Her Absent Duke (Regency Romance) by Arietta Richmond

Author:Arietta Richmond [Richmond, Arietta]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical Romance, Women's Fiction, Victorian Era, 19th Century, Forever Love, Bachelor, Single Woman, Love Possibility, Frontier-Pioneer Era, Cowboy & Western Romance, Hearts Desire, American West, Clean & Wholesome, Christian Stories, Faith Based, Inspirational Reads, Love Inspired, Life-Changes, Second Chance Reunion, Honesty & Trust, Home & Family, Lifetime Love, Romantic Schemes, Love-Family & Forever, Action & Adventure, Small Town & Rural Area, Beautiful & Feisty
Publisher: Dreamstone Publishing
Published: 2020-05-21T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

“You think that I care about our poxy wedding day? Is that what you think I am concerned about? My goodness man, have you no shame? I could not care less about being married to you. The fact that you killed your father that day is the thing that I will never, ever forgive you for!” She pushed him away and lifted a hand to wipe away a tear. “He was a broken man after your mother died. You wouldn’t know because you so rarely came to visit him. He lost both a wife and a son that year. You were too busy studying to care about him. And then to return for barely four days, only to disappear on the day that you were supposed to wed me? The shock of your letter killed him! You killed your father!”

She sobbed.

Marcus looked down.

“I know...” he said softly, his heart breaking all over again. “I’m so sorry, Kate. I know. But I had to leave...”

She placed a hand on his chest to stop him from speaking.

“Enough. I do not want to listen to your excuses. You took everything away from me. My father died, you left me, and then your father died. I was left to fend for myself. I had no one I cared for except my maid! Life with my uncle and… Henry… was not…”

She was full of anguish – she could hear it in her voice. She did not care. Now that he was here before her, every piece of sorrow, anger, and misery which she had held inside wanted to be released. She sobbed again, and he stepped forward, gently drawing her into his arms, but did nothing more, as if unsure what to do. They stood like that for a few minutes as she shook with sobs, inwardly cursing herself all the while. She did not want this man to see her like this. He deserved her anger, not her vulnerability.

Yet she found herself leaning into his embrace, like a lost child found, needing the sense of safety it gave her, even as she knew that she should pull away. Marcus had always made her feel safe. She could hear his heartbeat, and was soothed by the insistent beat, even whilst her mind raged at her, demanding that she push him away.

After some time, slowly, she looked up at him and met his eyes – eyes which were full of pain. He lifted a hand, and gently brushed the last of the tears from her cheek. That touch undid her, for it sent a spark of heat through her right to the deepest parts of her body. His eyes widened – had he felt that too? Then he leaned down and kissed her full on the mouth. His lips were warm, and the tip of his tongue traced the curve of her mouth – exactly as it had, so very many times, in her dreams. In shock, Kate let him deepen the kiss with a little sigh, for a few moments delighting in the pleasure she had yearned for, for so long.

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