Read Online Taming A Duke's Reckless Heart: Victorian Historical Romance by Tammy Andresen - Free Book Online Page A

and he was far more handsome than Barrett.
    If she was honest, Barrett’s dark looks and dangerous aura excited her in ways no man ever had. It helped he had come charging to her rescue. But that didn’t matter. Her whole life she had known she would save everything for marriage. She hadn’t meant to even kiss a man other than her husband. Being a mistress was out of the question.
    But Barrett wouldn’t marry her, and that was clear after today. She could admit, at least to herself, she had hoped he would ask. No man had ever made her feel the way he did. But he wasn’t going to and she had to marry someone. While he had most likely experienced the rapture they had shared kissing many times, she might never experience it again. Her chest ached at the thought. But if Barrett wouldn’t marry her, she mustn’t allow him such liberties.
    Should her mother die, she would be alone in this world. And no one loved her. Many admired her, but no one loved her. Could she really marry a man she didn’t love? Where love wouldn’t grow? She felt absolutely trapped between what she wanted and what she had to do.
    A sob escaped her chest. Then another. She threw herself on the seat of the carriage and cried out all of the pain and anxiety of the past week. Sobs wracked her body and tears flowed from her eyes. Her nose filled too, and she realized she had no handkerchief.
    The carriage pulled up to her cousin’s home and Piper felt utterly defeated. She still had the dresses, she was a mess, her mother was still sick, and Barrett felt further away than he had been just this morning.
    She pulled herself off the seat as the driver snapped the door open. He looked momentarily surprised but said nothing and she tried to hold her head high as she walked past him muttering a small greeting.
    Her aunt was waiting for her. “Piper this is completely unacceptable.” The woman stopped, looking at her. “Did he compromise you?”
    “Aunt Lizzie! Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous. He refused to take back the dresses and I am upset about Mother. I just needed to cry.” Piper turned away and without another word, headed up the stairs to see her mother.
    She walked into the room and found Dr. Thompson at her mother’s side. As he stepped away, Piper took a good look at the woman she loved. Her skin was pale. Her cheeks were hollow and her hair lay limply on the pillow. She was wasting away. The low grade fever kept her from eating and the cough ravaged her body.
    Piper thought she had cried every tear in that carriage. But as she took her seat in the corner of the room, they began to fall silently down her cheeks again. She covered her mouth to keep from sobbing out loud as Dr. Thompson cared for her mother. She didn’t want to interrupt. Instead she bent her head.
    “I’ve given your mother some laudanum so she can rest. I’ll be back in a bit to check on her.” Piper nodded, not making eye contact, as the doctor left.
    She wasn’t aware of how much time passed but at some point she slipped out of the chair and slid to the floor. Her head rested on the seat of the chair.
    “Piper.” She heard Barrett’s voice from the door. She didn’t answer.
    Her aunt’s voice was a loud whisper coming from the doorway, “I don’t know what to do. She’s been like this for an hour.”
    Piper felt his footsteps across the floor. “Get me a warm cloth,” he said to someone.
    He picked her up off the floor, cradling her in his arms. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she buried her face in his shoulder. She took a deep breath, inhaling his scent as he carried her in his arms out of the room.
    “Where are we going?” she whimpered.
    “Just somewhere we can talk.” His lips grazed her temple. He squeezed a little tighter as they went down the stairs and into one of the parlors. He sat with her in his lap gently stroking her still disheveled hair. “It’s all right. I’ll take care of you. Don’t cry now.”
    Her aunt came in and