Hell’s Wedding Bells: A Devilish Debutante’s Novella by Anders Annabelle

Author:Anders, Annabelle
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-02-28T16:00:00+00:00

* * *

“So this pile is correspondence and reports; this one is for receipts; this pile is…?”

“Unknown?” He winced as he said the word. It was the tallest stack by far.

After discovering his wife to be an accomplished horsewoman, they’d spent the past week riding over the estate and visiting tenants who had not yet decided to abandon him. The weather had been cold and crisp, but everywhere they went, they’d been invited inside for hot tea or coffee and to ‘warm the wee duchess up.’ The tenants loved her already.

As did his servants.

This morning, lazy flakes of snow had been falling from the sky and Vincent had convinced his energetic wife to remain inside while he met with his steward and three of his most stalwart tenants. Last year’s crops had yielded less than the year before. They needed to make some decisions before proceeding into the next growing season. Vincent had heard of estates becoming more profitable by increasing herd sizes and focusing on maintaining greater land areas in order to support the demand.

He needed money to increase the herd sizes but would figure that out later. With larger herds, the future promised income from mutton, wool, and even some dairy products.

He’d also been wondering which of these machines Lila mentioned might increase efficiencies.

He’d returned from the vigorous discussion to find his wife sitting at his brother’s—nay—his desk, sorting through paperwork that he’d been avoiding for weeks now.

“Pemberth?” She pulled him back to the task at hand. “You did say you didn’t mind.”

He scrubbed one hand down his face in an attempt to wipe away his embarrassment. He hated the fact that something so seemingly benign had defeated him.

“I don’t mind.” He exhaled. “I’m just…” She trusted him with so much. Her security, her safety.

Her body.

The only night he had not bedded her had been the night of their arrival. They’d both been too exhausted.

And she was not shy. She’d enthusiastically agreed to almost anything he thought to suggest. And once… it had been she who had been creative.

And now she was making an attempt to unravel this mess he’d allowed to accumulate.

The swishing of her dress recaptured his attention as she rose and slowly moved around the desk. She surprised him then by wrapping her arms around his waist and squeezing. “My sister is one of the smartest people I know. She paints the most beautiful portraits using watercolors but give her a page of math problems to solve and she’s like to pull her hair out.” Vincent rested his chin atop his wife’s elegantly braided coiffure. “I, on the other hand, enjoy such tasks. You are doing me a favor by allowing me to sort through such a puzzle.”

“You needn’t placate me this way to soothe my ego.”

“What ego? You are the least arrogant man I’ve ever met.”

Vincent shook his head. Who is this woman?

“You are a good man, Pemberth. And quite on the way to making an excellent duke.”

At this, he laughed outright at her optimistic faith in him.

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