Taming A Duke's Reckless Heart: Victorian Historical Romance by Tammy Andresen Page A

marriage like his parents. It was a beast he understood. But a marriage full of love? That he didn’t understand at all and it was frightening beyond belief.
    He was supposed to return to England and attend to the Ducal obligations. He had left because his brother had been too young, and too inexperienced, to take on the role of provider. And Barrett had a natural head for business, but he promised his mother he would return once he secured the families’ finances. He would marry Penelope and live miserably ever after. She was a perfectly lovely girl but his every look seemed to frighten her half to death which in turn irritated him. She had none of Piper’s gumption.
    He had long since secured the funds needed, but he found himself delaying his return. He loved his shipping business.
    Something else nagged at his brain. Piper was making him think all kinds of things he hadn’t before he met her. What it would be like to marry a woman he chose? A wife that suited him perfectly. But to wed her was to shun the unwritten laws of his society. Was Ethan correct that Barrett was mistreating Piper? He cringed at the thought, but to abandon Penelope now would be to trade one evil for another.
    He raked his hand through his hair. To wed Piper was to have her in his bed every night. To watch her grow large with his child. To hear her wit and her laugh that was as beautiful as a bell.
    She wasn’t afraid of him—not even a little. Not when he glowered or growled. She said he made her feel safe. There had been plenty of women willing to share his bed but somehow Piper seemed to fit his entire life.
    Living without her sounded cold and lonely. It would be exactly like his parents’ marriage.
    He gave a small shudder. It had been difficult on his parents but he guessed it had been worse on himself and his brother. They had married because it was mutually beneficial, but that was where their feelings ended. And the lack of love had grown into hate over the years. His father had had affairs. His mother had manipulated. It pained him to remember.
    He pictured his life here with Piper next to him. It was full of laughter and happiness. His mother would hate him too for choosing an American bride. While he could easily withstand his mother’s wrath, it was his duty to the title that nagged his conscience. Could he ignore his duty for love?
    ***
    The clock downstairs chimed two o’clock in the morning. Piper sat by the window in her mother’s room. Her mother had hardly spoken, but Piper still didn’t want to leave the other women’s side. She dreaded going to this dinner party. She had not wanted to go to the ball either, but her aunt insisted this was what her mother would want.
    She especially didn’t want to see Barrett. Now that her passion had cooled, she was embarrassed by her own behavior. And the connection between them grew stronger. How could she possibly concentrate on Phillip Stanford or any other man with Barrett in attendance?
    Mrs. Fox had reminded her Barrett’s offer as his mistress was a temporary position. He would tire of her, and then she would be just another woman at a party trying to get a scrap of his attention. She had to face the fact she must let Barrett go. She couldn’t be around him and control herself. It was growing more difficult. She could not see him anymore.
    She sighed heavily and then got up to walk to her room, desperate to get some sleep. In the morning she would pen a note to Phillip stating she couldn’t attend the party, but she would like to make other plans with him. Plans that did not involve Barrett.
    It took a long time for sleep to come.
    When she woke in the morning, her mood was even worse than it had been before. Dragging herself out of bed, Piper got herself ready for the day. After breakfast she would pen a note to Mr. Stanford explaining why she couldn’t attend.
    When she arrived, she found Mr. Abbott dining with her Aunt Lizzie. “What brings you here, now?” she