Romance: Regency Romance: In Bed With The Duke (A Regency Romance) Read Online Free
Author: Emily Teska, Historical Deluxe
leave, it would take me a few days to get everything organized, His Grace would allow me that at least. A soft knock at the door surprised me from my folding. Sophie wouldn’t knock at my door; she would have just breezed in as per usual.
I opened the door slowly, a footman in livery waited outside, a small smile on his handsome face and a paper wrapped package under his arm. He held out a silver plate towards me, upon it rested a letter with my name inscribed upon it in a graceful hand. I took the letter and the package with shaking fingers and thanked the man. He smiled at me again and nodded sharply before walking quickly down the hall. The heels of his leather shoes clicked smartly on the hardwood floor as he went, and I waited for the sound to die away before closing my door gently. I lay the package down on the window seat and broke the seal on the Duke’s letter.
It could only have been from him. The paper was the same as all of the requests that had come to my house before I had fallen ill, and the looping delicate letters were the same. I couldn’t help but admire the way his handwriting made my name look, and I wondered what my name would sound like on his lips.
What was I thinking? I shook my head and unfolded the letter, inhaling the clean scent of the ink, and something else I couldn’t quite place.
My Dear Mrs. Rutledge,
Welcome to Barclay House, I trust that you are recovered from your illness, and will come to enjoy your time in my house. I hope to see you at dinner.
Ever your servant,
D.
I turned to the paper wrapped package sitting innocently on the plush cushions of the window seat. Did I dare open it? Of course, my curiosity had to be satisfied, and after only a moment’s hesitation, I was tugging at the jute strings that held the package closed. As the paper fell away, it revealed one of the most beautiful dresses I had ever seen. The champagne colored silk ran through my fingers in waves. The puffed sleeves were short and stitched with a delicate hand and the neckline was perhaps even lower than my prized lavender dress. I flushed at the thought of anyone but George seeing so much of my décolletage exposed. I wondered what he would say if he saw me in this.
There were gloves too, and champagne colored silk slippers with delicate embroidery. A long, garnet red silk ribbon fell to the floor at my feet. I bent to pick it up and examined it closely. It matched the jeweled cross that I wore around my neck perfectly. It would look stunning when it was wound into my dark hair… it was as though the Duke knew exactly how to flatter my figure and complexion, and I wondered again how much Sophie had told his Grace about me.
Sophie burst into the room with her usual enthusiasm, she was dressed in pale green and had wound pearls into her hair. Her face glowed with excitement and a hint of jealousy played about her eyes as she saw the dress and gloves the Duke had sent me.
“I can see that you’ve changed your mind about dinner. Good! I’ve brought Mary with me to help you get ready, I have a feeling that your hair is a fright to deal with after so long of being left to your own devices.” Mary trailed behind her, a small smile on her face. She took the dress from the window seat and laid it carefully on the bed, and placed the gloves next to it. The slippers were set on the floor beside the dressing table, and she busied herself in my drawers removing underclothes and stockings to complete the outfit. Delicate layers of muslin and silk, layers that I had embroidered myself with intricate patterns of whitework that I had copied from a magazine that Sophie had lent me. I was inordinately proud of my embroidery skills and I relished the compliments I received from the other ladies in our social circle about it.
Sophie smiled at me and laid out her curling tongs, combs and pins on the table while Mary helped me slide out of my day dress and into the
I opened the door slowly, a footman in livery waited outside, a small smile on his handsome face and a paper wrapped package under his arm. He held out a silver plate towards me, upon it rested a letter with my name inscribed upon it in a graceful hand. I took the letter and the package with shaking fingers and thanked the man. He smiled at me again and nodded sharply before walking quickly down the hall. The heels of his leather shoes clicked smartly on the hardwood floor as he went, and I waited for the sound to die away before closing my door gently. I lay the package down on the window seat and broke the seal on the Duke’s letter.
It could only have been from him. The paper was the same as all of the requests that had come to my house before I had fallen ill, and the looping delicate letters were the same. I couldn’t help but admire the way his handwriting made my name look, and I wondered what my name would sound like on his lips.
What was I thinking? I shook my head and unfolded the letter, inhaling the clean scent of the ink, and something else I couldn’t quite place.
My Dear Mrs. Rutledge,
Welcome to Barclay House, I trust that you are recovered from your illness, and will come to enjoy your time in my house. I hope to see you at dinner.
Ever your servant,
D.
I turned to the paper wrapped package sitting innocently on the plush cushions of the window seat. Did I dare open it? Of course, my curiosity had to be satisfied, and after only a moment’s hesitation, I was tugging at the jute strings that held the package closed. As the paper fell away, it revealed one of the most beautiful dresses I had ever seen. The champagne colored silk ran through my fingers in waves. The puffed sleeves were short and stitched with a delicate hand and the neckline was perhaps even lower than my prized lavender dress. I flushed at the thought of anyone but George seeing so much of my décolletage exposed. I wondered what he would say if he saw me in this.
There were gloves too, and champagne colored silk slippers with delicate embroidery. A long, garnet red silk ribbon fell to the floor at my feet. I bent to pick it up and examined it closely. It matched the jeweled cross that I wore around my neck perfectly. It would look stunning when it was wound into my dark hair… it was as though the Duke knew exactly how to flatter my figure and complexion, and I wondered again how much Sophie had told his Grace about me.
Sophie burst into the room with her usual enthusiasm, she was dressed in pale green and had wound pearls into her hair. Her face glowed with excitement and a hint of jealousy played about her eyes as she saw the dress and gloves the Duke had sent me.
“I can see that you’ve changed your mind about dinner. Good! I’ve brought Mary with me to help you get ready, I have a feeling that your hair is a fright to deal with after so long of being left to your own devices.” Mary trailed behind her, a small smile on her face. She took the dress from the window seat and laid it carefully on the bed, and placed the gloves next to it. The slippers were set on the floor beside the dressing table, and she busied herself in my drawers removing underclothes and stockings to complete the outfit. Delicate layers of muslin and silk, layers that I had embroidered myself with intricate patterns of whitework that I had copied from a magazine that Sophie had lent me. I was inordinately proud of my embroidery skills and I relished the compliments I received from the other ladies in our social circle about it.
Sophie smiled at me and laid out her curling tongs, combs and pins on the table while Mary helped me slide out of my day dress and into the
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