by Lucy Adams
The thought of living in the estate as husband and wife filled Catherine with such overwhelming joy that, for a moment, she could not speak. The duke lifted one hand and brushed it gently down her cheek, making her heart leap wildly.
“How long must we wait until our wedding day?” she asked, seeing his lips quirk. “The banns can be called this Sunday, can they not?”
The duke chuckled but nodded. “I am as eager as you to make you my bride,” he answered. “I think in three short weeks, my love, we shall find ourselves standing before God and man, ready to make our vows.” Leaning down, he kissed her cheek but did not lift his head completely. “That does not seem too long, does it?”
“It seems much too long,” Catherine replied with a wry smile. “But I shall find a way to endure it.”
“And I shall call upon you every day,” he told her, his head still low, his nearness capturing her in every way. “I cannot be apart from you now, Catherine, not when you have become so very dear to me.”
Catherine, her eyes and her heart filled with nothing but the duke, sighed contentedly and tipped her head back a little more, feeling her heart overflowing with love for the gentleman who now held her so tenderly in his arms. He had given her so much, more than she had even allowed herself to dream of, and now she was going to be his bride. Her future stretched out in front of her, bright and filled with days of joy and contentment with the duke by her side, her ever-loving husband. They would ride across the estate grounds side by side, and he would forever be her stalwart, her supporter, and her defender.
“I love you most ardently, Catherine,” the duke murmured, as she wrapped her arms about his neck, her fingers twining through his hair.
“And I love you, Blackwell,” she replied, before bringing her lips to his and delighting, once more, in his loving embrace.
Did you enjoy reading Catherine’s story? I hope you did! If you’d like to read more about the Wells sisters, you can find Book One here. The Return of Lord Avondale, London Season Matchmaker Book One.
Want to read the prologue in its entirety?
Lady Eliza’s Broken Heart, London Season Matchmaker Prequel is available for free!
Although The Return of Lord Avondale does have a short chapter length prequel at the beginning of the book, you can download the extended short story version of the prequel for free!
Interested? Click here to learn more…
Also by Lucy Adams
LONDON SEASON MATCHMAKER SERIES
The Return of Lord Avondale, Book One
The Noble Spy, Book Two
The Earl She Despised, Book Three
The Duke’s Secret Wager, Book Four
Author’s Note
Thank you for downloading The Duke’s Secret Wager.
I hope you truly enjoyed Book Four of my London Season Matchmaker Series! I’ve learned a lot since writing the first book of this series and I hope that my stories continue to get better as I write more. I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’ve made it to this book in the series. Thank you again!
Book Five is currently in the works and should be published by no later than September!
About the Author
I grew up in a small town in New England. My father was a commercial fisherman for most of his life and I have two older brothers who followed in his footsteps
My mom was a housewife and loved every minute of it. Looking back now, it seems that every year she spent taking care of the three of us and my dad, made her happier. She loved cooking, she loved cleaning and sitting up all night when one of us were sick never seemed to phase her. She is a remarkable woman and in a small town, that didn’t go unnoticed. I can remember my friends coming home with me after school and before I could put my books away and change my shoes, they would be in the kitchen drinking milk and eating banana bread with my mom. She always made them laugh and I think they could have sat there for hours and hours listening to her. It made me proud, but I remember thinking ‘Mom! Can I have my friends back now?’
After I had written a few books, people began to ask my mom how did a girl who grew up in a family of fishermen end up writing Regency Romance? She would laugh and blame her brother. She had allowed me to go to England with my uncle and my cousin on vacation when I was thirteen, and it changed my view of the world forever. The Royal family and the history in that family was fascinating to me. Every past King and Queen had a story that could have only come out of a story book. The day we visited Buckingham Palace and went on the tour I was overwhelmed with the splendor of the rooms. The winding staircases, the tall ceilings and tall windows draped with satin curtains and gold beads. It wasn’t long before I knew I was in love with the grandeur of royal life. The more I learned about the family, the country, and its history, the more I felt the stories inside of me wanting to come out.
It wasn’t long before I had more stories in my head than I could put on paper.
I do hope you enjoy my books as much as I have enjoyed writing them!