Duke of Honor by Aston Alexa
Author:Aston, Alexa
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2021-06-10T00:00:00+00:00
Chapter Twelve
Hadley followed Phoebe to her bedchamber. As they entered, she saw Phoebeâs husband sitting in a chair by the window, an open book on his lap and his infant son in his arms.
âHello, my darling. Lady Hadley,â he greeted. âWe have been reading Shakespeareâs sonnets.â
Robby screeched piercingly and then a huge grin crossed his face.
Phoebe went and lifted her son into her arms and kissed his forehead. âIs Papa teaching you to be a romantic?â she cooed to the child. Turning to Hadley, she said, âHe is, you know. A romantic.â She smiled fondly at Windham and handed the baby back to him.
âYou have a look in your eyes, Wife. You are up to something,â the duke noted.
The duchess smiled. âWe are. Operation Rescue.â
âHmm. It sounds military in nature to me. Who needs to be rescued, my love?â
âThe Duke of Hardwick,â Phoebe replied. âHeâs meant for Lady Hadley here and is too obstinate to realize it.â
Windham nodded. âI have pointed that very thing out to him myself, my dear.â His gaze turned to Hadley. âSebastian has feelings for you, my lady. The war changes men, though. It colors the way they view the world. I think my friend was more affected by his experience than most.â
âThat is my observation also, Your Grace,â she said. âHardwick told me, in so many words, that he doesnât deserve happiness. He kissed meâand then let me know we had no future.â
The duke chuckled. âCouldnât keep his hands off you. Thatâs a good thing, my lady.â He reached for his wifeâs hand and threaded his fingers through hers. âI assume Operation Rescue is meant to make Sebastian see the wisdom in offering for you.â
âI hope so.â Hadley sighed. âI donât know how to save him, Your Grace. My head tells me he is a broken man but my heart wants to help him heal.â
A thoughtful expression crossed the dukeâs face. âWar is devastating to a manâs soul, my lady. In countless ways. Officers, in particular, carry a heavy burden because of the love they feel for their men. When letters are written to loved ones at home confirming a soldierâs death, details and feelings must be suppressed. Duty lies above all else.â
He kissed his sonâs head. âEverything about the war stays with you, long after you have left the battlefield. The sounds of the cannons firing until you feel you might grow deaf. The smell of gunpowder and blood permeating the air. The ground littered with bodiesâsome still and dead, while others who are maimed or fatally wounded cry out for help or their loved ones. You dread falling asleep because you dream of these things. You awaken from the nightmares in a cold sweat, your heart beating so violently you think you will die. You second-guess yourself after a battle because you wished you could have done more to save the men you lost.
âAnd you must write countless letters to the families of the soldiers under your command who were lost. Over and
Download
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.
20th Century | American |
Ancient World | Medieval |
Regency | Scottish |
Tudor | Victorian |
Viking |
The Highlander's Princess Bride by Vanessa Kelly(7787)
The Lover by Duras Marguerite(7131)
Storm and Silence by Robert Thier(5912)
Devil in Spring: The Ravenels by Lisa Kleypas(5426)
London's Perfect Scoundrel by Suzanne Enoch(4800)
Stormfire by Christine Monson(4629)
Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas(4201)
In the Midst of Winter by Isabel Allende(4023)
Burning Man by Phillip Margolin(4007)
Lady Bridget's Diary by Maya Rodale(3889)
Once and Always by Judith McNaught(3823)
Under Mr Nolan's Bed by Selena Kitt(3815)
From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon(3693)
Romancing the Duke Castles Ever After by Tessa Dare(3654)
How to Rescue a Rake by Jayne Fresina(3554)
A Matter of Temptation by Lorraine Heath(3439)
Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson(3419)
Separate Beds by LaVyrle Spencer(3273)
Seduce Me at Sunrise by Lisa Kleypas(3247)