The Duchess and the Wolf by Lydia Drake

Author:Lydia Drake [Drake, Lydia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical Romances, Regency Historical Romance, Women's Historical Fiction, Historical European Fiction, Cinderella and the Duke by Lydia Drake, Historical Romance book, Regency romance book, Entangled Publishing, Amara, single title romance, stand alone romance, series romance book, Women’s Fiction romance, Lydia Drake, Modern Historical romance, Funny Historical romance books, Books like Bridgerton, Scandalous historical romance, Rogue historical hero, Cinderella and the Duke, dukes, The Duchess and the Wolf by Lydia Drake, The Duchess and the Wolf, regency, regency England, England, comedy, secy, romcom, romantic comedy, across the tracks, boss romance, fish out of water romance, forbidden love, opposites attract, overcoming odds, redemption, sweet romance, summer romance, musician heroine
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC
Published: 2023-09-17T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Susannah was stunned by the beauty of Rafe’s flat. She’d expected something ostentatious, with plush velvet drapes and overstuffed seats, ornate antiques littering the walls without thought or care to how it all looked. She’d expected him to have expensive rather than good taste, a bit reminiscent of his club downstairs.

She’d been so bloody wrong.

His taste was impeccable, better than any member of the ton she’d ever met.

Jacks had come outside as well and helped Rafe back up the stairs. She’d laid him out on a chaise longue of midnight blue satin, which went beautifully with the other pieces of furniture he’d settled about the room.

His artwork had been painted by masters and could have proudly hung in the king’s own chambers. Lord, there was even a fine pianoforte here, placed against the far wall of the parlor.

“I can’t play,” Rafe said when she looked at it. “But I like how it looks. It makes the place feel more dignified. Ah, shit!” He yowled some more as Jacks tried dabbing cold water on his knee.

“Amazing. The man can take on three drunk monsters but can’t endure a little water.” Jacks shook her head, but it was only teasing. She smiled at Susannah and got up. “I’m going downstairs for some liniment and bandages. This clod keeps none in his house. I suppose such things aren’t ‘fancy’ enough for such a grand location.”

“Keep talking that way and I’ll toss you out the window.” But Rafe’s threat rang hollow. Jacks laughed.

“Look after him until I’m back, if you can stomach it,” she said to Susannah. Then it was only Rafe and she, alone together. A stately grandfather clock ticked in the foyer, the only sound besides Susannah’s rather loud breathing. She could even hear the beat of her heart. She knelt beside Rafe and studied the knee once more.

She could have wept at the sight. She’d heard that someone had wounded Rafe there, but wound was not grisly enough of a word. They’d shattered him.

The entire knee was a red ball of scar tissue. The scars lay across his flesh like thick, ugly stripes in chaotic zigzag patterns. When Susannah touched the cool, wet cloth to the knee, Rafe flinched and hissed in pain.

“You trying to kill me, Duchess?”

“Death doesn’t seem like the proper reward for rushing to protect me, now does it?” Even if Susannah had handled those bastards, they’d wanted to hurt her. She knew they’d have done dreadful things if they’d caught her. “Thank you.” She felt shy suddenly. “I’m glad they never learned who I was. They might have if they’d nabbed me.”

“Worrying about your reputation? They’d have done a lot worse than spread gossip, you know.”

“Worrying over reputations isn’t for me, so much as for my family.” Susannah dipped the cloth and wrung it. “Even though my stepsister’s a duchess, if people found out who I was, her standing in society would plummet.”

“I don’t understand why she or you care about those bastards.” Rafe lay back upon the chaise, half his shirt unbuttoned and his sleeves rolled.

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