Epilogue

The past year held many memorable moments, and today would be one of the biggest. It had nothing to do with my marriage, which was very strong. It had nothing to do with being a duchess or living in a modest house in Cheapside. A dream was about to come true for me. I was about to meet a few of my favorite authors.

Every fall, Moran threw a luncheon for authors at the Stratham Hotel. The gathering room boasted arched ceilings and the pervasive smell of savory food reminded me I hadn’t eaten that morning. Although Ash had taken over the day-to-day tasks at the publishing house, I insisted on planning this affair myself.

My sisters were in attendance, behaving themselves as much as they could. Of course, Violet was a social butterfly fluttering from table to table, talking up the ear of the authors gathered at this prestigious event.

As a daughter of a baron, pomp and circumstance had been a part of my everyday life. As a duchess, the sheer weight of responsibility proved overwhelming at times. My one consolation was that Moran and I were working through it together. Although he had only spent ten years at the ducal estates during his childhood, he spent most of his adult life known simply as Mr. Moran, the son of a book publisher.

A very tall, thin woman and an extremely handsome man entered the room, trailed by an attractive blond-haired man. I wasn’t sure who they were because I had sent invitations to many writers with pen names. It was apparent that the new arrivals carried a certain air about them which spoke of wealth.

“Come, there is someone special I would like you to meet.” Moran slipped his hand around my arm, his color high and his mood light. He wasn’t anything like the man I’d first assumed him to be. Granted, he had his days, but mostly, he maintained a pleasant demeanor. What I had taken for arrogance was a man with a preference for privacy. Accepting the title had stripped that privacy away from him and he’d had to adapt like I did.

Moran’s eyes glinted roguishly as we approached the couple. He was up to mischief, and I wasn’t sure what he had in mind. The woman smiled at us. With her rather wide-set eyes and long nose, she wasn’t a pretty woman, but her appearance was arresting.

“Lady Lillian and Lord Kendrick, the Duke and Duchess of Alton.” Moran nodded to them in turn. Despite his reluctance to become the duke, he looked comfortable in his own skin. “I would like to introduce you to my wife, Lady Birdie, Duchess of Moreland.”

“It is a pleasure,” Lady Lillian said, blushing a tad bit. She carried an endearing touch of awkwardness about her. “I don’t get to meet a lady of my station often, nor of a similar age. I hope we can be friends.”

“I would love that as well.” I liked her instantly and hoped she was serious about pursuing a friendship. Moran and I straddled two worlds. We preferred the company of the Ashtons, but our duties forced us to interact with our aristocratic peers.

“This gentleman with them is Sir Colt. He is one of my authors,” Moran said. From the way he continued to smirk, something about the introduction amused him.

“Yes, he is a very talented writer, and we are here to support him.” Lord Kendrick clapped Colt on the shoulder, and the other man flushed a bit more. He seemed like a shy sort, unlike Kendrick, who was most definitely a bit of a rake.

For some reason, I had a mad urge to touch my hair and giggle when Kendrick caught my eye. Me! Giggle! I was a married woman with two lovers, men who meant the world to me. “I look forward to speaking with you once we’re all seated.”

Moran nodded to the front of the room. “It appears as if more people have arrived.”

Several couples entered the room and waited for us to greet them. I was disappointed to cut our discussion short. Alas, duty called.

“We should find our seats. I am most eager to meet everyone.” Lady Lilian leaned in close and, with a shy smile, said, “I have read many of their books, and I can’t wait to meet them.”

Moran waved to the waiting concierge to take them to their table.

With a roguish grin, Kendrick steered his wife away, Sir Colt falling into step behind them.

“I knew you would like Lillian.” Moran leaned close to my ear. “Did you notice something familiar about her companions?”

“Well, it was pleasant to actually be charmed by a duke,” I said with a teasing grin.

He narrowed his eyes. “Sir Colt is the coauthor of the Mr. Lillian books. Can you guess who the other author is?”

I whipped my head around, seeking out the Duke of Kendrick’s party. Sir Colt and Lilian were seated at the table. Lord Kendrick, who was behind the couple, leaned down to say something, his head between theirs. He had one hand on Lillian’s shoulder, the other on Sir Colt’s. My pulse picked up and I licked dry lips as a scandalous thought occurred. Well, not as scandalous as it would have been to my virginal senses before I caught Ash and Moran kissing on that fateful night. “Do you think she, um, they are the template for Lady X, Lord Golden, and the Dark Knight? They certainly look very familiar with one another.”

Or perhaps I imagined it.

Moran shrugged, a light of wickedness brightening his amber eyes. “I don’t know for sure, mind you. I simply have a hunch. When I first met her, she wasn’t married, and I challenged her to write a book unlike any other.”

“You inspired her the same way you inspired me.” I beamed up at him, my chest lit by the inner glow of love. My entire life changed the night I read the book. Passion had ignited in me and it had cemented the bond with Moran and Ash for life. “I am most curious to find out exactly what you told her.”

“Someday I will, but that’s a story for another time.” Moran shook his head, no longer bearing the dark circles he possessed when I first met him. He had grown into the title, but he hadn’t lost who he was. “Until then, I beg you to keep this between you, Ash, and me. Nobody else knows her identity.”

“On my word of honor.” I glanced around the crowded space, looking for Ash. The luncheon would commence soon, and thus far, I hadn’t seen him. “Speaking of Ash, have you seen him and Suzette?”

Ash had successfully convinced Suzette to return to London, and the two of them were thrilled. I liked her and thought she was a good fit for Ash. She was also a practical, open-minded woman like me, and we had many discussions about the relationship between our husbands. We were both open to them continuing their affair. We agreed on one caveat, however. They were welcome to put their cocks in each other but never into another woman.

“He will be here soon. His son has been keeping him up at night, and you know how he dotes on the boy.” Moran’s happiness was contagious, and my love was so deep for him I found it difficult to hold back the happy tears.

While Ash still shared our bed occasionally, his interaction with me was limited to some very titillating play. Nobody had a tongue like Ash’s nor the skill to bring a woman to pleasure with such efficiency. I laughed just thinking about it. I didn’t want to let on to Moran my desire for Ash for fear he might be insulted. He pleased me as well, but Ash had a certain way of doing things that made my toes curl.

DCI Stark entered with an older woman on his arm. Moran had promised that he would invite Mrs. Stark to the luncheon. I owed DCI Stark a lot, and I was glad to put him and his mother at a table with MH Roth herself.

Ash appeared at last, but Suzette wasn’t on his arm. He grinned at Moran and me. If we were alone, I had no doubt he would have a kiss for both of us. Some would say he was queer; others would say he was curious about other men and found satisfaction with the person, not necessarily who or what gender they were.

“Suzette sends her apologies. Liam was cranky, and she didn’t feel comfortable leaving him. Although my mother wasn’t too happy.” Ash had a constant battle on his hands between Connie and Suzette. I didn’t envy him the strain.

My own family lived harmoniously together. Eloise had admitted to me she and Sally were in love. The two had a flat of their own in the city. My younger sisters lived with me and thrived. “A child takes a lot of work,” I said. “I have five sisters to prove it.”

I hadn’t been fortunate enough to get with child, but I had faith that one day I would. My husband was the best brother my sisters could ask for, and I was happy that he had let them be a part of our lives.

I was glad that Moran found satisfaction with me and didn’t want to stray from my bed. Of course he didn’t need to because his lover was invited into our bed, which made the situation rather convenient for me because both men always felt the need to slake my needs above their own.

“We are in a hotel,” Ash said with a suggestive leer. “I hear the rooms are very well-appointed.”

“You wish to go upstairs when we are hosting a luncheon for a room full of people? Are you that depraved to suggest we sneak away and leave everyone waiting?” Moran shook his head.

“No, absolutely not.” His words said one thing, his expression read quite another.

As much as I wanted to, there was no time. “I will concede after the luncheon. I could use a bit of a, um, ride.”

Both men laughed at my quip, making me love them even more.

A year before, I ran scared but determined to make my way in the world. As a duchess, I had power, and as I’d told my husband, it was a shame not to use it. While my dreams of heading the Trustworthy Talent Agency were no longer practical, I put all of my influence into a new charity to empower working women, and I would do whatever I could to promote the cause.

A daughter, a spinster, a secretary, an editor, and now a wife. I had changed in ways I couldn’t even fathom years ago, yet one thing remained the same—I was my own woman first.

T hank you for reading The Reluctant Duke!