Duke of Eccess (Seven Dukes of Sin Book 4) by Mariah Stone

Author:Mariah Stone [Stone, Mariah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Stone Publishing B.V.
Published: 2025-09-23T00:00:00+00:00

17

“Miss Fields.” The Duke of Eccess rose from his desk, the remains of luncheon upon it, and Temperance’s whole body tingled with surprise.

Gentlemen rose to their feet whenever a lady of equal or higher standing came in. Not a servant or a governess. It had been difficult for her to become accustomed to, being the daughter of an earl, but now she had become a governess so entirely, the gesture sent her stomach floating to her throat—with equal parts flattery and guilt. The moment their eyes met across the room, her doubt melted away like whipped cream on her tongue.

“Bonjour,” she said, barely able to stop a smile that stretched the corners of her lips. “Are you ready for your French lesson?”

Yesterday she wouldn’t have dared to smile at him like that. Today, things felt different. In fact, they had entirely changed. She didn’t think there was a person in the whole world she’d felt closer to—besides her papa—than she’d felt to the duke last night.

In that huge kitchen where he’d cooked for her, made her the mince pies and fed her the most delicious roast beef she’d ever had, where he’d spilled his soul to her. She could still feel the hot, wet tears and the expansion in her chest like she was flying.

He’d spilled all his secrets to her. To her regret, she had kept hers.

She didn’t want him to call her “Miss Fields” anymore. She’d had to bite her tongue last night to keep from opening up about her true identity, telling him she was hiding, she was on the run. She was his equal, the daughter of a nobleman. Another woman would have apologized for lying and put herself at his mercy, begged him to keep her hidden, told him what danger she was in—about her stepmother, Bartholomew, and their hired men watching the house now.

But last night Temperance couldn’t find the strength to hurt and disappoint him after such a tender moment. She could tell him today.

She should.

Except, a little voice whispered, how prudent would it be to trust him? She’d trusted the Duke of Enveigh with her letter to Mr. Barton, and somehow that had led to Mr. Finch or one of his men knowing exactly where to find her. Every time she placed her faith in someone, the net around her seemed to tighten.

It was better, after all, to rely only on herself and trust no one.

“I’m afraid we have to cut our French lesson short,” the Duke of Eccess said formally. “To my utmost regret.”

He looked impeccable this afternoon—crisp, as if preparing for an audience with the Regent. His dark rust-colored coat was perfectly tailored, the silk waistcoat beneath embroidered with golden flowers. How could he appear so fresh after their sleepless night when she felt so utterly trampled?

Despite herself, Temperance remembered how his solid body had felt pressed against her and the way her skin had simmered under his large hands. Like the dough he’d been kneading, he had shaped a

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
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.