She gasped, hips rolling against him, instinctively seeking more. “We will be home soon.”
His fingers parted her, then dipped inside.
“Not soon enough,” he said.
“Excellent point.” As always these days, she was in complete accord with the Duke of Northwich.
Pippa pressed her mouth to his, and precious little conversation occurred for the remainder of their journey home.
* * *
Dear Reader,
Thank you for readingLady Brazen! I hope you enjoyed this sixth and final entry in my Notorious Ladies of London series. Creating these angsty, emotional happily ever afters has been a true joy to me, and I’m so thankful to you for spending your time with my heroes and heroines.
But wait! There’s more. We haven’t seen the last of Chief Inspector Hudson Stone. Read on for an excerpt of his story,The Detective Duke, Book One in my newUnexpected Lordsseries! Or get your copy now.
A few notes on historical accuracy…
The Oneida Iroquois culture and language is beautiful and complex, and I am indebted to oral narratives which helped me bring a small thread of both to life in this book. I did my best to use Oneida spellings which have been recorded. I found inspiration for Roland’s exercise room and equipment in real-life Victorian exercise manuals. Roland and Pippa’s train ride to Yorkshire was inspired by a Victorian travel guide, and the menu in the dining car was in use during that time period, as was the publicationTit-Bits. The information Tilly excitedly shares with Pippa about the Lady’s Suffrage Society is based on archived reports inThe Times.
Now do read on…
* * *
The Detective Duke
Unexpected Lords
Book One
He was never meantto be a duke. She was always destined to be a duchess…
Grit, determination, and a will of steel have propelled Hudson Stone through life. No case he faced as Chief Inspector at Scotland Yard went unsolved. But nothing could have prepared the implacable investigator for inheriting a dukedom. Even more maddening than his ducal obligations is Lady Elysande Collingwood, the previous Duke of Wycombe’s betrothed. Worst of all, the debts Hudson has been bequeathed along with the title mean he needs to marry an heiress to save his estates from ruin, and the cheerful, dazzling Lady Elysande is the only one he knows.
Elysande was aware the last Duke of Wycombe was marrying her for her immense dowry, and she has no doubt his grim successor wishes to wed her for the same reason. But she has motives of her own for accepting the new duke’s offer. Never mind that he is harsh and unsmiling, with a reputation for ruthlessness. Their marriage of convenience suits her perfectly fine.
However, there is absolutely nothing convenient about the feelings she begins to develop for the forbidding man she married. When the shadows of Hudson’s past emerge, bringing them closer together, desire sparks. But with a dangerous villain on his heels, Hudson can’t afford to get too close to anyone. Too bad his icy heart has other ideas…
* * *
Chapter One
Late summer, 1886
Buckinghamshire, England
Undoubtedly,most men would have been elated by the unexpected and wholly unlikely inheritance of a dukedom.
Hudson Stone, formerly Chief Inspector at Scotland Yard, turned ninth Duke of Wycombe, was not one of them.
Feeling grim, he stared at the ledgers and correspondence spread across the desk, the numbers and letters and dire implications of which had long since begun to blur and lose their appeal.Hell.They had never held any appeal at all, if he were honest. He had not wanted to become a duke. All his life, he had wanted to solve crimes. He had dedicated himself to being the best damned detective possible.
And then the eighth Duke of Wycombe, a hale, hearty, and distant cousin he had not known he possessed had taken a tumble from his horse.
“Pray tell me, if you please, in plain speech, how bloody fucked I am, Saunders,” Hudson told the young steward facing him.
At his admittedly impolite request, the steward winced. “I do beg your pardon, Your Grace.”
