Duke Looks Like a Groomsman - Valerie Bowman Page 0,78
is looking for an obedient wife. He surely hadn’t found one in you.”
Julianna shook her head. “You’re right, actually. I’ll be certain to point that out to him during my apology.” She sighed. “I do regret that he’ll be hurt in this. You and I never should have let each other go.”
“I agree, Love,” Rhys replied. “Let’s never make that foolish mistake again.” He leaned over and kissed her on the lips. He held her hand silently for a few moments before saying, “May I show you something?”
“Of course.” She pulled the sheet up under her arms and settled back against the pillows, her hair streaming over both shoulders.
Rhys rolled over and pulled open the bedside drawer. When he rolled back, he was holding something small and white in his hand.
He opened his palm to show her.
Julianna glanced down to see a handkerchief. “Mine?” she asked.
“Yes,” he nodded, “the one you gave me the night before I left for France. I kept it with me all those weeks. Even after I was angry with you, I couldn’t make myself discard it. It smells like you…lilacs.”
Julianna leaned over and kissed him. “Do you know, I still have the handkerchief I took from your study, also?”
“No.” He smiled at her. “Where is it?”
“Hidden in a reticule in my wardrobe.” She laughed and kissed him again. “It smells like you, too.”
They both laughed and then Julianna said, “Oh, wait till you hear that Mary knew who you were the whole time. Can you believe it?”
Rhys threw back his head and laughed. “Ha. Are you serious? If so, she’s a fine actress, your sister.”
“That’s what I told her. I never had an inkling that she knew.” Julianna shook her head.
Rhys sat the handkerchief back on the side table. “She didn’t wonder why I was pretending to be a groomsman?”
Julianna shrugged. “That’s Mary for you.”
Rhys gathered Julianna in his arms again. “I wasn’t jesting about the buttercups. I fully intend to purchase a hothouse full of them for her. And I may offer Clayton an ungodly sum of money to buy Whisper for her, too.”
Tears sprang to Julianna’s eyes. “You’d do that for her?”
He rubbed her shoulder. “Of course I would.”
A sly smile covered Julianna’s face. “Well, in that case, you may want to leave Whisper where she is, and we’ll simply take Mary back to Clayton Manor for more lessons.”
At Rhys’s confused look, Julianna continued, “Seems Lady Mary fancies a certain groomsman named Henry.”
Rhys’s eyebrows shot up. “Are you jesting?”
“Not at all. She confessed to me after we returned. Apparently, he gave her another riding lesson after I came back to London.”
Rhys shook his head. “Well, I can hardly blame Henry. But I can’t see your father being pleased with the match.”
“You might be surprised. I’ve come to learn recently that while Mary may seem quiet, she has a spine a blacksmith couldn’t bend with fire.”
“I don’t doubt it. She is your sister, after all.”
Not an hour later, a loud banging on the front door woke Rhys out of a deep, contented sleep. Blast. No doubt Julianna’s father was at the door. Well, Rhys might as well be called on the carpet. It was bound to happen sooner than later.
Careful not to wake Julianna, Rhys quickly slipped out of the bed and pulled on a dressing gown. Then, he hobbled his way down the stairs where a sleepy-sounding Lawson—also garbed in a dressing gown—had already opened the front door.
“I don’t care what time it is, let me in,” came Bell’s urgent voice from outside.
“My master is asleep, my lord,” Lawson replied. “I will tell him you were here.”
“It’s all right, Lawson,” Rhys called, somewhat relieved that it was merely the Marquess of Bellingham and not the Duke of Montlake, here to challenge him to pistols at dawn. “Let him in.”
Lawson dutifully stepped back and opened the door wider, bowing to the marquess.
Bell marched inside, with a diminutive, pretty, young red-headed woman at his side. Rhys narrowed his eyes on her. She looked vaguely familiar. Was she one of the lady’s maids from Clayton’s house party? He’d seen her a time or two during meals in the manor house.
Rhys braced a hand on the bottom of the balustrade and blinked. “Care to tell me why you’re here at this hour, Bell?”
Bell’s face looked grim. “We’ve found the Bidassoa traitor. We need to leave for France immediately, and we need your help.”
Thank you for reading Duke Looks Like a Groomsman. Please page forward to see related books, my biography, and how to contact me!
Valerie
Also by Valerie Bowman
The Footmen’s Club
The Footman and I (Book 1)
Duke Looks Like a Groomsman (Book 2)
The Valet Who Loved Me (Book 3)
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Playful Brides
The Unexpected Duchess (Book 1)
The Accidental Countess (Book 2)
The Unlikely Lady (Book 3)
The Irresistible Rogue (Book 4)
The Unforgettable Hero (Book 4.5)
The Untamed Earl (Book 5)
The Legendary Lord (Book 6)
Never Trust a Pirate (Book 7)
The Right Kind of Rogue (Book 8)
A Duke Like No Other (Book 9)
Kiss Me At Christmas (Book 10)
Mr. Hunt, I Presume (Book 10.5)
No Other Duke But You (Book 11)
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Secret Brides
Secrets of a Wedding Night (Book 1)
A Secret Proposal (Book 1.5)
Secrets of a Runaway Bride (Book 2)
A Secret Affair (Book 2.5)
Secrets of a Scandalous Marriage (Book 3)
It Happened Under the Mistletoe (Book 3.5)
Thank you for reading Duke Looks Like a Groomsman. I hope you enjoyed Rhys’s and Julianna’s story.
There are few types of stories I like better than a tale of reunited lovers and these two were so much fun to write about.
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I’d love to keep in touch.
Visit my website for information about upcoming books, excerpts, and to sign up for my email newsletter: www.ValerieBowmanBooks.com or at www.ValerieBowmanBooks.com/subscribe.
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Reviews help other readers find books. I appreciate all reviews whether positive or negative. Thank you so much for considering it!
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Want to read the other Footmen’s Club books?
The Footman and I
The Valet Who Loved Me
About the Author
Valerie Bowman grew up in Illinois with six sisters (she’s number seven) and a huge supply of historical romance novels.
After a cold and snowy stint earning a degree in English with a minor in history at Smith College, she moved to Florida the first chance she got.
Valerie now lives in Jacksonville with her family including her two rascally dogs. When she’s not writing, she keeps busy reading, traveling, or vacillating between watching crazy reality TV and PBS.
Valerie loves to hear from readers. Find her on the web at www.ValerieBowmanBooks.com.