The Roguish Ways of a Hopeless Duke Read online

  Copyright

  Copyright © 2019 by Lucinda Nelson

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

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  The Roquish Ways of a Hopeless Duke

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  The Extended Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  About Lucinda Nelson

  A Short Note About Starfall Publications

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  The Roguish Ways of a Hopeless Duke

  Chapter 1

  Abigail Wellington, Duchess of Geiser was gone and with her perhaps the best parts of her husband, Thaddeus Wellington, Duke of Geiser. For years, he had been able to be some other man. A much better man. Or perhaps it was just standing next to her that made him appear to be so. Either way, it seemed that man had died with her, and he was once again a duke with the position and wealth to dazzle many and love none.

  Her death had not come as a surprise. Thaddeus had to watch his sweet wife wither into nothing. He had taken her on a trip and upon return she had fallen extremely ill. The illness was mysterious, but devastatingly quick in its effects. The physician had simply said that her disposition was too fragile for the journey and the swift change in climate had been costly.

  Initially, Thaddeus had dealt with it as a mere inconvenience. He had believed that the physician would be able to administer the necessary medicines to get his wife back on her feet. However, within a couple of weeks the news had come back dire and he still did not immediately react. Perhaps he had simply been in denial, refusing to believe that Abigail, still so young, could possibly be slipping away so suddenly. But returning to her bedside, he quickly saw that she was already turning into a ghost.

  As had always been his way, he did not show his feelings. Only in those times when only Abigail could hear did he venture to express his love and the fear and anguish that he felt at losing her. When others were present he simply sat silently by, staring at her in confused despair. Abigail was able to say very little, managing to muster up some last professions of love to those who gathered around her. Finally, she closed her eyes gently and simply never opened them again. Since then, a grim darkness fell upon the whole household.

  Not only did the family and friends that came to fill the house grieve mightily, but so did the staff, who had been fortunate enough to spend their days basking in the placid kindness of Abigail’s manner. Lady Grace Wellington, Thaddeus' young sister and their ward, also bore the loss heavily. It was a heavy blow to all that had known her, none able to believe they now existed in a world in which she did not. People journeyed to Wellington Manor with sincere condolences, doing all they could to extend their sympathies to His Grace..

  All the while, Thaddeus drifted about in a haze of distant and private grief. He spoke very little and only went about performing what he thought to be his duties as the widower. He greeted his guests, accepted their apologies, and went on to the next one. Abigail’s family as well as his own tried to draw him out, but he simply glanced at them impassively and insisted that he was fine.

  The truth was that he was fighting with a great deal of inner turmoil. His life before marrying Abigail had been quite different. His family had been very frustrated with him. He was far more flighty and frivolous than they felt a young man of his position ought to be. He conducted his business quite properly, securing his position.

  However, in the realm of his personal life he was quite the opposite. He surrounded himself with many women and he had no intentions of slowing down. He had been witness to the utterly boring and unhappy marriage that his parents persisted in and had determined that he would not suffer the same fate.

  That was until his father brought him into his study one evening for a chat. The elder Wellington had said, “Thaddeus, it is quite time that you forego these childish behaviors and become a proper family man. You must carry on this family name proudly. You cannot do so as some lurid bachelor.”

  Thaddeus had replied, “Father, I have done much to expand our family’s holdings. I conduct my business quite successfully.”

  “Be that as it may, people are beginning to speak about your other behaviors.”

  “That is no business of theirs.”

  “It is becoming everyone’s business, as it is their daughters that you are flouting about with.”

  “Father, I can assure you that I bear them no harm.”

  “Nor do you bear them a future. It is not proper for these young ladies to carry about as they do. Seeing as you have no intention to marry them, they must maintain appearances for others who may. You would not want your younger sister Grace to be treated such a way.”

  Thaddeus relented and replied, “Fine. I shall be much more deliberate and insure that their public images are protected.”

  “You do not hear me, son. What I am saying to you is that you must find yourself a wife.”

  “I do not want a wife.”

  “It is not about what you want. It is about what is proper. You are to be a Duke. You have certain obligations. One of which is to marry and start a family to carry on the family name.”

  “But Father…”

  “Enough! This is not a request, Thaddeus. You will find yourself a wife, or else you will lose your position. I have worked too hard to maintain the dignity and honor of this family to have it ruined by your selfish endeavors. Find yourself a wife or I will give your position to your cousin, Lord Stephen, who has already proven to be a respectable man. That is all!”

  Thaddeus had been very angry, yet there was nothing to be done. As much as he valued his freedom, he did not have a choice. There was no way to maintain himself without his income. There were other options for other men, but his entire life was built upon his family positioning and guarantees as the first born. So, he went about finding some woman with whom he could solidify his position. He did so begrudgingly and discounted all women with whom he had had prior relation. He deemed them irrevocably unsuitable and sought out a much more tolerable mate.

  He had come upon
Abigail while meeting with a promising business contact. It had been Abigail’s father who invited him to their home for dinner. He was introduced to the wife, Lady Thorne, a pleasant enough woman. He was then referred to their daughters: Lady Edith, Lady Julia, and Lady Abigail.

  Edith and Julia were fine enough girls, one still fairly young and the other looking about the proper age of marriage. Yet it had been Abigail that caught his eye immediately. She was beautiful and something of her manner made him feel as if she might be someone with whom he would like to become acquainted.

  Over dinner, Thaddeus had referred primarily to the patriarch of the family, both through official business talk and more casual pleasantries. The whole while, the women spoke very little. Right after dinner, the men retired to the study to discuss further. Once their talks were complete, Lord Thorne had escorted Thaddeus out onto the grounds to depart.

  As he departed, he noticed that Abigail was out for an evening stroll about the grounds. Once he had properly quitted her father, he intentionally crossed her path in what he wanted to appear as simply a proper goodbye. He bowed to her slightly saying, “It was lovely to make your acquaintance, Lady Thorne.”

  “You as well, Lord Thaddeus.”

  “You may call me Thaddeus if you prefer.”

  “Oh no! It wouldn’t be proper.”

  “Perhaps you would feel it so if we were to gain better relation.”

  “I do not know, Lord Thaddeus. Perhaps you may be right.”

  “I would very much so like to see you again. Perhaps I could come back and visit.”

  “That would be lovely.”

  “I will send along correspondence. Do have a good evening.”

  From that night on, things rapidly begun to move towards marriage. The courtship did not have the benefit of prolonged dallying. There was another young captain with plans to wed with Abigail. Thaddeus intended fully to secure her hand and made his intentions known with haste. Her father was surprised, but thrilled. Thaddeus was of far greater prospects than her other suitor.

  It was Thaddeus’ impression that Abigail was quite smitten with him, but he could not be sure. She was so pleasant with everyone that he didn’t know if the attention she granted him was particular to him or simply her way. Either way he found her quite entrancing and in spite of his protestations against marriage, he found that she may make a more than tolerable wife.

  They soon became engaged and wedding plans were made. Thaddeus took no particular interest in the festivities, but his family was quite pleased. They thought that perhaps he was finally becoming the credit to his family that they had always hoped. All the while, Thaddeus found that he was less inclined to seek other affairs. With Abigail he felt like a different man, more settled and with a great deal of enjoyment.

  He could talk to Abigail as he could with nearly no one else. She was of soft manner, yet steady mind. She could act both sympathetically and with reason. She brought to him the prospects of a life that were not quite so active, but delightfully stable. He had not known that it was possible.

  Love had never much struck him as anything in which he might find it necessary to carry him away. Yet all of a sudden he found himself taken up by this wonderfully sweet woman and he thought that perhaps things did not have to be so bad after all.

  But at present she was gone. For him, so was all possibility of that stable and ritualistic domestic life. He had performed his duties to his family and become a respectable husband. As a widower he felt no rush or compulsion to seek out another wife. In the stead he far preferred a return to his former relations which had been particularly short and sweet.

  His marriage had been a fairly happy one, yet those days were done. The man Abigail had enabled him to be was buried with her. Although he continued to suffer his loss, he did so with acknowledgement that with the new women, he would be able to return to the more desirable practice of his former days. The responsible, dutiful husband was no more. Once again, Thaddeus Wellington, Duke of Geiser, would be the purveyor of his younger days.

  Chapter 2

  It would appear that once more, young Miss Evie Seymour found herself in an uncertain position. After all, she was the daughter of a shamed Baron who was forced to become a sometimes successful merchant. The ups and downs had been many. It had occurred that once again they found themselves down, and it seemed that her father did not believe he would be fortunate enough to recover. So the time had come for her to secure her future, which was to say soon she must marry.

  At 22-years-old, Evie had already been contemplating matrimony. She had been courted by some prospects, but none to anything resembling marriage. There had been an elder widower who had wished to take her hand. She had not found him to be pleasing. There had also been a young man, the son of a merchant, who expressed interest. However, her father found him unfavorable as his prospects were few.

  As of late, Evie had found her time occupied with a young duke with whom she had been sure that she had a future. She and her mother had been thrilled, going as far as to make tentative plans for the nuptials. However, just as she had been sure of her impending engagement, she had received the devastating news that he was to take the hand of another.

  Evie was greatly confused and devastated by the turn of events. It had not been long before the two of them had shared what she thought was a promise of shared interest in their future. Yet with little warning and only a few days between, he would be the intended of another.

  Evie had taken mostly to her room, not to be bothered by her family. Her mother had come to her, comforting with words such as, “Oh dear, please know that you are a beautiful young woman and any day now there will be plenty more suitors upon our lawn, begging for your hand in marriage.” Evie said nothing, not finding the words at all soothing.

  As if this were not bad enough, more bad news soon came to the Seymour household. Evie’s father had been born to be a man of rank. However, due to some costly mistakes, he had lost his position and been forced to become a merchant. He was not a particularly good one and it seemed that his position was based primarily in luck and some former contacts.

  Some years he found himself fortunate and the family was able to live comfortably. Other years were much leaner and there were some doubts about how they would fair. They typically got through, but it was never pleasant.

  Well, their father found himself once again quite unlucky. Except this time, he seemed far more panicked and despairing. He had announced to the family over breakfast that they were facing most uncertain times.

  He said, “I have been just barely holding on most recently, hoping that fortunes would turn and we might finally be able to secure our circumstances. Alas, quite the opposite has happened. It appears that I may be left with a very modest fortune for this year and for the conceivable time thereafter. I am not the young man that I once was and quite unable to hope to secure a greater prospect. So it is time that you all secure your futures, so that your mother and I might be able to have some comfort.”

  Evie and her sisters became alarmed. None were quite to the point of engagement. Her sister Hannah had been somewhat courting with a young merchant who dealt primarily in jewelry. Her other sister Lucy had caught the attentions of a young Baron, yet there had been no formal agreements made between them. They had thought themselves in fairly good positions, but they were discovering that they were quite behind.

  Their father went on to explain that his wares were becoming out of date and that a move to any other seemed impractical. By this point the girls were no longer listening. They had taken to whispering amongst themselves, somewhat panicked.

  It would be a difficult task attract a suitable man of rank, particularly with their already low position falling even farther. It would be that much more difficult for them to be courted by quality men if it was found that they were of a family of such desperate means. They would need to move quickly.

  The ladies quit the breakfast table and gathered in Hannah’s room to
discuss. Lucy exclaimed, “What shall we do? How soon will any of us be able to secure some other position?”

  Hannah broke in, “It is alright. It is not as if any of us is wholly unsuitable. We have had suitors, we still do. We must now seek out men in need of wives. Those in some measure of position.”

  Hannah was quite right. The three girls were of more than favorable countenance. Hannah was a tallish young woman, petite with sparkling blue eyes, full brown hair, and delicate features. Lucy was slightly taller, but of similar build, those same sparkling eyes, slightly thinner brown hair, and pouty lips.