Music for the Duke

Music for the Duke Suddenly a Duke SeriesBook Two Alexa Aston © Copyright 2023 by Alexa Aston Text by Alexa Aston Cover by Dar Albert Dragonblade Publishing, Inc. is an imprint of Kathryn Le Veque Novels, Inc. P.O. Box 23 Moreno Valley, CA 92556 [email protected] Produced in the United States of America First Edition March 2023 Kindle Edition Reproduction of any kind except where it pertains to short quotes in relation to advertising or promotion is strictly prohibited. All Rights Reserved. The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author. License Notes: This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook, once purchased, may not be re-sold. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it or borrow it, or it was not purchased for you and given as a gift for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. If this book was purchased on an unauthorized platform, then it is a pirated and/or unauthorized copy and violators will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Do not purchase or accept pirated copies. Thank you for respecting the author’s hard work. For subsidiary rights, contact Dragonblade Publishing, Inc. ARE YOU SIGNED UP FOR DRAGONBLADE’S BLOG? You’ll get the latest news and information on exclusive giveaways, exclusive excerpts, coming releases, sales, free books, cover reveals and more. Check out our complete list of authors, too! No spam, no junk. That’s a promise! Sign Up Here * Dearest Reader; Thank you for your support of a small press. At Dragonblade Publishing, we strive to bring you the highest quality Historical Romance from some of the best authors in the business. Without your support, there is no ‘us’, so we sincerely hope you adore these stories and find some new favorite authors along the way. Happy Reading! CEO, Dragonblade Publishing Additional Dragonblade books by Author Alexa Aston Suddenly a Duke Series Portrait of the Duke Music for the Duke Polishing the Duke Second Sons of London Series Educated By The Earl Debating With The Duke Empowered By The Earl Made for the Marquess Dubious about the Duke Valued by the Viscount Meant for the Marquess Dukes Done Wrong Series Discouraging the Duke Deflecting the Duke Disrupting the Duke Delighting the Duke Destiny with a Duke Dukes of Distinction Series Duke of Renown Duke of Charm Duke of Disrepute Duke of Arrogance Duke of Honor The Duke That I Want The St. Clairs Series Devoted to the Duke Midnight with the Marquess Embracing the Earl Defending the Duke Suddenly a St. Clair Starlight Night (Novella) The Twelve Days of Love (Novella) Soldiers & Soulmates Series To Heal an Earl To Tame a Rogue To Trust a Duke To Save a Love To Win a Widow Yuletide at Gillingham (Novella) The Lyon’s Den Series The Lyon’s Lady Love King’s Cousins Series The Pawn The Heir The Bastard Medieval Runaway Wives Song of the Heart A Promise of Tomorrow Destined for Love Knights of Honor Series Word of Honor Marked by Honor Code of Honor Journey to Honor Heart of Honor Bold in Honor Love and Honor Gift of Honor Path to Honor Return to Honor Pirates of Britannia Series God of the Seas De Wolfe Pack: The Series Rise of de Wolfe The de Wolfes of Esterley Castle Diana Derek Thea Also from Alexa Aston The Bridge to Love One Magic Night Table of Contents Title Page Copyright Page Publisher’s Note Additional Dragonblade books by Author Alexa Aston Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Epilogue Excerpt from Polishing the Duke About the Author Prologue Parkwood—1794 Fia left the schoolroom and headed downstairs. Her governess had gone to her bedchamber for a nap. At least that’s what she’d said. Fia knew Miss Blankenship would drink the funny-smelling liquid from the little tin she kept with her. Anytime Miss Blankenship did that, she would grow silly and then sleepy. She would give Fia a task to complete and then go to her room. Sometimes for hours. Fia always finished what she was supposed to do and then found something to entertain herself with. She knew what Miss Blankenship did must be wrong, but she felt sorry for the governess. Once, she had come across Miss Blankenship crying after she had been drinking from the tin. The governess told her just how alone she was. How she had no family and no friends and went from position to position. She begged Fia not to say anything to her parents before she drifted off to sleep. Fia had watched the governess’ drool pooling in the corner of her mouth and then dribbling down her chin. When she was feeling well, Miss Blankenship was a good teacher to her. Fia did not want to be the one who would tattle on the woman so she would be forced to leave. Downstairs, she first went to the drawing room, thinking she might practice the pianoforte. She had just started taking lessons and felt alive every time she sat and played. Three maids were cleaning the room, though, so she retreated to the library, retrieving Papa’s atlas. The atlas fascinated her. Papa had showed her where England was and told her it was the greatest country in all the world. He showed her the many places England and its king ruled. Papa told Fia that one day he would take her to all of them. She doubted that would ever happen. Or if it did, they