Free The Dukes' Christmas Abductions by Doris O'Connor, Raven McAllan Page B

have the right to explore her luscious
body, and to know that no other man would ever touch what was his, felt right
in a way that nothing had for as long as he could remember.
    “Don’t
be ridiculous. This is 2015, not 1815, and there is no need to marry anybody.
Jeez, will you tell him, Daniel?” Clara whirled round to address Daniel, and
paled when he shook his head.
    “You’re
not agreeing with him, surely? That’s just…”
    “Imperative,”
James said.
    “Logical,”
Daniel said, and James inclined his head as they spoke those words in unison.
    “You
two … you cannot be serious. Who marries someone for those reasons? I sure as
hell won’t.”
    She
was infuriating and adorable in equal measures, as she blew her hair off of her
flushed face and stomped her foot for good measure. He would have such fun
stamping out this behavior. Then again, it would be all kinds of amusement to
encourage that bold side of her, because it would give him ample opportunity to
think of punishing his duchess.
    His
cock jerked at those thought processes, almost as much as Clara’s head as she
looked between James and him.
    “You
will, my lady, because it is imperative that the Duke marries and provides an
heir, according to the will of Lord Reginald Danvers.”
    “Well,
bugger that.” Clara’s outburst made Daniel’s lips twitch. She was clearly
swearing even though he didn’t understand the term. James in the meantime drew
himself up to his full height.
    “As
to that, it is really not my kink, but who am to say what you and Duke Hockwell
desire to get up to in the privacy of your bedchamber. In any case I shall
retire, to leave you to settle this one way or the other.”
    James
bowed to Daniel again, and ignored Clara’s outraged spluttering.
    “Unless
my lord requires me for anything else, of course?”
    Daniel
shook his head, all too aware of the quietly seething woman in front of him.
    “Well
it’s not all right with me. And what about the ball and—”
    “The
guests left when the electricity went down, my lady. I am shutting up the house
and taking to my bed. I will be back in the morning with refreshments, and his
lordship should be aware that the estate solicitor has been alerted of your
presence. He will be making a special visit to talk about the practicalities of
the duke’s return.”
    James
bowed again, but before he could turn to leave, Clara grasped the man’s arm and
stopped him.
    “What
on earth are you on about? Everyone cannot have just left. What about Vicky?”
    There
she went again with this Vicky person.
    “Her
ladyship is very well I’m sure. No, let me rephrase that, I am sure she has led
a long and healthy life.”
    Clara
looked all ready to hit him, and the fine hair on his neck rose, as a suspicion
dawned on him. Surely not, but then again, he was here, and Kit’s wife was…
    “What
the hell does that mean? Where is Vicky?”
    James
shot Daniel a look, and extricated himself out of Clara’s clutches.
    “Perhaps
you would like to check the gallery.”
    He
had barely finished that sentence before Clara shot out of the open door.
Rumbles of thunder rolled through the air again, only serving to increase the
itch between his shoulder blades. Her screech made his mind up for him, and
when he rounded the corner, it was to see her standing in front of the portrait
of Kit and his wife.
    She
traced the contours of Victoria, Duchess of Aulban’s face, while whispering the
same word over and over.
    “Vicky.”
    *****
    Through
tears blurring her vision, Clara traced the contours of Vicky’s face, and this Regency
Duchess definitely was her Vicky. She would recognize the twinkle in the lady’s
eyes everywhere. Vicky and she might only have known each other a short time,
but she’d truly felt as though she’d found the sister she never had. And it
suddenly dawned on her she would never see her friend again.
    The
woodsy scent of the Duke of Hockwell’s cologne— oh god he really is