Epilogue
The months that followed were full of political campaigns, committee meetings, parties and dinners where many lords and admirals were wined and dined. They still had not succeeded in their endeavors, but Adam was fairly certain they were close. And he was nothing if not determined.
Then, there was the ever-present uncertainty of the outcome of their lovemaking which they did prodigiously. After all, their passion was mutual. For life, and for love. Beatrix still ached for the child she had lost, but she and Adam grieved together, turning to each other in the dark of night. With the months that passed, their unity grew as did their knowledge that, child or no child, their love was strong.
Over the months, she had allowed herself to forget the importance of an heir. Instead, she chose to remember her family in other ways. In celebrations, and in the garden. At the piano, and in singing. Archery had become dear to her again, and it had caused great laughter, watching Adam attempt to nock an arrow. He had cursed and marched off to find tea.
They rode together every day wildly and free. They had both taken London by storm and London had eventually embraced them. It was widely spoken of that there was no more loving couple than they.
With the closing of Parliament, Beatrix had known what must be done.
So, she had Argyle secretly prepared Adam’s ship and she had quietly packed their things. Then, much to Adam’s shock, she had taken him to the docks.
They stood at the gangplank and she held his hand, twining her fingers in his.
“We can’t,” he protested. “There is so much to do.”
“Yes, there is,” she agreed solemnly, “my wild Captain Duke. But we must not neglect our natures.”
“Our natures?” he queried.
“Take me on adventure,” she whispered, giving him a wicked smile. “Show me parts unknown. Let me be your mistress on the high seas.”
He gazed down at her in wonder. “How did I ever find you?”
“I confess, it is a mystery. But I am so glad you did.”
Laughing, he swept her up into his arms and strode up the gangplank to the deck of his ship.
Argyle met them, grinning. “Where to, Captain?”
“To wherever the tide takes us,” Adam said softly. And then to his wife, he added, “For we have each other.”
Despite the audience of his men, he kissed her passionately. As he raised his head, staring down adoringly, he told her, “Beatrix, surely a star danced the day we met.”
“Oh, it did my love. And it was a lucky one.”
The End
Don’t Miss the Other Books
in
The Dukes’ Club Series!
Available at all online retailers!
What a Widow Wants:
Everything is going swimmingly for Kathryn Darrell. She’s got an annuity of a hundred thousand a year, her lecherous-heart breaking husband has had the good graces to pop off, and best of all, she has her freedom—Something she has every intention of reveling in to the fullest. And who better to revel with than Ryder Blake, the infamous Duke of Darkwell?
A Duke’s Desire:
Ryder Blake, Duke of Darkwell, known as the Duke of Debauchery, is certain he will never love again. His heart lies buried with his wife and he has vowed to never give more than his body to a woman. But when Kathryn shows up on his doorstep, quite literally, demanding he show her the ways of London, he finds that his heart longs to love once again.
A duchess who desires her freedom.
Cordelia Eversleigh, Duchess of Hunt, has spent her entire life in Egypt, sifting through the sands, cavorting with the local tribes, and uncovering the tombs of glorified ancient Egyptian accountants. Now, all she wishes is to go to Paris and study the mysteries of the hieroglyph. There’s only one problem. She needs to annul her marriage to the husband she has never met. But when she comes face to face with the infamous duke, he stirs a wicked desire in her nature that shocks her to the tips of her oh so practical toes.
A duke longing to be tamed.
Born the second son, Jack Eversleigh, now the Duke of Hunt, has accepted he is going to be a terrible duke. Loving wine, women, and song, he knows there’s only one thing to do. Live up to his debauched reputation. But when a young woman tracks him down in a London pub, prim, proper, and with a tongue that would make the devil envious, he is captivated. . . Until he discovers that she is his wife.
Can these two embrace an arranged marriage á la mode or will their stubborn minds conquer their passionate hearts?
A Widow Who Knows What She Wants:
Lady Imogen Cavendish loves making merry. After surviving years of marriage to an old man, having seized her freedom seems the only intelligent thing to have done. Even so, years of dancing her way through parties has lost its’ luster and all she wants now is to spend most of the year on the small estate she’s purchased in Scotland. There’s just one thing. Her neighbor is an infuriating, superior, and exceptionally handsome duke!
An Arrogant Duke Who Knows It All:
Duncan Hamish Fergus, Tenth Duke of Blackburn, does everything right. Duty might as well be his middle name. After his father very nearly ruined his mother and sister’s life, Duncan is determined to never let the family name be tarnished again. Sacrificing his own pleasure seems a small price to pay until he meets the mad capped English woman, Lady Cavendish. In all his years on the path of righteous, no woman has ever tempted him to stray into sin, but no woman has ever been as mischievous or voluptuous as his saucy sassenach neighbor.
Can Imogen teach the oh so proper duke how to have a little fun or will two hearts be broken by propriety?
A Lady Who Vows Never to Wed:
Lady Allegra Portmund knows the cost of marriage. After the death of her dearest and only sister, Allegra swears she will never suffer the same fate. She will not become a possession shaped and destroyed by a husband. So, when her parents insist she marry the man of their choosing, there is only one thing for Allegra to do. Run. But when she runs, determined to be free, she meets the Duke of Roth, a singular man who sees her unique and vital spirit. Now that her heart is awakened to the most dangerous longings for love, how will she resist the temptation to break her vow?
A Duke Ruled By Honor:
Nicholas Andrew Edward Forth, Duke of Roth, values family above everything else. Despite his wild reputation, having lost both of his parents when he was a child, his most secret wish is to have a family again. When he meets a young lady in disguise, Nicholas quickly realizes that she is unlike any woman he’s ever met and is also the only woman for him. But when he discovers how quickly she has abandoned her own family, he doubts whether she is the exceptional woman he believed her to be. Now, that he knows the truth about Allegra’s past, will his own sense of honor destroy his only chance at happiness?
A Duke With A Scandalous Secret:
The Duke of Aston has always been the talk of the ton. Wild, passionate, and eccentric, women fall at his feet and gentlemen won’t dare to meet him on the dueling ground. But the duke has a secret. A secret that could destroy his family. While the world sees him as a prince of the realm, he knows that in truth, he’s worthless. So, when Lady Rosamund enters his life demanding he teach her the artful ways of seduction, he’s happy to oblige until he realizes she is the best woman he has ever known and therefore a woman he can never have.
A Lady Who Won’t Be Intimidated:
Lady Rosamund, only sibling of the Duke of Blackburn, is lonely. Raised in the remote glens of the Western Highlands, Rosamund has lived a sheltered life where only books and long walks have relieved her isolation. When she meets the Duke of Aston near her home, a man as delicious as the heroes she’s read about, the passion that sparks between them in undeniable. Adventurous spirit that the duke is, Rosamund knows he’s the man for her. But as she grows closer to the duke, opening her heart to him, his own heart closes.
Can she teach this tortured duke that he is worthy of love or will his past drive them apart forever?
A Rake With A Broken Heart:
Deadly with a rapier and one of the most notorious rakes London has ever known, Lord Charles, twin brother of the Duke of Hunt, is hiding a dark secret. Wine, women, and song can’t drown his pain but when he wins Barrow House in a night of gambling, he finds that he’s also won an entanglement with the owner’s niece, Lady Patience. Prickly, forthright, and clad in black from head to toe, she’s the opposite of every thing he’s ever desired in a woman and yet, Lord Charles is inexplicably drawn to her. When he discovers she has a secret just as serious and scandalous as his own, he knows marriage into his powerful family is the only thing that can rescue her. But can a rake take a chance at marriage and risk losing his heart?
A Lady in Disguise:
Lady Patience has no wish to be rescued but nor is she willing to give up her double life as the extremely successful author P. Auden. When her secret identity is exposed, she has no one to turn to but the rake who won her family house in a card game. But Lord Charles is all that she dislikes in a man. A womanizer and a gambler, she should abhor him. Only Lord Charles is not as simple as he seems. With each day she discovers the hidden depths and pain under his witty and cold exterior. And as she finds that underneath he is a good man nearly destroyed by a terrible secret, she cannot help but lose her heart to the rake who has sacrificed everything for his family’s happiness. Can she save him from his past just as he has saved her? Or will the past claim them both and ruin their chance at love?
Her dance card is nearly full.
The only sister of the Duke of Hunt, Lady Gemma, is finally ready to settle down. After all, she’s spent too many of her days frolicking all over town. As an Eversleigh, she’s ready for an excellent match. Desiring a serious, reserved, and strong husband who can handle her antics, Gemma handpicks Captain Duke. Surely, she’s selected the perfect man, but perfection may not be as it seems.
This pirate is treading on dangerous water.
Alexander Duke knows the violence of the seas, the brutality of humanity, and the dangers of fighting for a cause. He has no patience for a silly and persistent woman, who exudes more bubbles than a bottle of champagne. But when Lady Gemma turns on the charm, no man can resist her wiles, not even a rugged and courageous pirate. However, protecting his heart is Captain Duke’s number one priority. When a scandalous event shocks his hardened soul, he’s forced to take action, turning his back on his lifelong oath. Suddenly, he’s asking for her hand and putting both of their hearts on the line. Can two stubborn people relinquish control to know true love or will they rock the boat too violently to find their happy ever after?
Don’t forget to try The Must Love Rogues Series too!
Want notification the moment the next book is out?
Follow Eva on: