by Darcy Burke
The words scarcely cleared his mouth before Lady Theodosia, Lady Phaedra, Lady Selena, and Lady Louisa flicked their wrists.
Sheets of paper rained over the slack-jawed spectators.
Harry reached out to snatch a leaflet in midair. He cursed.
Copies.
Copies of pages from the betting book of White’s.
Epilogue
“Harry.”
Ophelia’s hiss was met with his low chuckle as Avondale carried her out of the ballroom over his shoulder.
“You still owe me a waltz, if you recall,” he said, never breaking stride. Ophelia felt the cool, crisp air as they cleared the threshold of the Stewart Ball and stepped outside.
A waltz?
Oh.
For not ousting her at the tavern.
“This is not the way to the ballroom,” she pointed out breathlessly.
“It’s not that sort of waltz I’m collecting, love.”
“Harry!”
He laughed as they reached the row of carriages, and within moments Ophelia was deposited inside one. Harry climbed in after her and shut the door. The moment the carriage rocked forward, he yanked her into his arms and kissed her.
She pulled away from him. “We can’t do it here!”
He placed a soft kiss on her mouth and grinned. “No, I must explain a few things first.”
Ophelia wiggled on his lap, smiling when his eyes darkened. “There is no need; I’ve already forgiven your swashbuckling, opportunistic ways.”
“Swashbuckling?” He shook his head. “I’m not a pauper, Ophelia. At least not anymore. I never was, though there were a few days when I thought I was. It’s a long story. I—”
Ophelia placed her finger over his lips, heart leaping wildly into her throat. “You are finally letting me read your chapter?”
He slowly nodded, and she felt herself melt at the uncertainty that flashed in his gaze.
“You might not like what you hear, Ophelia. My family . . .” he trailed off against her finger.
“Is my family now too.”
“Yes,” he growled, pulling her in for another kiss. “And make no mistake, Ophelia: No matter how shocked you are by my family, I will not allow anything else to come between us again. I mean to collect your breaths every day for the rest of my life.”
And then he stole her breath yet again.
More in The Middleton’s Series
An Invitation to Marriage
An incurable romantic, Holly Middleton spent her entire youth daydreaming about love, princes, and pirates. She never doubted one day she would meet the man who would sweep her off her feet. And what better man to do the sweeping than a charming, irresistible duke?
But what is a woman to do when her dashing duke turns out to be not so dashing after all?
•Run away from her wedding, that’s what.
•Hope she doesn’t get caught.
•Certainly not by a handsome marquis.
•And if caught by a handsome marquis . . .
•Under no circumstance fall in love with him.
The Perks of Being a Duchess
When a Middleton causes a scandal, it's never by half measures . . .
This was certainly the case with Willow Middleton, who had thrown every bit of care to the mid-May breeze and . . . married the imperious duke her sister abandoned at the altar moments ago.
But how is a bride to win over her bossy husband?
• Disobeying his every rule probably won’t help.
• Perhaps some kissing is in order?
• Maybe even some seduction?
• Unearthing his every secret is definitely recommended.
• Falling in love . . . completely out of her control.
A Promise of Scandal
About the Author
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Afterword
Thanks for reading Romancing the Past.
We hope you enjoyed these 10 stories and found some new favorite books and authors. If you like reading this anthology, we’d love it if you would help other readers find Romancing the Past by leaving a rating and/or a few words of review (nothing fancy needed!) wherever you buy or like to talk about books.
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Jackie, Catherine, Jennifer, Carrie, Darcy, Erin, Tanya, Eve, Clair, and Erica.