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Two Years Later
Marina ambled out from the mansion, her hand stretched over her pregnant belly. She was nearly nine months in, and her skirts and dresses hadn’t the fabric to draw over her rotund stomach. For this reason, her little black shoes snuck out beneath her, and her ankles gleamed in the grey light of another autumn. She shivered beneath her thick, dark green coat, staring out at the mysterious, prickly black trees of the forest, freshly barren with the chill of the air. Pregnant, with her first child. The fifth child of the Duke of Wellington. A boy or girl she would love with an impossible strength. She sensed she couldn’t possibly describe it. Not yet.
“Wait up!” Claudia called from behind, whirling her dark red coat over her shoulder. She shuffled up beside Marina, giving her a slight smile. “I just couldn’t find my coat.” She frowned for a moment, arching her brow. “Are you sure you want to go for a walk? You look like you can hardly stand, Marina.”
“I’ll be fine, darling. I’ll go absolutely wild if we remain indoors another afternoon.”
Claudia shrugged, tapping down the steps towards the garden walls. Marina walked, far more tentative, behind her, shrugging her shoulders back. She loved watching the spring in Claudia’s step, her curls bouncing behind her.
At thirteen, there was an eternal sassy quality to Claudia, one that evoked her prowess as a very-near woman. It was the kind of prowess she, Marina, had never had to her. Certainly not as a simple country girl. Although, of course, when she referred to herself as such a simpleton, the Duke just laughed. Her complexity, he informed her, was why he’d been drawn to her. She was nothing if not complex, complicated. Wild with emotion.
Once they reached the garden walls, Marina peered into what had once been Sally Hodgins’ garden. It was now fully open, the gates sprung wide, with ivy curling up all the fences, and autumn floors still in bloom. Oranges, reds, yellows, more emotional colours, in the wake of purples and blues of the summertime. When Sally had been the housemaid, the garden hadn’t been so vibrant. Now, Marina and the children spent long afternoons there, Marina’s belly bulging out over her thighs; Lottie curling little flowers in her hair; Max and Christopher tossing a ball between them.
“The baby’s coming any day.” Claudia sighed, flickering her lashes. “I remember the other times. The chaos of it. When Lottie was born, certainly. I was only six, but I remember.” She cleared her throat, allowing her voice to grow increasingly sombre. “Of course, I’ll miss so much of his first year.”
Marina snaked her arm across Claudia’s shoulder. “I told you. Going to Paris is what you’re meant to do if you’re ever going to discover what kind of woman you want to be. I can’t be selfish and keep you here, no matter how much I want to.”
Claudia gave her stepmother a warm smile, drawing her head against Marina’s shoulder. They paused for a moment, huddling close as wind whipped through the garden walls and tore at their cheeks. “Do you think it will be this cold in Paris?” she whispered.
“I’m sure you’ll find a million little things to warm you up,” Marina whispered. “Hot chocolate. Baguettes. Fine Frenchmen …”
“Ha!” Claudia said, her eyes alight. “I’m sure I’ll have far too much studying to do.”
Claudia had decided to attend a school for gifted teenage girls for the following semester, a place in the very epicentre of Paris—where she’d wear little Parisian shoes and study French literature and probably wear red lipstick a bit too soon. Marina marvelled at the girl’s bravery, knowing she would be perfectly all right, that her horizons would broaden, along with her mind. But her heart ached, knowing she wouldn’t have this special friend in her life any longer.
For, in the previous two years, since Marina had arrived back at the estate, Claudia and Marina’s bond had grown exponentially. Marina regarded Claudia far more like a sister than any of her proper family. And while the other children had grown accustomed to calling Marina “Mum,” something that truly did warm Marina’s heart, Claudia had continued to call her Marina. And out of her lips, the name was all the more beautiful.
When Marina and the Duke had finally married, in the February following her autumn return, Claudia had been Marina’s Maid of Honour, donning a perfect, light-pink gown and holding a bouquet, her face stoic and sure. When Marina and the Duke had said their vows to one another, ones that ensured they would love and honour and cherish one another forevermore, Claudia had wept, big tears sweeping down her cheeks. After the kiss—a warm, long-lasting one that had made Christopher make little yelping, “ew” sounds, Claudia had tossed her arms around Marina, murmuring into her ear, “I couldn’t imagine a better person to join my family.”
And it was so.
Marina and Claudia neared the edge of the forest, with Claudia targeting her fears about her coming trek to Paris. Marina spoke softly, assuring Claudia that these big steps in life were so necessary to get to the next track. “You can’t possibly remain here with your brothers and your sister and me, the rest of your life.” Marina sighed. “Although, I so terribly wish you could.”
Claudia’s eyes were orb-like, far too big, like those of fearful animals. “Do you remember when we first came to the forest, that day?”
Marina’s face crumpled with laughter. “Of course. The day Christopher nearly made me lose my first and only job. How could I forget it?”
“I never imagined how afraid you were, that day,” Claudia continued. “I couldn’t imagine it. How you’d struck off from your family for the first time in your life, and you’d decided to take these … these idiot kids out into the woods, without fear.”
“In hindsight, I very much should have had fear,” Marina tittered. “In hindsight, it could have saved me a lot of worry.”
“But you taught me that that worry? It’s always going to be there. You have to push through it,” Claudia continued, speaking quicker. “It’s going to darken your doorway and your heart forevermore. And perhaps you always have to deal with it.”
Marina felt the first stab at the base of her back. She nearly fell forward, her face scrunching up with pain. She reached for a nearby tree, her fingers darting into the cracks of the bark. Anything to grab onto. She let out an involuntary screech, and then fell deeper into the tree. Beside her, Claudia cried out, trying to reach Marina. But Marina fell forward, nearly vomiting.
“Marina!” Claudia cried. “Is it happening? Is the baby coming?”
Marina, of course, hadn’t a clue. She was only 22 years old and hadn’t been pregnant before. She turned her head sharply, so that her hair coiled out from the bun atop her head. Tears filled her eyes. “Perhaps,” she whispered.
But something was off. Certainly, something was very wrong. She doubled over in pain once more, feeling the pain rollick up and down her back. She blinked back tears before crumpling to her knees, so that her belly protruded far in front of her. She felt something wet gush from between her legs. But when she glanced down to see, she saw only dark, thick blood squelch out onto her dress.
“Something’s wrong,” Marina murmured.
“We have to get you inside,” Claudia said. But her voice was a haze, perhaps coming from the clouds above. Marina couldn’t make sense of it. “I’ll help you up. You need to walk, Marina. Walk!”
Marina stumbled to her feet, all the while feeling the blood dribbling between her legs. When she blinked, she saw dark spots, flickering around her field of vision. Her brain was focused eternally on the baby—trying to visualise the little thing as it fumbled around in her womb. How remarkable it had been, all these sleepless nights, to have the Duke reach his hand across her stomach, feeling for the tiny foot as it pattered against her belly. “He knows his Daddy is here,” Marina had whispered, scarcely able to believe she’d gotten so lucky. “He can feel how much you love him. Already.”
They walked slowly, with Marina pausing several times to buck forward and bring her arms over her stomach. She cooed with a strange mix of fear and pain, sending thoughts into the ether—to God, perhaps. “Please, don’t let this baby die. Please, let me die first, if someone has to go. Give my baby a chance in this world. A chance to smell the earth in the spring; a chance to love, even if he must one day lose that love.”
They neared the carriage house, and Marina pointed a shaking finger. “Claudia, go tell one of the boys to get the doctor,” she whispered. “Tell them it’s terribly important to hurry.”
“I don’t want to leave you!” Claudia cried out. “Bleeding here in the middle of the field. Gosh, no…”
“Claudia, it’s terribly important!” Marina cried. “Please. Go. Go!”
Claudia sped off, the backs of her feet flashing up as she raced. She gripped her skirts, ensuring she didn’t trip over them. Marina watched her, feeling bolts of sweat ooze down her cheeks and forehead. Claudia cried out, as she ran. “SOMEONE! SOMEONE, PLEASE! HELP!”
The Duke of Wellington
The Duke was inside his study with Christopher, Max, and Lottie, each of whom were preparing to perform their violin solo at a mid-autumn music fair. Christopher was far and away the most talented, but he was seriously lacking in the “drive” department—leading him to play around through most of the rehearsals, making faces at his brother until Max, too, devolved into giggles. But in this case, it was Christopher who dropped his violin to his side, his eyebrows furrowing.
“Christopher, what is it? Please, return to form.” The Duke sighed. “You can’t possibly think you’ll learn anything, staring out the window like that.”
“I hear something, Father,” Christopher said. His face lost its blood. It appeared incredibly grey, like frosted grass in mid-November. He darted towards the window, peering out across the gardens, the grounds. And he smacked his violin bow, like a giant finger, against the pane—crying out. “Oh, my goodness, Father! It’s Mother! She’s fallen!”
The Duke’s heart felt crunched. The world seemed to close in around him. He darted towards the window, looking out to see Marina, crumpled in on herself, all alone. The wind whipped over her black hair, swirling it in a way that made her look almost mad. She alternated between looking down at her stomach and glancing up towards the gleam of his study window as if she was trying to call to him. But it was Claudia’s voice, ringing out over the grounds that the Duke knew Christopher had heard. He could see his eldest daughter as she raced towards the carriage, her skirts flapping around her.
Something had to be done.
“Marina’s in trouble,” the Duke cried, whirling towards the door. “Lottie, Max, Christopher. Prepare the bed for her. Alert the maids that it’s time for the baby to come. Lottie, hot water, and lots of it. Max, bed sheets, to mop up the blood. Christopher—”
But Christopher blared ahead of the Duke, “I have to go to her! She needs me, Father!”
The Duke watched as Max and Lottie scampered down the hallway to find the other house workers, their feet shuffling over the shining floorboards. His thighs screaming, he fled down the steps and out the door, speeding past the 11-year-old Christopher. His shoes tore through the grass and stones, flipping them behind him. Outside, with the chilly air flashing across his cheeks, he heard nothing but the occasional screech and cry from his young wife.
What would happen if he lost her? If he lost her all over again? Losing her the first time, when she’d fled to become a maid at that horrendous mansion in London, had nearly split him in two. In the wake of her return, every single day had felt awash with sunshine. Even his darkest days, when Marybeth grew heavy on his mind, just a glance at Marina’s smile would thrill him. “You’ve given my life purpose again,” he’d told her, after the first time they’d made love and the candlelight had flickered across her naked body. “I know I would have died without you.”
Marina gazed at him, her mouth a round O as he tore towards her. He fell to his knees, immediately growing muddy and wet. It was then that he saw the blood, dribbling across the stones. The blood rushed from her, from her womb. And already, her cheeks were drained of colour. She blinked at him from an inner shell of turmoil. It seemed that she hardly knew who he was.
“Come on my love,. I’m going to help you inside,” the Duke murmured. He reached for her, drawing his arm beneath her knees and drawing her against his chest. Her cheek lolled against his shoulder. “Come on, Marina.”
Despite having their infant inside her, lifting Marina wasn’t a difficult task. Her legs and arms had remained stick-thin throughout the pregnancy, making her more like a ball attached to sticks than anything. The Duke ensured to hold her tenderly, so that her head didn’t bounce, so that she could hold onto both him and the baby, as he carried her. With each step, she emitted a slight moan, one of both fear and pain. But the Duke just cooed to her, over and over again. “It’s going to be all right, my love. It’s going to be all right.”
Claudia and Christopher pattered up behind them, whispering to one another.
“I don’t know what happened,” Claudia remarked. “One minute she was fine. And then the next, all the light went out of her eyes.”
“You shouldn’t have taken her out there alone,” Christopher said, his words almost spiteful. “You knew how close she was. And she only just had that cough, last week.”
“It was her idea!” Claudia cried.
“You know how she gets with her ideas!” Christopher returned.
The Duke hadn’t the strength to argue. He shoved through the doors of the mansion, his heart hammering. Just up the steps, he marched Marina to their married quarters—a different set of rooms than the ones he and Marybeth had shared. This had allowed Marina to make the spaces her own, choosing decorations, curtains, cosy reading chairs, and paintings that suited her style. She had a fine eye for detail, one that matched her adoration for certain types of classical music. And the Duke had found himself growing increasingly in love with her, as if he was allowed to peer into the many rooms of her mind.
Max and Lottie waited with a large basin of hot water and several cloths. Both had been crying, and Lottie’s lower lip continued to bubble up and down. Max, now nine years old, remained anxious as ever, and eternally loyal to Marina. He sank a cloth into the hot water, waiting for his father to splay her across the sheets. Then, he squeezed out the washcloth and stretched it across Marina’s forehead, a task he’d been given the previous week when she’d had a cold.
“Thank you, Max,” Marina whispered, her voice raspy. “You always know just what will make me feel better.”
These were the first words Marina had spoken since the Duke had retrieved her from the grounds. But they were far away, lacklustre—and eternally thinking of someone else’s needs, instead of her own. The Duke reached for her hand, blinking at the blood that stained the bed beneath her. “Darling, the doctor’s on his way, all right? Can you remain conscious for me? Can you speak to all of us?”
Marina blinked from child to child, bestowing upon them a very different smile, based on their specific relationship. The Duke felt incredulous at this sight. Marina licked her lips while another horrific pain shot through her. Her eyes closed for a moment, casting her lashes to her cheeks below. Then, she returned her gaze to Lottie, who couldn’t stop crying.
“My darling, you have to be brave,” she murmured to Lottie. “Don’t you want to be brave for your little brother? It’s the first time you’ll be a big sister, you know. You have to teach him everything you possibly can about the world. He’s going to look up to you in everything.” Marina paused. Her fingers stretched over the bedclothes and then clenched, showing another era of pain.
“Children, I need to speak with your mother alone,” the Duke told them, standing to his full form. “If you go to the playroom, I will call you when everything is clear. It’s imperative that she’s given the time to get well, and to have this baby.”
Claudia parted her lips in hesitation. The Duke knew that the girls, Marina and Claudia, had grown into incredible friends; that asking Claudia to tear herself away from the situation was akin to telling the captain to abandon ship. But he burned his eyes into Claudia’s, trying to tell her—without words—that it was up to her to care for the children, while the adults remained upstairs. Please, he thought. I so need you, now.
Claudia nodded, drawing her arm around Lottie and pressing against Max’s shoulder. Christopher protested with words, as he was wont to do, and stomped his feet. “We can’t leave. We have to help!” he howled.
But Claudia coaxed him from the room, moving into the hallway with a final glance towards the Duke. They exchanged a glance that seemed to hold within it buckets of emotion: questions of what they were going to do if something horrific happened. How could they possibly live through that?
Marina let out a gasp that seemed life-bearing, before shuddering and falling into herself. She blinked up at the Duke, rasping impossible words. “You can’t imagine how lucky I’ve been. I was just a simple farm girl …”
“There you go on again, saying you’re simple,” the Duke said, swiping his hand across her brow. “Always such a lie. You’re the most complicated woman I know.”
“Ha. I never can tell if that’s an insult or what,” Marina sighed. She reached for her dress, tearing the bottom of the skirt, which was drenched with blood. The Duke reached for the beginning of the tear, ripping it the rest of the way over her stomach and breasts. She wore only a slip beneath, which was coated in sweat. Her hair had begun to curl wildly, wrapping around her ears.
The doctor bolted into the room moments later. He took a single look at the grey-faced Marina and unhooked his suitcase, dropping it near the base of the bed. “Good evening, Duke,” he said, his voice firm. “How long has this been happening?”
“No more than a half-hour,” the Duke said, his nostrils flared. He took a step towards the head of the bed, gripping Marina’s hand. With each contraction, she squeezed his fingers so hard, he felt the bones might break.
The doctor peered through Marina’s legs, slicing through her underthings and tossing them to the ground. The Duke was so alarmed by the darkness of the garments, the blackness of the blood. But he turned his eyes back to Marina, deciding that, instead, he wanted to memorise her features. He wanted to memorise the slant of her nose, the glitter of her hazel eyes. Those lips, when he’d first kissed them, had been so wonderfully red as if she’d spent her time biting them with nerves. “God, I was so nervous to fall in love with you,” she’d told him during their first night in bed together. “I ached with love for you, but I tried to avoid it. It felt too heavy.”
The contractions continued as the doctor tried to prepare Marina for birth. He instructed her not to move her legs, as the baby was coming a bit too quickly—and was potentially breeched, which meant backwards in her stomach. The Duke had never seen such contortions on a human face as what took over Marina’s, during the contractions. He remembered Marybeth’s births as being generally easy affairs, a few pushes, and then a cry from a fresh human voice.
Outside, the wind whipped at the windows and the surrounding garden walls, making a WHOOSH sound. The doctor looked down his nose at the Duke, between contractions. His hands were sloshy with blood. “She’s lost so much,” he told the Duke, his voice low. “I’m not even certain that she’s fully conscious right now.”
The Duke squeezed his wife’s hand. He reached down, placing a kiss on her cheek, then on her lips. “Darling, can you hear me?” he whispered. “Please. If you can hear me, squeeze my hand. Just squeeze it.”
Marina gave only a light touch to his fingers. But this felt like enough. She was assuring him: she was there, and she was going to hang on as long as she could. The Duke kissed her again, murmuring, “Darling, we’re going to need you to push, soon. So terribly soon. Push as hard as you can, to get this baby into the world, so that the baby can breathe. Push, so we can be a complete family, for the first time.”
Marina nodded slightly. Again, she squeezed onto the Duke’s hand. He felt everything within her give over to this higher power, this labour. And as she pushed, she let out a howl, then a scream. He imagined her voice carrying through the house, snaking up through the hallways and filtering into the playroom. He prayed that the children would read the howl as one of strength, rather than one of fear.
Her labour went on for the course of perhaps two hours. It was a limited time for many women, but not for Marina, who’d lost so much blood. When the baby did rear his head from within her, casting himself into the world, he was very much in the right position—his mouth ready to open wide for his first scream. When the Duke heard it, tears whirled down his cheeks. He pressed his lips against Marina’s, against her cheeks and her forehead and her hair, whispering, “You’ve done it! You’ve done it, darling. He’s here.”
The doctor was forced to attend to Marina, stitching her up, and thus, he passed the ruby-coloured, fresh-smelling baby to the Duke for cleaning. The Duke carried the baby to the far basin, staring down at this impossible creature. When Marybeth had had the other four, he hadn’t been a party to the cleaning, and had, in fact, been banished from the room far before this point. Now, he drew a towel into the heated water, cleansing the baby across the smooth stomach, through the armpits, against each of the needle-like fingers. The baby had stopped crying and instead seemed to stare up at the Duke, almost in an accusatory manner. How had the Duke dared to bring him into this world? And now, what was to come of him—a brand new baby, with his entire life ahead?
The doctor finished stitching and drew back, blotting his forehead with a towel. Marina was bleary-eyed, but awake, peering at the Duke with curiosity.
“Is she all right, Doctor?” the Duke asked, his voice catching.
“She’s going to be fine. I’ll be here to monitor,” the doctor stated. “I’m just going to go wash up. Take a rest. Please, come find me whenever you need.”
“Go find Margaret in the kitchen. Tell her you’ll eat anything, everything. Tell her …” the Duke began to stammer as if he couldn’t keep track of his own words. “Tell her that …”
“Don’t be foolish, Duke,” the doctor said, giving him a sombre smile. “Just stay with your wife, and new son. I’ll take care of myself.”
The Duke hardly noticed the doctor leave. He dropped to the edge of Marina’s bed, slipping beside her and carrying the infant, swaddled in towels and blankets. Marina blinked hazy eyes at her son, at her very first son, and immediately stretched out her exhausted, string-like arms to hold him. “Please,” she whispered. “It’s all been for him.”
The Duke tucked the baby atop Marina’s chest, knowing it would be nearly time for her to breastfeed. But in these moments of solitude, he was allowed to watch his new, beautiful wife fall in love with his new, beautiful son. It felt as if a crater had opened up in time and space, and that it was swallowing them all whole. He couldn’t imagine the future, nor could he visualise the past. This was it.
“He really is beautiful,” Marina said, giving the Duke her first smile since the pain had begun.
“Are you feeling okay, my darling?” the Duke asked. He slipped a few of her curls behind her ear.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever feel okay again,” Marina said, her smile stretching wider. “This kind of love. It’s pain. Isn’t it?”
“It all is,” the Duke said, nodding. “It can’t be anything else. And I’m sorry for it.”
“I’m not,” Marina replied. “I want to feel everything I can. I didn’t think my love for you could be greater, and yet, here I am, feeling more for you than I ever did before. You, my love. You, this baby, Claudia, Lottie, Max, and Christopher, you’re my entire universe.”
“And what will we call him?” the Duke asked. He tucked himself deeper into the bedclothes, feeling as though they could huddle there together for days. He inhaled the smell of them: his wife, his baby, the blood and the life. It was bigger than any song he’d ever performed on the violin. It was greater than any sum of money, than any title.
“Why don’t we call him after you?” Marina murmured.
“Adolphus?” The Duke uttered his own name with a small layer of confusion. It was so rare that anyone called him this. It felt like a foreign term, from another life. “Are you quite certain?”
“Very,” Marina murmured. “For I already know. He has your compassion. Your intellect, Duke. Look at his smart little eyes. He’ll sell out great concert halls, yet never be too grand to weep to the smallest, most feminine song. I already know it. Our Adolphus.”
“Our Adolphus,” the Duke murmured. The name had begun to ring in his ears, sounding like church bells. “Adolphus.” Perhaps it would be a second chance for his name. He imagined his name carrying off to music school, or off to battle; he imagined another generation of women saying his name with loving tenderness.
He imagined the future, knowing full-well he couldn’t be in it. For the Duke was already 40-something, with grey strands growing from his skull. Whatever future Adolphus had, it existed only in the Duke’s imagination. Perhaps it was more beautiful that way.
Marina asked for the children to be brought down to meet their brother. A few of the maids and the Duke himself assisted Marina in cleaning up, in donning a fresh nightgown and bringing a brush through her hair. “I don’t want to scare them,” Marina joked, while Adolphus slept on in his crib—the same one the Duke had used for both Max and Lottie.
Of course, the children were mesmerised with this brand new human—slipping a tender finger across his teensy, grass-like ones; marvelling at his dark crop of curls. They said his name as if they were translating a secret. “Adolphus,” they murmured. “Adolphus. Like Father.”
Claudia kissed her stepmother’s cheek for a long moment, allowing her own tears to mix with Marina’s. She cooed into her ear, “I knew you would be fine, Mother. You’re always so terribly fine, aren’t you?”
“Just as fine as you’ll be in Paris, my darling,” Marina whispered back. “As resilient as they come, you are.”
Before it was time for Marina to slip her head back on the pillow; before it was time for complete darkness for the night, Max disappeared for a moment, returning with his violin. He purred the bow over the strings, playing a soft nursery melody. He knew not to play too loudly, to make the music like a whistle, to enter into the baby’s dreams. When he finished, he bowed his head and murmured something the Duke couldn’t quite make out. It seemed he was almost blessing them. Perhaps he was.
Claudia led the other three children to bed, watching as the Duke gave them each a final, goodnight kiss. When she disappeared through the doorway, the Duke’s stomach lurched with a moment of fear. For, when she’d left them, Claudia seemed much more like a woman than a girl. Everything felt in transition. The only constant was their love.
“Sleep now, my darling,” he told Marina, cupping her warm hand in his. “Sleep now, until the baby wakes and we’re cast into the insanity of having an infant child. Sleep now, and know that I love you, and have always loved you—since I knew you in the darkness.”
Marina gave him only a slight smile before bowing her head in sleep. The Duke was alone in consciousness, watching over the slumbering forms of those he loved the most. The estate was peaceful, with even the wind dying over the moor. The evening was one of ballads, of newly-written romantic melodies. But just now, the Duke hadn’t a pen to write them down. They might have lost their magic on the page, anyway.
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OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 5 FREEBIES FOR YOU!
Grab my new series, "Love and Secrets of the Ton", and get 5 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!
Hello my dears, I hope you enjoyed the book and the Extended Epilogue! I will be waiting for your comments here. Thank you 🙂
A wonderful story. I laughed and I cried. Marina, the lost Duke and his special needing children. So touching was this story. It takes you down the path of what is truly important in life. I couldn’t put it down!
I’m so glad you enjoyed my story my dear Vicki! 🙂
I loved the story. The only comment I have against it is that in England at that time, they had quilts or blankets, not duvets then and no tea bags at all. Tea was loose tea leaves and normally made in a teapot or put in a little silver container and put in the water. And I don’t think mum was used then. If it was, then it would have been mummy. Just a few things that stood out, but a great story otherwise.
I really appreciate your kind and honest feedback, my dear Sue! It’s always welcome, as it helps me constantly improve. I will keep your comments in mind for my future stories. 🙂
This book had so much heartache in it it made my own heart hurt. This extra part being included in the heartache. This family went through so much. I loved it though.
My dear Sydnee, thank you so much for your sweet words! ❤️
I enjoyed their story. Marina the Duke and all of those loving kids earned their happy ever after.
I’m delighted you enjoyed my book my dear Joann!
One of the most wonderful story I have read. I really like it. Thanks
Thank you so much for your kind words my dear Brigitte! I truly appreciate it!
It was a lovely story! I’ve had an intensely busy few months in my life and this was exactly what was needed! Thank you!
My dear Isabel, thank you very much for your support! So glad you enjoyed my book! 🙂
I have not the words to express how very much I enjoyed this book and Epilogue. Both BEAUTIFULLY written from page one to the very last word!
Abigail, this truly is an amazing story, thank you for sharing it with me.
My dear Marie, I’m humbled! Thank you so much for your kind words and your support! 🙂
❤️,,I loved this story! It was so sad at times, yet very heart warming I couldn’t stop reading it,it is that good! Thank you!❤️😊
That’s so nice of you my dear Sandy! Your kind words mean a lot to me!
THANK you for writing this amazing story. From rags to riches, from a lovely unloved young woman to a livery and loved beyond words Lady
Thank you so much for your sweet words my dear Charlene! I’m delighted you liked my book! 🙂
A wonderful tale of love so engrossing you won’t want to put it down! Sadness, intrigue, trials and tribulations all lead to a happy ending.
So glad you liked the book my dear Jean! I really appreciate your kind words! 🙂
I enjoyed this book because it captured life,love and grief perfectly.
So happy you enjoyed the book my dear! 🙂
It had me in tears and laughter. Thoroughly enjoyed the antics of the children and the suspense with the duke. Kept me on the edge of my seat. Thank you for a great story
Thank you very much my dear Peggy! Your kind words mean a lot to me! I’m delighted you enjoyed my book. 🙂
This is a wonderful story. I love the epilogue! When I read a story I always feel I
am missing a part of it. The epilogue
gives me. the ending that I need!! Thank you for another great book!!
JUNE
Thank you very much for your sweet words my dear June! So glad you enjoyed the epilogue as well! 🙂
Have only just found time to read this story , loved everything about it
My dear Rita, I really appreciate your kind words! Thank you!
A story filled with much love! The Duke’s love for his children, and a new love for Marina. This “Happy Ever After” never disappoints. Well Done Abigail !!
Thank you so much for your kind words my dear Linda! So glad you enjoyed the story! 🙂
I so enjoyed the book as I do all of your writings. I would love for you you to write about Claudia and what happens to her after Paris.
My dear Valerie I really appreciate your support! This is a nice suggestion! Thank you. 🙂
I really enjoy your stories, a bit of intrigue and drama, keeps me wanting to read till the end. I only wish you got the way of addressing nobility. The staff would not call a Duke my Duke, he would not be called Duke, by any one unless he was addressed by his full title they would call a Duke “ your grace” or “ my lord, everyone who was not family or close friends. They would address him usually by his given name or his title such as Wellington.
Thank you so much for your honest feedback my dear Colleen. I will keep your words in mind for my future books. 🙂
The book was good,I enjoyed reading it except for the curse words and taking my Lords name in vane. I will read another but if it has bad language I will not read another.
Thank you very much for your honest feedback my dear Hulda. Your comments are always welcome as they help me become better and better. I will keep your them in mind for my future stories.
What a beautiful clean romantic story with plenty of action and surprises. I fell in love with Marina, the Duke and his children.
So glad to hear that my dear Debby! Thank you very much!
Kept me spellbound. A very touching story
This was a warm and exciting story and very hard to put down. I was thrilled as each child was filled with wisdom and dedicated love. A truly wonderful book,
I’m humbled my dear Nancy! Thank you so much for your kind words!
A Governess in the Duke’s Darkness was one of the best Abigail Agar stories yet! Didnt think I would like a story about a governess but this was touching and poignant- what a rollercoaster! Enjoyed every and sorry to see it end!
Thank you so much for your sweet and supportive words my dear Tessa! I really appreciate them!
Dear Abigale, Beautiful love story. It was so painful to hear the rejection of Marina by her natural family. No child should be rejected for being born last and not the most beautiful. It was wonderful that God gave her a family to love and be loved by. Terribly painful when it looked like she might be rejected again. Thank you for a happy ending.
I felt her torment and her joy. I was angry with the Duke, felt his pain and loss, and then his joy. Thank you for the journey.
Once I started i couldn’t put it down. Beautiful story great ending.
So nice to hear that my dear Kay! Thank you!
I loved this book. It held my interest the entire time I was reading it. I hope you have written many more books.
So glad you enjoyed my book dear! 🙂
Absolutely loved this book and the many I have already read, I mostly appreciate the extended epilogue, which so beautifully tie the story together and finish things off so well. I loved that this story looked at things from both the servant’s and the aristocracy’s points of view.
Just one teeny observation, I’m pretty sure tea bags weren’t around until the 20th century and middle to late at that. You could get various holed teaspoons, or egg shaped holders for tea but even these weren’t of this time.
Still love your books though and cannot wait to delve into the next one.
Thank you so much for your support and honest feedback my dear Alison! I really appreciate it!
I could not put it down !
You make us feel the love.
Thank you so much for your sweet words my dear June! So glad you enjoyed the book!
What a wonderful story, I had to keep reading once I’d started. I now have to make a note of all the other books you’ve written so that I can get those too.
Thank you so much for your kind words and support my dear Patricia! I really appreciate it!
Loved the book. Such a tangled adventure. The children loving marina , and the love she had for them. The struggle the duke had to recover from the tragedies in his life. The extended epilogue was just the ticket to see how marinas life had evolved. Wonderful.
I love it! Such a beautiful story of love and blessings! Full of emotions!
Thank you so much for your sweet words my dear Debbie! 🙂
Nice strong characters! Loved it!!
Thank you very much my dear Sue! So glad you enjoyed my book!
An endearing story. Great storyline. Liked the musical aspects. A must read for all.
Thank you so much for your kind words and support my dear Ladye! I really appreciate it!
I have read several of your books recently. This is the best so far. The story kept moving the reader forward instead of being stuck on the same idea, action or emotion….just as life continues forward even though one is in the agony of a moment. This is the first extended epilogue I have read. It was a perfect addition to the story. I will continue to read more if your novels. Well done.
That’s wonderful my dear Wendy! Your support means a lot to me! Thank you. 🙂
I enjoyed it from start to finish. It is a captivating read and I higjly
recomend it!
Thank you so much for your support, my dear Louise! I’m delighted you enjoyed the book!
Loved the book but I think the either must be American as I found the Americanism such as ‘gotten’ and constantly calling Wellington ‘duke instead of ‘your grace’, a bit off putting at times but otherwise it was a really good read
Loved the book but I think the auther must be American as I found the Americanism such as ‘gotten’ and constantly calling Wellington ‘duke instead of ‘your grace’, a bit off putting at times but otherwise it was a really good read
Loved the book but I think the auther must be American as I found the Americanism such as ‘gotten’ and constantly calling Wellington ‘duke instead of ‘your grace’, a bit off putting at times but otherwise it was a really good read
I bet you don’t print this though
I just couldn’t stop turning the pages. The story was simply marvelous. It had me crying tears of joy for Marina, the Duke and their adorable children. Excellent plot, climax and resolution.
I’m humbled my dear Audrey! Thank you so much for your sweet supportive words! So glad you enjoyed my book!
A beautiful story. I’m so glad you gave us a happy ending … I couldn’t bear to think of anything awful happening to Marina!
I’m delighted to hear that you enjoyed my book, dear Angela! 🙂
I started to read this story and stopped. I had remembered it from years ago. Buf i remembered it was happy so i reread it. I was delighted to get the extended epilogue. I also had forgotten some satisfying parts in the story. This read through made me very happy. The extended epilogue was a satisfying read. Thank-you
I’m delighted you enjoyed my story for the second time, dear Molly! 🙂
It was a very good ending that finished the first part of the book and leaves open to continue on with the children.
I’m delighted you liked it, my dear Ione!
A great way to spend a rainy afternoon.
So nice to hear that, my dear Donna! 🙂
This is the perfect combo book. It makes you laugh, cry, scream,grip the edge of your seat, and love the beauty of finding away through obstacles and reaching love, family, and happiness.
It makes me so happy to hear that you enjoyed my book, my dear Nikki! Thank you for your kind words!
Thank you, dear Abigail, for such a wonderful story. I couldn’t put it down. A great rags to riches story. I laughed and cried. Thank you for the epilogue. I will definitely be reading more of your books. Thanks again, Abigail, for such a wonderful story.
My dear Margaret, thank you so much for your lovely comment! Your support means a lot to me! ❤️
What a great story, it teared me up and made me smile. I read the book without putting it down! Absolutely loved it.
I’m delighted to hear that, my dear Donna! Thank you so much for your sweet words! 🙂
Thank you for another amazing story. I look forward to reading them. This one put me through all emotions. You are truly gifted.
Absolutely fabulous story! Love Marina’s Strength and the Dukes compassion and humanness. The character of the children was so very real and endearing! A great read! Thank you for another read worthy book!
My dear Susan, thank you so much for your lovely comment! I really appreciate your sweet words and support!
Absolutely loved it. Thanks for extending the story. It was a great ending. Jennifer Miller
I’m delighted you enjoyed the story, my dear Jennifer! Thank you so much for your comment!
It was a wonderful story of love and second chance. A young girl who grow without knowing love but was able to laugh and give light to others. A beautiful love story.
Wonderful read, I throughly enjoyed it. From a fan in Canada
My dear Joanie, thank you so much for your sweet words! Your support means a lot! ❤️
Story was very beautiful I sincerely thoroughly enjoyed it God bless you. Terri rao
My dear Terri, thank you so much for your sweet words! I’m glad you enjoyed the story! ❤️
Coming from a difficult childhood I could really relate to this story. I was held spell bound by the details of the Duke’s life and the governess
My dear Frances, thank you so much for your comment. I’m happy to hear that the story spoke to your heart. Have a lovely day! 🙂
I loved both the book and the epilogue. The characters came alive until I felt I knew them. It was a more interesting plot than so many Romance novels and it moved at an excellent Pace with twists and turns to keep it exciting. Great job!
Thank you so much, my dear Cherie! Stay tuned for more!
One of my most favored. I read & reread this book. Even after the 2nd read I set it aside and cried. The part where the Duke found Marina at the Queen’s concert was a one hanky.
I’m humbled, my dear Robert! I’m really grateful for your support and kind feedback! I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed the story so much! Make sure to stay tuned because I have more coming!
Enjoyed it very much. Loved the epilogue
Thank you so much my dear Mae. I truly appreciate it! So glad you enjoyed the story! Make sure to stay tuned because I have more coming!
Thank you again and have a lovely day!
A sweet beautiful story.
Thank you dear Annette!
Hi I really injoyed this book I cried I laughed and I was praying for them to have a wonderful life together. It is so good when you get into a wonderful book. It stills your soul as you can relate to the live they have found. Thank you for this is the second book of your ive read. The other one was great too.
Thank you so much, I’m so happy to know that!
This story twisted my heart in so many ways until the happy ending. I’m so glad that Marina, the Duke and the 4 children got their happy ending and the evil and difficulties were conquered satisfactorily. Such a great love story. Thank you. I will look forward to more great stories from you.
Thank you! I’m so happy you liked this!!
I read lots of your books and have enjoyed them all but this one made me cry. This one I would love to read more about the future of the family.
Thank you so much for your kind words and for sharing your emotional response to my book. I’m thrilled to hear that you’ve enjoyed my other works and that this one struck a chord with you. Exploring the future of the family is a fascinating topic, and I appreciate your interest in delving deeper into it. Your feedback means a lot to me!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have read books about governesses before. But I loved the duke being blind; his children with completely different personalities. Christopher and Max were my favorite. And, the extended ending. I truly wish you could move the book 10 years forward with Lottie as the one looking for love. Of course, let the Duke still be alive. Wishful thinking.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the book!
A very enjoyable story. Marina grew up without much love and affection and she had so much to give . When she was sent into the Dukes home little did she know how it would change her life. His four children needed her and it turned out so did he ! A wonderful read which I did in one sitting .
So glad you enjoyed the story, my dear Diane! 🙂
I loved the story of Marina and the Duke. The children’s characters were so realistic and loving. I feel the author, Abigail Agar, dealt with the subject of grief and rebirth exceedingly well. I totally recommend this book to anyone that loves a very good historical romance.
My dear Emma, thank you so much for your kind words and support! 🙂
When I started reading it I wasn’t sure if I was going to really like it, but all that changed when Marina starts the next chapter in her lives story. The Duke has deal with so much after the death of his wife that one felt that he was never going to get a break. I loved how you wrote about them meeting again and the extended epilogue was beautiful. They all found a whole family again.
My dear Belinda, thank you very much for your kind words and support! I’m delighted you enjoyed the story!
I love this well-written, romantic Extended Epilogue. It’s just exactly what every Romance Reader wants for the ending–warmth, happiness, a new baby and love!! Another GREAT novel, Abigail, THANK YOU.
YOUR OLD FAN
I truly appreciate your support my dear Eris! Thank you so much!
I loved this story. Took me a day to read this, couldn’t put it down. I laughed and cried. Glad Marina found her love and the poor Duke finally found her too. Thanks for a great read!
Thank sou so much for your kind words my dear Shirley! I’m delighted you enjoyed my book! 🙂
Another five star read from Abigail Agar! Love lost, love lacking and love restoring the lives of both the lowly governess and the Duke’s young family struggling with great loss. No easy wins, but love triumphs in the end. Highly recommended for readers of Regency Romances.
I really appreciate your kind words and support my dear Karen! Thank you!
What can I say but a lovely story and read. Sometimes we’re never ready for life’s turns but Marina handled it with grace, determination and love. Love for 4 children who desperately needed someone who understood them and their very special wants and needs and love for a man lost in himself.
Thank you Abigail for another touching story.
Thank you so much for your sweet words my dear Annie! I’m glad you enjoyed my story! 🙂
What’s up with these ridiculous “extended epilogues”? Just make it part of the book.
My dear Paula I’m sorry you feel upset about this. The extended epilogues are just bonus material that many of my readers have asked for. The story is complete anyway; this is a glimpse of our heroes’ life in the future.
Marina and the Dukes’s story kept me on the edge of my seat; and the children! Their funny, exasperating, loving antics are what makes this a wonderful book to read. Don’t pass up the chance to read A Governess in the Duke’s Darkness.
Thank you so much my dear Betty! 🙂
I have read many books but this one is the most enjoyable one to read. Seeing how Marina connected right away with the children within a short time and helping out the Duke in his time of need. What I beautiful written story to a very happy ending.
My dear Elisabeth I truly appreciate your kind words and support! Thank you! 🙂
Loved the story. A truly wonderful happy family. The extended epilogue made the happy ending.
Loved the story. A truly wonderful happy family. Looking for your next book.
Thank you so much my dear Eleanor! 🙂
Just a beautiful book. Pure emotion all humain go trough in a lifetime. The gains and the lost and are reaction to them, I really enjoyed this book . You scared me at the end, childbirths was scary in those time. We forget the many advances the medicine has made in the last 100 years.
All be waiting for your new book. All my felicitations on this one.
Thank you so much my dear Jocelyne! I really appreciate your kind words and support!
Enjoyed this story very much. Terry
Thank you so much my dear Terry! 🙂
❤️I loved this story! It is so heartwarming,yet sad,it made me laugh and cry,I couldn’t stop reading it.This book will make you believe in happily ever afters. Thank you!❤️
You’re welcome my dear Sandy! So glad you enjoyed my book! 🙂
I loved this book from A unloved and misunderstood to be loved so much
I’m delighted you liked the book my dear Edith! 🙂
Ohhh, what a wonderful book. Understanding how Marina felt about how she was treated in her own family, was so sad and then to find herself in the home of the Duke and four precious children who loved unequivocally was lovely! They loved and accepted!! Great read!!😍😍😍
I’m humbled my dear! So glad you enjoyed my book! 🙂
Just a lovely, nicely-written story. Thank you.
You’re welcome my dear Linda! So happy you enjoyed the book!
I so loved this story, so diffe4ent from the others that you have written. I loved how there is a chance for someone who was born lowly to become someone of importance to a family that needed it to continue living, free of loving, laughing and learning. Great story
I so loved this story, so different from the others that you have written. I loved how there is a chance for someone who was born lowly to become someone of importance to a family that needed it to continue living, free of loving, laughing and learning. Great story
I’m delighted you enjoyed the story my dear Cheryl! Thank you!
A great ending to a wonderful story.
Thank you so much my dear Nancy! 🙂
You wrote a wonderful story. I loved the way the children interacted with Marina. She received no love from her mother and her siblings. They all thought she was of no use to them. She proved them wrong when she gained the children and the duke’s love. I wish that you had written about her family’s reaction when they heard about Marina’s marriage to the duke. Thank you for a great story.
You’re welcome my dear Michelle. Your kind words mean a lot to me!
At each book you have written, I say this is the best yet. This one is no different. A wonderful story with all the feels, all the ups and downs and tears and laughter. I say awesome read!
My dear Tanya, I really appreciate your kind words and support! Thank you!
A love story for the ages. I could hear their music as I read their story. 5 stars!
My dear Kathie, thank you so much for your kind words! I really appreciate it!
Abagail I enjoyed this book so much! Truly it will be a classic! Such a wonderful love of family and growing together. A wonderful epilogue as well!
Thank you
Thank you so much for your kind words and support my dear Betty! I really appreciate it! 🙂
Such a wonderful story of sadness, pain, intrigue, love and triumph.
Thank you Abigail for taking us on another journey out of this world.
I’m so glad you enjoyed my book my dear Hyacinth! Your kind words mean a lot to me!
This is a good story, but so much about the writing is a shame. I wont gush, but give hopefully a helpful critique. I am English and therefore found that it did not read as a story of historical England. Language use is not accurate for either the time or for England. Historically there are several things wrong. Tea bags! Need i say more?
Dukes did not have instrument shops in Leeds or anywhere else. Ms was not a prefix until very recently. The whole sevant structure is wrong and how the family interacts, and the coversations. The book could do with a revision, editing it to make it accurate.
Due to the innaccuracies i found the book too irritationg and it spoiled what could have been a good read.
Due to visual impairment i find extended endings done like this difficult to read as i cannot change the text as i can with the kindle version
Thank you for your your honest feedback and your thought provocative comments my dear Helen. I will keep them in mind for my future stories. I really hope you enjoy the next one more.
A great read with interesting characters😁
So glad you liked the book my dear Janice! 🙂
It’s rare to read a truly good recency love story with the H/h are so different in age. But you did a fantastic job! The children were all different personalities just like children are. Could feel the love they had for each other.
My dear Ruby thank you vrey much for your nice words! I’m delighted you enjoyed the book! 🙂
I so loved this story! It was like I was peeking into someone’s life and I didn’t want to leave.
I was sad when it ended. It’s always hard to leave friends.
Thank you for sharing these wonderful character’s with us!
I really enjoyed this book,you have written. A book with entire and love and happiness. Thank you,
I really appreciate your sweet words my dear Myrna! So glad you enjoyed my book! 🙂
With hustle and bustle of the Holiday season this book was so wonderful to read. It could take me away to a story of romance and family. I really enjoyed this book.
Linda
I’m delighted you enjoyed my book dear Linda! Thank you for your kind words!
As a prolific reader of Regency romance, I quite enjoyed this novel and it’s extended epilog. Thanks for sharing your skills with us.
John (an 81 year old male)
I truly appreciate your kind comments my dear John! 🙂
What an amazing story! Wonderful characters you could feel the different emotions of each.
Thanks for your time, your writing skills and your great imagination for with out them we wouldn’t have this wonderful story.
I’ humbled my dear Phylis! Your kind and supportive words mean a lot to me! 🙂
I loved, loved your story.
I’m delighted you enjoyed my book, dear Carmen! 🙂
I could feel the music in my heart while reading… The love you wrote flowed from the pages.
That’s wonderful my dear Asia! So glad you enjoyed my book!
What a magnificent story. Very moving and touched my heart with the children who were so lost with their mothers death and their fathers blindness. Marina was a special person and the kids knew it and I’m glad she got the Duke and her son
What a lovely story, I too found I could not put it down. A touching story of loss , and children wanting understanding and love.
It went from the horror of those you trust to betrayal then to joy of love and family.
A sure five star in my estimation.
Thank you so much my dear June! Your kind words mean a lot to me. 🙂
Absolutely the perfect ending for this wonderful family. So full of love, life and happiness after all the struggles are over. They deserve it.
Thank you so much for your sweet words my dear Audrey! I truly appreciate them!
Excellent plot, character description, family dynamics, good “evil” villain. If the male lead had been a commoner the jarring mistakes would not have stood out. A duke is Your Grace or My Lord. Dukes own estates, not business. Servant structure is rigid. Cooks don’t serve meals.
My dear Patricia thank you very much for your kind and honest feedback! I will keep your comments in mind for my future stories.
Loved your book, my first and certainly not my last. If I had one complaint it would be finding the word “wow”. Wrong era for this word, put me off a little bit🤗📕📗📘📙
thank you for your kind and honest words, my dear Yvette! So happy you enjoyed my book! I’ll keep your comment in mind for my future stories.
An enjoyable read. You have a beautiful grasp of storytelling. Your characters are just wonderfully constructured and come alive on the page. You play with emotions the way the Duke mastered his violín. You have a strong chance of becoming a bestselling author if you put in a bit more time on research and pay a bit more attention to details. You sucked me into the story, played on my emotions and had me in the palm of you hand, then I would feel thrown from it violently with the 4 words and/or phrases that you used over and over, there were even a couple words that were not words when I was a child they are so new, obviously a bit confusing finding the in a historial romance. All of the problems that others have pointed out about Dukes, jobs, teabags bothered me also as did the biscuit scene. It would hace been a most lovely scene on a historial romance set in the southern US but has no place on a British historial story and lost me for a bit. It is a credit to your otherwise enjoyable writting that I continued the book and even the extended part. Few writers could have held on to me through those and I still find myself looking forward to more from you. Expecting great things!
My dear Delta, thank you so much for your kind and honest words! Your feedback is always welcome as it helps me become better and better. I will keep your comments in mind for my future stories. ❤
I really loved this story. In fact, this is the second time I’ve read it. I love the antics of the children and how Marina brought love and life back into their home. I loved how the Duke’s darkness gradually faded as he worked through his grief of losing his first wife and learning to love Marina. Well done!
Thank you so much for your lovely comment, my dear Rose! I really appreciate your kind words and support!
Lovely storyline had me captivated thank you Abigail, my first time reading your books look forward to reading more of your books in the future 😊
So glad to hear that, my dear Hane! Thank you so much for your sweet words!
I enjoyed your book. It made me laugh and had me crying, I couldn’t stop reading. It was so nice to read a clean story that didn’t need sex to get the point across. Thank you
So happy you enjoyed my book, dear Lisa! I really appreciate your sweet words!
This is the first of your books I’ve read and was quite impressed with it. It also brought dad memories of my childhood when I was told by my parents that I too was their ugliest child. They said I was so ugly they had to put a blue light in my room to keep visitors from getting a good look at me. So I know first hand what she was feeling and the story was so very touching. Thank you for doing a wonderful job in bringing this story to the mass public.
This is the first of your books I’ve read and was quite impressed with it. It also brought dad memories of my childhood when I was told by my parents that I too was their ugliest child. They said I was so ugly they had to put a blue light in my room to keep visitors from getting a good look at me. So I know first hand what she was feeling and the story was so very touching. Thank you for doing a wonderful job in bringing this story to the mass public. I must also say that although this is the first of your books I’ve read I’m excited to say that it’ll not be my last!
My dear Cathy, I’m glad that you could relate to my book and you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for your kind words! I truly appreciate them. 🙂
This is a very good story and a enjoyable one the characters both children and adults were very realistic from the villains to the children .the emotions could be felt
This is a wonderful book. The twists and turns are surprising and keeps you intrigued from start to finish. The emotions that the characters display can be felt by the readers. They make you laugh one minute and cry the next..I cannot wait to read her next book!
It makes me so happy to hear that, my dear Pamela! Thank you!❤️
Truly interesting story! Compelling! I enjoyed it very much!great family dynamic. Sweet, tender.especially liked also how they dealt with blindness. charming ,& also totally entertaining& enjoyable tale!!!
A very nice book. The Duke is greatly disturbed when his wife dies. Because he did not spend time with his 4 children, they became more disruptive. He loses his sight. The head housekeeper has become bossy, there is little joy, and all the previous governesses had abruptly left. Marina arrives and is hired as the new governess. Things begin happening: the housekeeper is her usual bossiness but the children do begin to laugh and enjoy themselves. Lots of sadness and misunderstandings. Marina is told to leave more than once then leaves the last time but no one knows where to. Worth reading. And the extended story was also nice to read.
It was a wonderful story of love and second chance. A young girl who grow without knowing love but was able to laugh and give light to others. A beautiful love story.
I loved this beautiful story!
Wow, such sweet and powerful story. Thank You for sharing. I truly enjoyed reading both.
Thank you so much my dear Janice! I really appreciate it! Make sure to stay tuned because I have more coming!
This was a beautiful, well written love story! There were a couple of curse words which seemed out of place, as the characters did not speak that way throughout the book. The characters were well formed. The storyline kept moving, with a nice mix of day to day activities and larger, more intense events. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story!
Thank you so much for your kind words and support my dear Christine! I am so glad you enjoyed the book! Make sure to stay tuned because I have more coming!
A wonderful must-read Novella. The Extended Epilogue is enthralling and the icing on the cake. Lovers of Regency historical romances will be enticed to add it, to their collection of fascinating, favourite Novellas.
Thank you so much my dear Greer. I truly appreciate it!
Have a lovely day!
Hi I just read this book and I throughly loved it, you are a wonderful writer and both the book and the extended epilogue was wonderful, and again it was so , because of you my dear
Thank you so much for your lovely words and support my dear Lynn! So glad you enjoyed the story! Make sure to stay tuned because I have more coming!
Hi I just read this book and I throughly loved it, you are a great writer and both the book and the extended epilogue was wonderful,
I’m humbled my dear Lynn. Thank you so much! So glad you enjoyed the story! Make sure to stay tuned because I have more coming!
I just read this book and I throughly loved it, you are a great writer and both the book and the extended epilogue kept me entrenched
A very young woman with a man more than twice her age with 4 kids is not the type of romances I normally read. However, I read it since I have liked your other books. This was different but mostly well written. You call him a duke but nothing in the book is how dukes are treated. If you had called him a businessman I would have said it was a great story. However,if you want him to be a duke, then you need to fo!low the accepted norms of books about the nobility. As a duke he should be addressed as your grace by everyone except his close family. He would normally have had a butler,a valet and numerous other servants in a big house !ike his. Sa!ly and Jeffrey could not have roamed around the house as they did. In all honesty, I would have revised the book to remove all references to him being a duke. Just change him into a businessman and you have a great book. If you want this to be a book about a duke, then several changes are needed. Sorry if this sounss harsh but you ask ARC readers for their honest opinions.
Thank you so much for youe detailed comment and support dear Madhu!
Truly exquisite. Stirs a variety of emotions. Some paragraphs and episodes worthy revisiting, remembering, etc. Excellent use of words. Like a fine portrait with details. And I feel like a 1st grader writing this in comparison.
Definitely a book to reread! And to learn some excellent writing skills.
My only suggestion, should it help, is that the delineation of servants was lacking. Like why in a Duke’s home was a maid acting as housekeeper and butler, and whatever else. And I hadn’t heard of a governess overseeing the children’s clothing. But maybe so. And why in a duke’s home is the cook serving meals.
In light of your wonderful writing, these are trivial details.
Thank you for this story.
Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the book. Your support means a lot!