind it. His fury and passion burn even hotter when he meets Cleopatra Killoran, a tart-mouthed vixen who mocks him at every turn. If she were anyone else but the enemy, she’d ignite a desire in him that would be impossible to control.
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  No one can make Cleopatra do anything. That said, she’ll do whatever it takes to protect her siblings—even if that means being sponsored by their rivals for a season in order to land a noble husband. But she will not allow her head to be turned by the infuriating and darkly handsome Adair Thorne.

  There’s only one thing that threatens the rules of the game: Cleopatra’s secret. It could unravel the families’ tenuous truce and shatter the unpredictably sinful romance mounting between the hellion…and a scoundrel who could pass for the devil himself.

  “To Tempt a Scoundrel”

  Book 15 in the “Heart of a Duke” Series by Christi Caldwell

  Never trust a gentleman…

  Once before, Lady Alice Winterbourne trusted her heart to an honorable, respectable man… only to be jilted in the scandal of the Season. Longing for an escape from all the whispers and humiliation, Alice eagerly accepts an invitation to her friend’s house party. In the country, she hopes to find some peace from the embarrassment left in London… Unfortunately, she finds her former betrothed and his new bride in attendance.

  Never love a lady…

  Lord Rhys Brookfield has no interest in marriage. Ever. He’s worked quite hard at building both his fortune and his reputation as a rogue—and intends to enjoy all that they can offer him. That is if his match-making mother will stop pairing him with prospective brides. When Rhys and Alice meet, sparks flare. But with every new encounter, their first impressions of one another are challenged and an unlikely friendship is forged.

  Desperate, Rhys proposes a pretend courtship, one meant to spite Alice’s former betrothed and prevent any matchmaking attempts toward Rhys. What neither expects is that a pretense can become so much more. Or that a burning passion can heal… and hurt.