The Lady and Her Duke by Casie Ruth A

Author:Casie, Ruth A.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2022-07-07T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

A soft mellow male voice faded along with the last strains of Scarborough Fair as Katherine opened her eyes. She stared at the garden mural on her bedroom ceiling. Overall, yesterday’s celebration had been a success and last night’s bonfire a delight. Perhaps breakfast outside this morning. She got out of bed and pulled open the curtains.

Her mouth dropped open. There was no sunshine. The skies had opened. Large puddles filling the wheel ruts spoke of an all-night rain and from the look of things the rain would probably last all day as well.

Her eyes caught sight of the hearse and her heart slammed in her chest. The respite the annual celebration provided only delayed the inevitable. Bennett Sutton would be laid to rest today. Her gaze moved from the carriage to the sky. How fitting. A miserable day.

A wistful smile touched her lips. Bennett understood her, convinced her mother to let her go to the seminary. He was the one person who knew what happened in London, rescued her, and never mentioned the incident. The smile faltered thinking about the poem Mr. Green recited. Now, on her own, she needed to rely on her abilities. Best not to worry about that now.

Standing at the window, she looked at the castle tower on the hill. There had been surprises all evening. Lenard serving dinner made her smile. Dancing with Wallace without stepping on his toes was an accomplishment. His arms around her. His kisses.

Her fingers touched her lips and for a moment, last night’s dream seemed attainable. Lord Wallace. Brave. Trustworthy. Honest. Was he the next knight? Her knight? Her mouth twitched with amusement.

A perfect evening crushed by a perfectly horrid person. When would she learn dreams were for children? And choices come with consequences. Sometimes ones you live with forever.

Stop it! Stop mourning for something you never had.

Yesterday’s pomp and ceremony was over. The summer will end soon enough, and the spring and summer rituals will need managing. There are the farmers, the shepherds, and the factory. The responsibilities were heavy ones.

One more responsibility needed to be added to the top of her list. Find who murdered Bennett and make sure he’s brought to justice.

A cold chill ran up her spine. Katherine lowered herself onto the edge of the bed. Are the incidents related? The idea caught her off guard.

No. He wouldn’t dare. Unless he was more desperate than he was all those months ago. This message was an omen, and not a good one, of things to come.

She glanced upstairs, but the fleeting sense of rescue faded. Bennett couldn’t come to her rescue now.

“That’s why he sent the poem,” she murmured through clenched teeth.

She paced in front of the window. They needed a clever plan to catch him, but first, she needed to get through today.

“Calm down. Think. Deep breath. That’s right. Another. You’re not alone. Trust Wallace.” Bennett’s voice faded away in her mind.

Dressed for the day, she stood in front of the long mirror, staring

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