The Duke's Stolen Bride by Sophie Jordan

Author:Sophie Jordan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2019-10-21T16:00:00+00:00

Marian peered out the window long enough to assure herself that he was still alive and unscathed. She exhaled in relief when she spied him popping back up to his feet, his dark hair flying haphazardly in every direction. Her heart clenched at the sight of him, as well as other parts of her anatomy.

She had clambered out of her window plenty of times as a girl and knew he could do it, but it was still comforting to see he was unharmed.

She tightened the afghan around herself and turned just as a knock sounded on her bedchamber door.

“Marian?” Nora called again. “Are you home?”

“Yes. Just readying to leave for town. I’m scheduled to give a pianoforte lesson to Mrs. Kellwood’s children.” Not untrue. She was expected in an hour.

Without waiting for a biddance to enter, Nora pushed open the door and strode bold as you please into Marian’s room.

“Nora!” She clutched the blanket ever tighter about her and glanced wildly around the room as though there was evidence of her interaction with the duke lying about.

Her sister looked her over mildly. “Are you only just now dressing? I thought you were up hours ago.”

“Yes. N-no,” Marian stammered. “I was up hours ago. I merely dirtied my dress and needed to change.”

Nora frowned, not looking entirely convinced of this fabrication. “Oh.”

Her sister turned to go, but then suddenly stopped, her gaze landing on something on the floor. “What is that there?”

With a sinking sensation, Marian followed her sister’s gaze. Oh. No. There, on the floor, was the duke’s hat.

She scarcely remembered him wearing it into the house and carrying it with him up the stairs—but he had and he had forgotten it here on her floor in his hasty escape.

Blast it! And now her sister was gazing at it in speculation.

“Oh. Um.” Marian cleared her throat. “I found it out on the road and picked it up,” Marian quickly supplied. “I thought I would keep it and try to find the owner.”

Nora walked forward and picked it up. She turned it over in her hands, musing, “Very fine quality. I am certain someone is missing it dearly.”

Marian doubted it. Nate did not seem the manner of man to worry about such things as a misplaced hat.

Nate. Suddenly she could not think of him in any other way. Nathaniel. Nate. Her Nate.

No. No. Not hers. He was not hers. Not in any intimate lover-like way.

He was her tutor. Her instructor. This was a professional arrangement. A professional arrangement she just happened to find immensely pleasurable.

“Indeed. I thought I might ask about in town. Perhaps Mr. Simms at the mercantile would know something of it.”

At the mention of Mr. Simms, Nora wrinkled her nose. He was one of their more demanding creditors—to such a degree that they avoided his shop altogether of late.

Nora carefully set the hat down on the escritoire. “If you think it best.” With a shrug, she turned and faced Marian, her expression rather thoughtful.

It was that curious, thoughtful look that unnerved her.

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.