The Duke’s Dangerous Darling by LL Neal
Lady Edwina wants nothing to do with the man her mama has said she must marry. She has ideas of her own, she doesn’t want to marry the local squire her mama has selected. She wants to travel, to have adventures, and to live life. Her cousin Theodosia has the same problem – her mama has selected an intended fiancé Theodosia dislikes. Theodosia doesn’t want to marry the man. What are the two cousins to do?
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There is humor in all things….
Here is a short sample from the book:
The carriages were ready early in the morning. Everyone had their breakfast, and Sir Henry paid their shot, and they loaded up to get back on the road. Mrs. Owens packed them food in the basket Cook had given them.
She said she would see them on their return trip from London.
They all were smiling and waving to her and Mr. Owens as the carriages pulled away.
The carriages had gone down the road a piece, when they all heard, “Stand and Deliver!”
Sir Henry’s carriage had been in the lead, and it was Lady Poppy’s carriage with Edwina and Theodosia that was stopped.
All ladies present grabbed their pistols out of their reticules and aimed them toward the door of the carriage. The door opened, and there stood a large man. He looked at the pistols pointed his way, looked about the carriage at each lady, and said, “Oi, I think I have the wrong carriage!”
He slammed the door and they were once again on their way.
The ladies all started to laugh once the scare was past. “Did you see his face? I thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head!” Theodosia said as she put her pistol back into her reticule.
Lady Poppy said, “He wasn’t expecting ladies with pistols, that is for sure. I am so glad that Sir Henry taught you girls how to shoot.”
The carriages made their way to London.
They reached the townhouse in the middle of the afternoon.
Sir Henry had arrived before the ladies, and he had the housemaids waiting for Lady Poppy’s carriage to arrive.
As soon as they arrived, Lady Poppy was handed out to Sir Henry.
He asked how their trip was, since he expected them sooner.
“Henry, we were stopped by that dratted highwayman, but he let us go. I think he was in shock to see so many pistols pointed at his head!” exclaimed Lady Poppy.
He wasn’t happy that he hadn’t been there to protect them, but he was glad, and not for the first time, that he had taught his girls how to protect themselves, and that they had their pistols.
He escorted Lady Poppy into the house, and the footman was getting Lady Edwina out of the carriage next. She was handed down, and he was distracted for a bit by a noise to the right of the carriage.
Theodosia didn’t see that the footman had turned away.
She was proceeding to step down, and she stumbled. As she started to fall out of the carriage, a pair of strong arms encircled her and stopped her from hitting the sidewalk.
She looked up to see big blue eyes smiling down at her, blond hair, and muscles everywhere. The gentleman was stunning, and she started to stammer like a ninny.
“Oh, um, hmm—oh, thank you, sir. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t helped me! I would be lying flat on the sidewalk on my face without your help. Thank you!”
He smiled down at her. My, she is quite stunning, he thought.
“I saw what was happening as I was walking by, and I couldn’t very well let someone as beautiful as you land on the sidewalk. Think nothing of it, my dear!” he said.
She frowned at him as he uttered the endearment. He wasn’t being proper at all.
She caught him staring at her and blushed as she looked away.
He was about to escort her to the front door, when the footman realized Miss Theodosia was being clutched to some man’s person.
He gave the man a look, which caused him to smile sheepishly at Theodosia and let her go.
She was bright red as he stared at her, and then he winked!
“Oh, my!” Theodosia whispered.
The footman was trying to escort her inside the house, but her feet got stuck and she couldn’t move.
She stared at the man in pure mortification, while he chuckled at her, tipped his hat, and was about to walk away.
She turned toward the door, then felt him staring at her. She thought, No, I won’t look. I won’t do it. I don’t think he is looking at me, but what is one little peek going to hurt?
She turned to look at what she thought was going to be his departing back when she realized he wasn’t departing at all. He was staring at her, and then, when he saw her looking at him, he smiled at her, big!
He winked at her once more, tipped his hat, and walked on, whistling a jaunty tune.
She wanted to crawl into the house and die!
She was bright red, the footman was staring at her, and then at the departing gentleman. He knew he was a gentleman by his dress, and one with money if his tailoring was anything to go by.
He cleared his throat and helped to urge Theodosia along into the house.
As Theodosia made her way inside, she was shown to her room by the housekeeper, Mrs. Evans.
She asked if Theodosia needed some tea, since she looked rather peaked.
Theodosia cleared her throat and said, “Yes, tea would be lovely!”
Mrs. Evans said she would show her to her room, and tea was being served in the pink parlor.
Theodosia deposited her reticule and books in her room and asked one of the maids where the pink parlor was located.
She made her way there once she had been told the way, and saw Edwina was already seated with Lady Poppy.
“There you are, my girl. What happened to you, did you not find your room to your liking?” asked Lady Poppy.
“Um, yes, my room is very nice, thank you. I just met a man on the sidewalk as I nearly fell out of the carriage. He helped me out of the carriage, and he was smiling at me,” Theodosia said.
She didn’t tell her aunt that she had been floored by him.
What she failed to notice as well was that the gentlemen had written down beautiful lady, and the street the townhouse was on.
He would be back if he had his way.
Edwina noticed that Theodosia was looking rather flushed. She would get more out of her when her mama wasn’t around. Going by the look on her cousin’s face, she was sure more had happened than what Theodosia had said.
Yes, she was blushing now, deeper and deeper! Something more did happen!
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