Emmaline simply stared at him. He would give her a choice?
“Nor will I withdraw my support of your sister, regardless of whether we marry,” he said. “Without the ducal income, I couldn’t keep her in the manner in which she is accustomed, but she will always have a home and means of her own, I swear it.”
His features softened ever so slightly, and his voice followed suit. “I know how important her future is to your happiness. Just as your happiness is to mine.”
Tears pricked Emmaline’s eyes, and as her vision blurred, she would have sworn that for a moment there, her knight’s plain wool suit actually shone like armor.
He was who she wanted. She would never wish to break from him. A tiny seed of love had already taken root in her heart and she knew, with all that she was, that it would bloom into the lushest of gardens as time passed—one that would sustain them for the rest of their lives.
“It is not the duke I wish to marry,” she said softly, “but my knight. Nothing will change that.”
A tender smile graced his lips. “And it is not a perfect duchess I want, only my fierce warrior queen. Nothing,” he reached out and lifted her left hand, caressing her ruined finger with his thumb, “will ever change that, my dear, dear Emmaline.”
And Emmaline saw the truth in his eyes. He did want her—just her. Not how she looked, but who she was. Her heart swelled in her chest, so much that she thought she might burst with happiness.
“My knight,” she whispered. “My duke. My—”
Her sweet declaration stalled when she realized, “I still don’t know your name.”
“Max,” he said, his smile turning decidedly wicked. He brought her hand to his lips for a kiss, as if they’d just met in a ballroom somewhere—though it lingered much longer than would be proper. She was quite certain the tongue that darted out to taste her skin would be frowned upon as well. By some. Not her.
Emmaline’s heart sped at his touch. Soon, very soon, he’d be able to touch her anytime, anywhere. And she, him.
“Max,” she repeated, then she gave a wicked smile of her own. “I like that better than Haddie.”
He laughed then, a rich, booming sound that brought Duke into the library to investigate. The dog headed straightaway for Emmaline—to protect his mistress, no doubt—before making a double-hop of surprise when he realized that his park friend now stood in his house. The pup’s tail wagged happily as he looked between the two of them.
Emmaline scooped the little dog into her arms and hugged her to him. “Without you, my sweet Duke, I might never have found my happily ever after.”
Max reached over and ruffled Duke’s ears. “I’m only glad you’ve found room for more than one Duke in your life.”
Her eyes met his over the pup’s fluffy head and she smiled, so very content.
“And in my heart, as well.”
FROM HEATHER
I hope you enjoyed Emmaline, Max and Duke as much as I did. It was such a challenge keeping their story contained to this short novelette! I so wanted to delve deeper into their characters and go on and on and on.
I shall leave it up to you whether the Duchess of Albemarle delivered a son or a daughter, and whether Max and Emmaline became Their Graces, the Duke and Duchess of Albemarle or Mr. and Mrs. Granville.
However, don’t be surprised if you see them again, as I’m kicking around a story for Lady Amelia, tentatively titled Must Love Scoundrels. Then you can find out if your guess was correct!
In the meantime, should you like to read more of my books, you can find them here:
Novelettes:
Must Love Duke
Novellas:
Full Length Novels:
Or save by buying the full-length novels in this collection…over 950 pages, one low price!
The Veiled Seduction Collection
Sweet Enemy: Beakers and ball gowns don't mix, so when lady chemist, Miss Liliana Claremont, goes undercover as a husband-hunter to investigate Lord Geoffrey Wentworth, the earl whose family she suspects murdered her father, romance isn't part of the formula. But it only takes on kiss to start a reaction she can't control...
Sweet Deception: Lady criminologist, Miss Emma Wallingford, gets tangled up in the final mission of Lord Derick Aveline, the spy she once loved. Though she suspects he’s only back in her life until the killer is found, Emma is determined to convince Derick to stay this time. Will their re-found love prove true? Or is it all just a Sweet Deception?
Sweet Madness: In the final book of this acclaimed historical romance series, Lady Penelope Bridgeman must face her past and her own demons in a fight to save a traumatized soldier, Lord Gabriel Devereaux, from a descent into madness. She never expects that he might be the one to save her, too...
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Heather Snow is an award winning historical romance author with a degree in Chemistry who discovered she much preferred creating chemistry on the page, rather than in the lab.
Her books have been published in seven languages around the world, and have won numerous awards including: The Golden Quill, the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award, The Write Touch Readers Award and the Book Buyers Best Top Pick.
She lives in the Midwest with her husband, two rambunctious boys, three insanely huge dogs and a pair of very put upon cats.
THE MISTLETOE DUKE
DECEMBER
SABRINA YORK
PREFACE
Widowed Jonathan Pembroke, the esteemed Duke of Devon, has been dodging marital bliss for far too long. At least, according to his mother. It’s time for her son to marry again and settle down, preferably with a woman who can manage his hellion daughters. So she plans a Christmas party, replete with mistletoe, to vet the eligible partis. She enlists her companion—and Jonathan’s childhood friend—to help in this quest. Which is awkward. Because down-on-her-luck and decidedly un-duchess like Meg Chalmers might want to capture the duke under the mistletoe herself.
Editor: Fedora Chen
For Meg
CHAPTER 1
December 1813
En route from Devon to Sutton
NOTHING WAS MORE unpleasant than a long coach ride, unless it was in the midst of winter. Fortunately Meg was in the dowager’s coach and there was a brazier by her feet. She pulled her cloak closer and closed her eyes, trying to sleep.