All Chapters of The Duchess's Desire: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The drawing room of Windsor Manor was aglow with the warm light of an early afternoon sun filtering through lace-draped windows. Ornate golden frames housed oil paintings of stern-faced ancestors who seemed to disapprove of every hushed conversation and sidelong glance exchanged in the grand house. A clock ticked methodically from the marble mantelpiece, filling the room with its faint, incessant rhythm. Lady Victoria Windsor, Duchess of Sussex, sat poised on a velvet settee, her emerald silk day dress flowing elegantly around her. In one hand, she held a porcelain teacup, though the tea had long gone cold. Across from her, Lady Catherine Markham reclined casually, her sapphire dress a perfect contrast to the gilded upholstery. "So," Catherine said, setting down her own cup with a faint clink. "Are we going to address the rather intriguing figure of James Parker*loitering in shadowed corners, or are we going to pretend your little midnight rendezvous on the balcony never happened?"

The first light of dawn crept into Windsor Manor, casting golden streaks across the ornate tapestries that adorned the walls. Victoria stirred awake on the chaise in her private sitting room. The soft embers of the dying fire crackled faintly in the hearth. She blinked, the events of the night before rushing back to her in vivid detail-James's hands on her, the taste of his kiss, the fire that had consumed them both.She turned her head, expecting to see him still there, but the room was empty. Her silk dressing gown clung to her skin, wrinkled and slightly askew. She rose slowly, her heart a whirlwind of emotions-desire, guilt, and something dangerously close to regret.A soft knock at the door startled her. She rushed to adjust her gown, smoothing her hair before calling out, "Enter."Lady Catherine Markham stepped inside, her sharp blue eyes taking in the scene with unsettling precision. "You look positively ravaged, my dear," she remarked, closing the door behind her.Victoria for

The silence in the room was deafening, broken only by the shallow, uneven breathing of its occupants. Victoria stood frozen in place, her gaze darting between Thomas's livid face and James, whose fists clenched at his sides. The atmosphere was thick with tension, a storm waiting to break. "Explain yourself, Victoria," Thomas demanded, his voice low but trembling with fury. "I'll give you one chance. What is the meaning of this?" "Thomas, it's not what it looks like," she started, her voice weak, unsure. "Then what *is* it?" he snapped, stepping closer, his towering frame casting a long shadow over her. "I walk in to find my wife alone in her chambers with a *servant*, and you expect me to believe it's innocent?" James took a step forward, his expression defiant. "Your Grace, with all due respect, this isn't-" "Do not speak!" Thomas barked, cutting him off. His glare was icy, and his hand twitched at his side, as if restraining himself from further action. "Thomas, please," Victo

The carriage ride home was suffocating. The tension between Victoria and Lord Thomas was a thick, heavy thing, pressing against her chest like a vice. He hadn't spoken a word since they left the ball, but his grip on his cane was so tight that his knuckles had turned white.Victoria kept her gaze forward, willing herself to remain composed, but she could feel his eyes burning into her profile. When the carriage finally pulled up to the estate, Thomas stepped out first, offering no hand to assist her down.As soon as the doors shut behind them, he spoke."You humiliated me tonight," Thomas said, his voice deadly calm.Victoria removed her gloves slowly, not looking at him. "I don’t know what you mean, my lord."His hand snapped out, gripping her wrist so tightly that she gasped. "Do not play games with me, Victoria. I saw you with him."She jerked her hand free, rubbing her wrist as she stepped back. "You saw a conversation. Nothing more.""A conversation?" He let out a bitter laugh. "

The sun rose over the estate, casting a deceivingly warm glow over Victoria’s gilded prison. The drawing-room curtains fluttered in the breeze, but the air inside remained suffocating, thick with the weight of unspoken threats.Victoria sat still, spine stiff as Lady Fawnshawe’s knowing smirk played at the edges of her lips.“So quiet, dear,” Lady Fawnshawe murmured, tapping her teacup with a delicate finger. “One would think you were hiding something.”Victoria’s fingers twitched around her own cup. “I assure you, my lady, I have nothing to hide.”Lady Fawnshawe exhaled a quiet chuckle. “That, my dear, is a lie.”A chill crawled up Victoria’s spine.Lady Fawnshawe tilted her head, eyes sharp with amusement. “Do not look so pale, child. If I intended to tell your husband what I saw, I would have done so already.”Victoria’s heartbeat pounded in her ears. “Then why haven’t you?”The older woman leaned in. “Because I find this game far too interesting.”Victoria swallowed hard.Lady Faw