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The Wedding Night
Francis Braxton opened the main doors to the ballroom and announced in his best butlers voice.
"My Lords, ladies and gentlemen, please be upstanding for his grace the Duke of Shettleham and her grace the Duchess of Shettleham."As Jasper and Ellie went to their places at the table, Gracie nudged Gabriel, who she had opted to sit next to"Why is Francis calling Aunt Ellie Grace? That's my name.Gabriel spent the next ten minutes explaining the terms of the nobility to Gracie."So she's like the Queen?""Almost, not quite as high up. We shall have to call your aunt, Her Ellie-ness." He said, making Gracie laugh.Richie reached for Kylie's hand under the table. She had been relatively quiet, not usually her bubbly self."Are you alright, Kylie?""Yes, it's just been a long day." She turned her head to smile at him, "it will be nice to get home." Kylie hesitated, "We need to talk." She said very quietly.Richie looked at her. "IsRelated chapters
The Disreputable Duke Irritable Morning
It was dark in the bedroom, but around the window, there was the yellow-orange tint from the street light outside. Ellie always thought that glowing shade looked exciting, as if there was some incredible stage show hiding behind the drawn curtains, but one that always vanished when you opened them.Ellie lay with her back to Jasper. She could tell he was still sleeping; his breathing was deep and even. If Ellie turned over and snuggled up to him, his warm solid arms would go around her, his legs would intertwine with hers, and her head would rest on his chest. It's where she felt the utmost safety, not that she had anything to feel unsafe about, but just the usual worries of every day dissipated as soon as he held her to him.Ellie got out of bed very slowly. The last thing she wanted to do was to disturb her husband. She needed to get in the bathroom, get showered and dressed before Jasper awoke and reached across for her. She usually loved their time together in
The Disreputable Duke An Even More Irritable Afternoon.
Ellie strolled across the park, and she didn't know whether to be cross with him or not. She was missing his body just as much as he was missing her. They couldn't even sneak off this afternoon after Betty had gone home, as Gracie was coming for the weekend. Maybe if she felt better, she could sneak up to the studio when she got back and seduce him. Not that it would take much doing, she only had to lick her lips in front of him, and he would get that look in his eye. She chuckled as she thought of the first time she had done that, in the villa on the Indian Ocean island where they had spent their honeymoon. He had chased her around the villa threatening all sorts of delights when he caught her. Eventually, he'd backed her up against the trellis on the verandah and thrown her over his shoulder. Gently spanking her bottom and telling her what a very naughty wife she was for running away from him.
The Disreputable Duke Roni
Ellie watched with her hand over her mouth as Ronnie locked fingers with her lover, and they strolled off through the park. It took her a few moments to register what she had just seen. Turning, she slowly walked back to the house. Her emotions were as bare on her face as the naked trees. Bloody Roni, Ellie knew she was up to something. How could she do this to Gareth? He'd done everything for her, worked all the hours he could to make a good lifestyle for them all, and especially for Roni, who valued all that was material in her life.Huh! By the time she had done with Roni, the stupid woman wouldn't know which planet she was on! Feeling disgusted, Ellie quickened her steps. She was determined to make Gracie's weekend a happy one. Gabriel and his family were coming this afternoon, and Gracie loved chatting to him so that would please her.She found Ja
The Disreputable Duke Decision Time
Jasper and Ellie led their friends up the stairs to the sitting room. Ellie had been phoning Gracie all week with updates on the fairies who were magically decorating the tree, and Gracie was dying to see the sitting room all decorated.Ellie had been buying decorations since October. They'd had a mad decorating week at the beginning of December, which started on the porch. The conical box trees that stood on either side of the front door had were adorned with sparkling white lights.The bannister was swathed with swags of greenery, red velvet bows, and more lights. But it was the sitting room where Ellie had her piece de resistance. The mantelpiece was full of gnomes and elves hiding behind big gold pine cones. There were trails of fairy lights in between them, and hanging from the swag of greenery along the front of the fireplace were sheep with wings on and tiny gold fairies and toadstools. There was some decoration on every flat surface, including the piano. There was
The Disreputable Duke An Unexpected Guest.
It was the day before Christmas Eve, and the past two weeks had been the worst of Ellie's life. She and Jasper had said only about a dozen words to each other since their friends had been to see them on that fateful afternoon. The only good thing about this dreadful performance was that Jasper was sleeping in his dressing room, which meant that she could at least get up and be sick if she felt like it without hiding it from him. However, Ellie was sure he would be more impressed if she were pregnant with a herd of elephants rather than with his child. He was furious that she had gone behind his back and sent that text to Ronnie, but this was her family, and she cared a great deal about Gareth.They had not shared a bed for almost two weeks, and this so hurt Ellie. It had only come about by accident, and now neither of them would give in to the other. They were just as stubborn as each other.
The Disreputable Duke Husband Hunting.
"Ellie, come and get warm," Rosslyn said, getting up to greet her. She put her arms around her daughter in law and gave her a hug, "Goodness, you're frozen. Come and sit here next to the fire. Jasper, be love and make some more tea. I think Mary has gone for her afternoon nap, and Francis is sorting something out for me."Jasper glanced at Ellie. He knew she'd been crying. Why the hell did she think he didn't want her? She was the one who had disappeared from their bed, not him. He went down to the kitchen to make the tea and was determined to get this sorted out before bedtime.Jasper could hear the landline phone ringing just as he got to the drawing-room door with the tray of tea, and as he opened the door, he listened to his mother talking sympathetically."Of course you must come. You certainly can't stay in a frozen and darkened house over Christmas. No, of course, he won't mind. I'm sure he would love to see you." Rosslyn listened for a few moments. "
The Disreputable Duke Charlotte's Memories.
Charlotte Ganderton looked around. The family had modernised the kitchen since she had last been here when she was a child. Mary was stirring a casserole, Good God, why hadn't they pensioned her off? She must be getting on for eighty! Lottie remembered Mary from when she was a child. She remembered that nothing got past that woman. It seemed she had eyes in the back of her head.She had adored Jasper when she was a child, and he'd been her hero. They had raced their ponies through the grounds jumping over fallen tree trunks, and they had sat by the river in a bower of Queen Anne's Lace, pulling the flower heads off and throwing them in the river to race them and eating chocolate and planning their lives. She dreamed of marrying him and being his duchess. They would have two children, a boy and a girl, and they would live happily at the Manor, which was a far more impressive house than the Rectory whe
The Disreputable Duke Where's Jasper?
Before Jasper could reply, Francis jumped in. "Maybe you should introduce your new wife and duchess to your committee's. I think only the mayor was invited to the wedding, so making a special point of taking Ellie, it would be a treat for them, get them on your side too, I dare say." Francis smiled, "I'm sure even Mrs Troutbridge would get the idea that you are very happy newly-weds if you turned up together.""Oh, what a good idea, kill two birds with one stone." Rosslyn said meaningfully, "Now who wants pudding?"Ellie watched Lotte purse her lips together in annoyance. She would thank Francis later for his timely intervention."I'll help Mary with the clearing up," Ellie said as the rest of them went back up to the drawing-room with their coffee.Lottie looked cheerful at having Jasper to herself for a while, "Where are all the staff? I remember when there were lots of staff here.""We still have lots of staff, but they are allowed time off, espec
Latest chapter
- The Disreputable Duke Jasper's Present.
- The Disreputable Duke Murder On Her Mind
- The Disreputable Duke Christmas Eve Lunch.
- The Disreputable Duke Discussing Punishments
- The Disreputable Duke Brocklebanks
- The Disreputable Duke Where's Jasper?
- The Disreputable Duke Charlotte's Memories.
- The Disreputable Duke Husband Hunting.
- The Disreputable Duke An Unexpected Guest.
