Cameron Price wasn’t sure whether he should be honored or angered when the Duke of Lybrook demanded his presence at Laurel Ridge Estate in the middle of the afternoon. He couldn’t afford to waste the precious hours of daylight that were better spent tending his farm, preparing the ground for planting, which would begin within a fortnight. Yet here he was, being led by a stiff butler to the private study of the duke himself.

“Mr. Cameron Price, Your Grace,” the butler said.

“Thank you, Crawford. Please come in, Price.”

The duke sat behind an ornately carved mahogany desk. He gestured to a pair of lush leather chairs. “Have a seat.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.” Cameron sat, inhaling the zesty aroma of the fine grain cowhide. This had to be the most comfortable chair he had ever sat in. “I’m a bit confused as to why you summoned me.”

“I can imagine. First, how is your family?”

“They’re fine. Thank you for asking.”

“I understand you met my future wife several days ago.”

“Yes. We were all quite sorry to hear about her accident and very glad to know that she’s on the mend.”

“No more so than I, Price, which brings me to why I have asked you here. I would like to hire you.”

Cameron jerked in his seat. “For what purpose?”

“I would like to commission a waltz for Lily, for our first dance as man and wife.”

“I’m flattered, Your Grace, but I hardly think I am qualified.”

“You’re a published composer, are you not?”

“Well, yes, but, my work is more… That is, I’m not sure…”

“I’ll be the judge. I happen to have copies of both of your pieces here, one of which, I believe, is a waltz?”

“Yes.”

“It has a haunting quality that I like.”

“For a wedding waltz, though, you’ll want something more joyful?”

“Yes, of course. I want it written for Lily.” The duke let out a breath. “This is difficult for me to say, since you and I don’t know each other very well, but I need you to know the circumstances so that you can compose the right type of music. Lily came into my life and taught me how to love again. She showed me beauty and kindness and laughter. I want the music to portray those feelings. It will be my wedding gift to her.”

“That’s a tall order, Your Grace.”

“Which I’m sure you’ll be able to fill. Now, what is the going rate for commissioning a piece of music? One hundred pounds?”

“Your Grace, I don’t think…”

“Two hundred then.”

“That’s too much.”

“Nonsense. I’ll pay you a hundred now, and the rest upon completion.”

Cameron paused. Two hundred pounds was a huge amount of money, more than any composition of his could possibly be worth. But with it he could hire someone to care for the farm, and he could devote himself to his music. Better yet, he could leave the farm and take his family to Bath, or even to London. He could find work composing, or at least doing something other than hard farm labor. Perhaps he could eventually send Tricia and Kat to school and buy his family a town home.

“How long do I have?” he asked.

“The wedding will be in five or six weeks. I’ll let you know the exact date as soon as possible. I would like to hear the music before then. Is four weeks enough time?”

“Not for a full orchestration, I’m afraid. That will take months, and I’m really not qualified for the task.”

“I’m sorry, I should have mentioned this earlier. I want the waltz arranged for the pianoforte, not for a full orchestra. I would like for Lily’s sister to play it. She has a remarkable talent, and I think it would mean a lot to Lily.”

“Her sister?”

“Yes, Lady Rose Jameson. You met her when you met Lily, didn’t you?”

“Yes.” Cameron cleared his throat. Lady Rose’s blond beauty had haunted him since that day. “I’ll do my best, Your Grace. I appreciate your confidence in me.”

“Not at all, Price. Thank you for coming.”

As Cameron rose to leave, a gentle knock on the door startled him.

“Come in,” Daniel called.

Rose entered. “You wanted to see me, Your Grace?”

“Yes, Lady Rose. You know Mr. Price, do you not?”

“Of course,” Rose said. “It’s nice to see you, Mr. Price.”

“My lady.” Cameron bowed politely. She was a vision, honey-colored hair plaited and coiled around her head, with wispy golden curls framing her face. Blue eyes the color of sapphires, lips as pink as the roses in his mother’s garden, and skin like pale peach velvet.

“Mr. Price has agreed to write a waltz for Lily’s and my first dance together as husband and wife,” Daniel explained. “It will be written for the pianoforte, and I was hoping you would do Lily and me the honor of playing it.”

“I’m flattered,” Rose said. “But surely the orchestra would do it more justice.”

“I think not,” Daniel said. “It would mean a great deal to Lily, and to me, if you would do it.”

Rose blushed. “I would need time to prepare the piece for public recital.”

“Mr. Price will have the piece ready in four weeks. That will give you a week or so. Is that enough time?”

“I-I’m a decent sight reader,” Rose stammered, “but I’ll need more time than that, especially depending on the complexity of the piece.”

“Then you’ll need to work closely with Mr. Price.” Daniel turned to Cameron. “Make sure that Rose has access to your work in progress.”

Cameron cleared his throat. “That’s not how I normally work.”

“I’ll be happy to compensate you for the extra effort,” Daniel said. “How much more do you require?”

“No, I didn’t mean… You’ve been more than generous already, Your Grace.”

“Then surely it wouldn’t be too much of an imposition to work with my charming future sister-in-law, would it?” Daniel smiled.

“Of course not, Your Grace.” He bowed and turned to Rose. “I will be in touch, my lady.” He walked briskly out of the study.

---

Lily let Rose help her bathe and dress in one of her best dinner gowns, and then she waited patiently for Daniel to arrive. Lily had been on the mend for over a week, and Daniel had arranged for them to take a private meal together. He strode in a few minutes later, dressed formally in his burgundy velvet coat, a dark grey cravat, and snug black trousers. His hair was freshly washed and hung in gleaming waves at his shoulders. Lily’s breathing became shallow and hurried as she stared at him. He took her breath away.

He walked toward her, his green eyes full of smoke, took her hand, and kissed her upturned palm. He drew her to her feet and captured her lips with his. They hadn’t shared a kiss—a real, honest to goodness kiss—since before her accident. How she had missed it! She let her tongue wander into his mouth, tasting his masculine sweetness.

“I’ve missed you.” Her voice was a breathy rasp.

“I’ve missed you, too,” he said, “and I love you.” He slid his tongue down her neck, between her breasts. “God how I love you.” He caught her face in his hands and took her mouth again, until several servants interrupted them, ready to serve their dinner.

They started with Swiss potato soup and olive-and-oyster canapés, and then feasted on vegetable marrow stuffed with shrimp, French stewed quail, and spinach Alsace. Lily was stuffed but forced down a few bites of cheese and fruit. She asked Daniel if they could save their lemon cream cake for later.

“I couldn’t eat another bite. Really, I don’t think I’ve consumed this much since I’ve been here.”

“That’s fine, love. Would you like some more wine?”

Lily giggled. “Maybe just a little. I feel lighter than air tonight, Daniel, despite the amount of food I just put away. I’m so happy to be here with you.”

“You read my mind, as usual,” he said, as he poured her wine. “Tell me, what would you like to do with the duchess’s suite? My mother has several decorators in Bath whom she uses. I could bring them out for you to meet if you’d like.”

“I feel terrible kicking your mother out of her rooms,” Lily said.

“You’re going to be the duchess. She understands that.”

“Still, you and I could be perfectly comfortable here.” She looked around the sitting room. “This suite has grown to mean a great deal to me.”

“My mother wouldn’t hear of it. She wanted to move out of her suite right after my father died, but I told her to stay. I didn’t want to move into the duke’s suite then, but now I do. I want to be the duke, Lily, and I want you to be my duchess. It all seems within the realm of possibility with you. It never did before.”

“That’s sweet of you to say.”

“It’s the truth. I want you to stay in this suite until we’re married. I’ll move into the duke’s suite. But I’ll continue to spend my nights here with you, if that’s all right.”

“I’d love that. But shouldn’t I return to Hampshire with my family prior to the wedding?”

“No, I’ve already arranged for you, your mother, and Rose to stay here after the house party ends, to help plan the wedding. Your aunt and cousins also.”

“Really? That sounds wonderful. But couldn’t we…”

“Yes?”

Lily fidgeted. “Would you mind terribly if we…postpone the wedding for several weeks? I…I want a real wedding night, Daniel. I don’t want to be cheated out of it.”

He smiled. “It’s already arranged, my love.”

Her heart hammered and she grasped his hand. “That’s wonderful. Thank you.”

“I thought you would be pleased. I hope you don’t mind being married here. Since my title is above your father’s socially, he and I both thought it would be best.”

“Goodness. I don’t think I’ve considered that before.”

“What?”

“That I will be above my parents socially. I’m not sure I find that at all comfortable.”

“I find titles as a rule uncomfortable, but I possess a powerful one. One I never thought I’d have, that’s for certain. Your discomfort won’t keep you from marrying me, will it?” He winked at her.

“Of course not,” Lily said. “Tell me, though, how do the titles work in your family? Will our children have titles?”

“Our first son will carry the lesser title of Marquess of Gordonshire. That was Morgan’s title. Personally, I hope we have many daughters and only one son. Being a second son is difficult.”

“Your mother told me a little about you and Morgan as boys. I’m sorry it was so hard for you.”

“My mother talks too much.” Daniel smiled lazily.

“Perhaps. Before my accident, she told me you were in love with me.”

“She was right about that.” He laughed, but turned serious. “If you and I have more than one son, I plan to do things a lot differently than my parents did.”

“We’re not shipping any seven-year-old boys off to school, that is for certain,” Lily stated.

“My, she did bend your ear, didn’t she?” Daniel rubbed his thumb in the palm of her hand. “I wholeheartedly agree with you. All my sons will learn about the estate, as will you, Lily. I expect full cooperation from my duchess. I plan to put your intelligence to good use.”

“That’s the highest compliment you’ve ever paid me,” Lily said. “I am very interested in being a true partner to you in this marriage.”

“Another reason why I’m marrying you.” His eyes gleamed. “Aside from your amazing kindness and tenderness, your incomparable beauty, and your”—he lowered his voice to a smoldering whisper—“unbelievable prowess in bed.”

Heat crept up her neck. “Any prowess I possess comes from your lead.” She rose from her seat and curled into his lap. “You taught me everything I know.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a light kiss on the mouth.

“My beautiful Lily,” he said, nuzzling her cleavage. “How am I going to wait five more weeks for you?”

“We’ll wait together,” she said. “I miss you as much as you miss me.”

“I love you so much.” Daniel kissed her hand. “There’s something I want you to know.”

“What?” She kissed his neck.

“I want to tell you why I was waiting for Amelia that night.”

Lily sighed. “Daniel, it doesn’t matter. In fact, I’d rather forget the little harpy even exists.”

“Please, Lily. I don’t want any secrets between us.”

His beautiful green eyes held remorse, and her heart melted. She threaded her fingers through his luscious hair. “All right. Tell me.”

Daniel inhaled sharply and let out his breath slowly. “I met Amelia about six years ago at a house party, not long after her husband had died. She came on strong, as you can imagine, and I didn’t try to resist her. We began an affair that went on and off for the next five years, until my father and Morgan died. The encounters worked for me because she wasn’t interested in a commitment, and neither was I. We never had any meaningful conversation. I couldn’t tell you what her interests are to this day. I didn’t care then and I don’t now. I’m not proud of my past.”

“It’s all right. I love you just as you are.”

“You’ll never know how much that means to me.” He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment, and then opening them again. “I bedded many women during the last decade or so, and my affair with Amelia lasted the longest of all of them. It wasn’t that I cared for her more than the others. I didn’t care for any of them, at least not in the way I care for you. But she and I seemed to run into each other a lot. I wonder now if she planned it that way.”

“Of course she did,” Lily snapped. “For a man with your experience, you don’t know two figs about women, do you?”

“I know a few things.” He smiled slyly.

“I’m not talking about that. Women like Amelia are conniving and sneaky. They’ll do anything, say anything, to get what they want. Believe me, I know. I’ve seen many of them wrap my sweet brother around their little fingers. It’s sickening.”

“You’re not like that.”

“Of course not. But there are many out there who are, and with your looks and background, you no doubt attracted them all.”

“I won’t deny it. At any rate, my affair with Amelia continued until my father and Morgan died. Suddenly, I was the duke, with no preparation at all. Frankly, Lily, I was scared to death. So I went to the continent.”

“No one blames you for running.”

“I do. I blame myself. It was cowardly and stupid. But it’s done, and I can’t undo it. I can try to make up for it though.”

“You will. I’ll help you.”

“I know. I can do anything as long as I have you.” He pressed his lips to her chin. “But I want to tell you what I did on the continent.”

“You don’t—” The distress on his face stopped her. “All right.”

“I don’t remember much about the first two months. I was drunk most of the time, and I spent my nights in an expensive Paris brothel. Not my finest hour.” He took a few deep breaths. “One day I woke up and decided to go to the Louvre. Walking around, looking at the works of the great masters, I decided I wanted more from my life. The next day I traveled to the Orient and spent three months at a Buddhist temple studying and praying. I thought about my father and Morgan, and what they would think if they could see what a mess I had made of everything. But you were right, Lily. I didn’t mourn for them. I couldn’t. I turned off my feelings for them long ago, when I was sent away from Laurel Ridge as a boy, to keep from pining for them. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get those feelings back.”

Lily kissed his cheek and rubbed his shoulders. “Have you mourned for them yet, Daniel?”

“Yes, I’ve started to, love. They both meant a great deal to me, especially Morgan. He and I were very close as lads.”

“I’ll help you if you need me.”

“I always need you. This is helping me right now, talking to you.” He cleared his throat. “When I left the temple, I traveled to Florence to see more art, and then I spent several months on the beaches of Nice, reading philosophy, sketching, and thinking. Around that time, I sent my mother a letter, apologizing to her for leaving and vowing to be a better person and a better duke. Then I made my way home.”

Lily kissed his mouth chastely, urging him to continue.

“I got home and found my mother and Aunt Lucy planning this house party. Suddenly I was overwhelmed again, unable to bear the thought of being the Duke of Lybrook. I would be the host of the house party, in charge of everything. I would have to make small talk and make everyone feel welcome. My father and Morgan were good at that sort of thing, but not me. Never me. I was still ignorant in the affairs of the estate as well. I wanted an escape, just for a little while. So I sent Amelia an invitation to the house party.”

Lily sighed. None of this mattered now, but she couldn’t help a little jolt of jealousy.

“Are you all right, love?”

“Yes, yes,” she said. “I just can’t abide the mention of her. But do go on.”

“I’m sorry. I’m not proud of my association with her, but I don’t want to have any secrets from you, Lily. I don’t.”

“I know. Go ahead.”

“Amelia came to the house party and I made arrangements to meet her clandestinely on the side of the main house the night of the ball. You’ll never know how glad I am that I caught you instead of her. You changed everything for me. You made me want to be the duke, the best duke I can be. I want to make my father and Morgan proud.”

“You will, Daniel, you will.”

“Amelia came to my chamber that night, but I couldn’t make love to her. I told her to go. All I could think about was you. Your innocent sharpness, the way you felt in my arms when I kissed you, when I danced with you. I felt as though my arms were created to hold you, Lily. I couldn’t sleep that night or eat breakfast the next morning. I was consumed with thoughts of you. No woman had ever affected me like that before.”

“So you and Amelia never…”

“Not since before my father and Morgan died. In fact, after my two months of debauchery in Paris, I was celibate until you.”

Lily choked back a sob.

“No one ever mattered until you. It wasn’t the most romantic way for us to meet, and I never should have taken you to my bed the next day, but it worked out, thank God.” He caressed her cheek. “I’m sorry you had to deal with Amelia. You’ll never know how sorry. I don’t know what she said to you, but if I could make it all go away, I would.”

“It’s all right.” Lily threaded her fingers through his hair and massaged his scalp lightly. “She told me bunches of lies and said if I didn’t back away from you, she’d seduce Thomas. She did try to bed him, he told me, but he resisted her, thank God.”

“He’s a better man than I.” Daniel sighed.

“No, just one who knows what his future holds. You never felt you had a future, did you? I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but I can’t help but blame your father for doing that to you.”

“My father was a good man, Lily, and a great duke. He just made a few mistakes in parenting along the way.”

“A few mistakes? You’re very forgiving. We’ll do better by our children, I promise.” Lily touched her abdomen, her insides aching with loss. “I’m so sorry about our child. I wish he were still growing in me.”

“We don’t know if there ever was a child, love.” Daniel closed his large hand over Lily’s. “But not to worry. We’ll have more, as few or as many as you want.”

“All I want is a little boy with blond hair and incredible green eyes like his papa.”

He reached up and stroked her cheek with his thumb. “We’ll have to have two then, because I want a little girl with dark hair and piercing cognac eyes that can heal a person’s heart.” He moaned softly, kissing the silky skin above her breasts. “I do wish we could start on them now.”

“So do I,” Lily said, “but in the meantime…” She fumbled with the buttons on his trousers and slid off his lap to kneel before him.

“Lily, you’re still weak. You don’t have to…”

“Hush,” was all she said, before her lips were otherwise engaged.