A Scot To The Heart (Desperately Seeking Duke #2) - Caroline Linden Page 0,121

and his reaction indicated he would greatly prefer not to inherit.” He paused, tilting his head. “I suspect your bride would also prefer to remain in Scotland and has only accepted the dukedom as the cost of being your wife.”

Drew jerked in surprise.

Edwards nodded sagely. “I cannot blame her. The dukedom has not been an unalloyed blessing to most of the men who held it, and even less so to their duchesses. To my knowledge, it has caused more suffering than pleasure.”

“Thank you for those warm and encouraging words,” said Drew after a shocked moment.

The attorney waved one hand. “No, no. It is that way with all titles—did you not know? The responsibility is enormous and the privileges immense, but those who think them the keys to endless indulgence and gratification . . .” He shook his head. “I do not mean to accuse you of such thoughts, Captain.”

“I hope not,” muttered Drew, his mind racing. “You’re telling me I may be supplanted by another heir.”

The attorney hesitated. “I am telling you there is a possibility.”

“Why wasn’t I told this before?” He raked one hand through his hair. “Why wasn’t my cousin? Was this used to intimidate us?” Drew had no love for Maximilian, but he reacted instinctively to the unfairness of the man being tormented with the prospect of an inheritance he didn’t want. If there was another heir, nearer than Drew himself, both he and Maximilian deserved to know about it, after the way the duchess had intervened in their lives.

“Because there is nothing, as of now, to tell.”

“I have tried to be very conscious of the magnitude of my duty,” he began.

“Admirably so,” agreed Edwards.

“I have persuaded the woman I love to move to England for three months of the year. I have prepared my family to discard their old lives and assume new places as members of a ducal household. I have resigned my commission and diverted the course of my entire life for this inheritance out of duty.” Drew was furious. “And now you tell me there is a possibility, perhaps, that it will all be for naught?”

“No.” The solicitor motioned to keep walking. “Under no circumstances will you emerge without advantage. I am authorized by Her Grace to grant you immediately the property of Stormont Palace—outright, Captain, not mere grace and favor.”

“She’s giving me the estate?” he repeated in shock.

“She is. That is—His Grace the Duke is,” amended the attorney. “In recognition of your efforts and diligence thus far, and due to your persuasive arguments in Stormont’s favor.” He glanced at Drew. “Think of it as a wedding gift from His Grace, with Her Grace’s blessing.”

“But—” Drew shook his head. It was too much to comprehend. “You’re telling me I may not inherit. How likely is that?”

The attorney took a long time to reply. “A slim chance,” he said at last. “Perhaps one not even worth mentioning. I regret any unease I’ve caused you, but in your shoes . . . I would not wish to be kept completely in the dark.”

“And the duchess has known this from the beginning?”

Edwards bowed his head. “She has. It has been her strong belief that the possibility is so distant as to be unworthy of discussion.”

“But you don’t agree.” Drew pressed one hand to his forehead, reeling.

Mr. Edwards came closer and put a hand on his shoulder. “If His Grace should die with no other heir identified, it will not matter,” he said quietly. “Your claim is clear, and I would file suit for it without delay. Once a title is granted, it cannot be withdrawn, no matter how many heirs emerge later. I only spoke, confidentially, because you must know what will be asked and discussed upon His Grace’s demise. The Crown will wish to be sure there is no nearer claimant before they grant Carlyle to you.”

“What should I do?”

Edwards smiled. “Nothing, Captain. There is nothing you can do, except what you have planned. Take your bride to Stormont and be happy. As you desire, we shall be in contact by letter.”

“Yes,” he said, still severely disconcerted. “The management of the estate . . .”

“As to that, I have good news. A new estate steward has been engaged and is already handling business in London. By the spring, I expect he will be in residence here.” Edwards pushed the spectacles up his nose. “And may I say that it will be a great relief to me, sir, to have you and Mr. Montclair both tending to the estate.”

“Right.” Drew managed to nod as the attorney bowed and left him.

Saints. Another heir? He wished the attorney had spoken more plainly—and sooner. But he went to tell Ilsa anyway.

Her eyes lit up. “The duke has given us Stormont Palace? For our own?”

He nodded. “But this other matter—”

She laughed and kissed him. “That also sounds like good news to me!” She put her arms around his neck. “To have Stormont Palace and a connection to the ducal family, but no weight of duty and obligation? What could be better?”

“But you might not be a duchess,” he said, smiling helplessly.

She wrinkled her nose. “What a relief that would be. I married you in spite of it, you know, and if I can manage to avoid it, so much the better.”

Finally he laughed. “You’re a rare woman, Ilsa St. James.”

She went up on her toes and pressed her lips to his. “You knew that months ago.”

“Aye,” he agreed, holding her to him. “That’s why I fell in love with you.”

About the Author

CAROLINE LINDEN was born a reader, not a writer. She earned a math degree from Harvard University and wrote computer software before turning to writing fiction. Since then the Boston Red Sox have won the World Series four times, which is not related but still worth mentioning. Her books have won the NEC Reader’s Choice Award, the Daphne du Maurier Award, the NJRW Golden Leaf Award, and RWA’s RITA® Award, and have been translated into seventeen languages. Join her newsletter to get advance previews of new books and a free short story exclusively for members.

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Also by Caroline Linden

About a Rogue

When the Marquess Was Mine

An Earl Like You

My Once and Future Duke

Six Degrees of Scandal

Love in the Time of Scandal

All’s Fair in Love and Scandal (novella)

It Takes a Scandal

Love and Other Scandals

The Way to a Duke’s Heart

Blame It on Bath

One Night in London

I Love the Earl (novella)

You Only Love Once

For Your Arms Only

A View to a Kiss

A Rake’s Guide to Seduction

What a Rogue Desires

What a Gentleman Wants

What a Woman Needs

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

a scot to the heart. Copyright © 2021 by P. F. Belsley. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins Publishers. For information, address HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.

Digital Edition JULY 2021 ISBN: 978-0-06-291365-4

Print Edition ISBN: 978-0-06-291364-7

Cover design by Guido Caroti

Cover photograph and illustration by Glenn Mackay

Cover photograph/digital art by Allan Davey

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