In Need of a Duchess

IN NEED OF A DUCHESS A STEAMY REGENCY ROMANCE VIOLET HAMERS CONTENTS A Thank You Gift Before You Start Reading… Love to Read? Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Epilogue Extended Epilogue Preview: A Desperate Deal with the Duke Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Also by Violet Hamers Loved the Book? About the Author A THANK YOU GIFT Thanks a lot for purchasing my book. It really means a lot to me, because this is the best way to show me your love. As a Thank You gift I have written a full length novel for you called The Duke she Desires. It’s only available to people who have downloaded one of my books and you can get your free copy by tapping this link here. Once more, thanks a lot for your love and support. With love and appreciation, Violet Hamers BEFORE YOU START READING… Did you know that there’s a special place where you can chat with me and with thousands of like-minded bookworms all over the globe?! Join Cobalt Fairy’s facebook group of voracious readers and I guarantee you, you’d wish you had joined us sooner! Let’s connect, right NOW! Just click on the image above! ⇧ LOVE TO READ? Do you love reading as much as I do? Then you will surely enjoy browsing through a huge collection of Steamy Regency Romances that await you! Join Cobalt Fairy’s Newsletter and enjoy our newest books in your favorite genre! Just click on the image above! ⇧ ABOUT THE BOOK “I am in desperate need of a Duchess that can handle little beasts…” After being stuck to Canada for years because of the war, Alice finally steps foot on British soil again. However, home is not how she remembers it. And marrying to escape her cousin’s advances seems like the only way to save herself. Donovan’s nephews are the bane of his existence. And despite his glorious career in the military, he cannot distill any kind of obedience to the little menaces. His last resort? A Duchess with nerves of steel. When the Duke saves a damsel in distress only to have her hold a dagger to his throat, he knows he has found the woman he was looking for. Only… Alice proves to be too feisty for him to handle. And even more tempting to resist. CHAPTER ONE “I do not need help!” Alice Wisher protested, beating away the boys’ fumbling fingers. The two boys struggling to lift her trunk paused to stare at her as though she had personally offended them. “We wasn’t offering help,” the scragglier of the two mumbled, scratching his dirty cheek. “Honest work; a little money from the nice lady.” “We thought… she must be exhausted from her travels.” “And she is alone.” “Here,” Alice said. She rifled through her purse, removed two coins, and gave one to each. “Find another passenger to hassle. I suggest the woman with large feathers in her hair. She was a menace on the ship.” Their browned teeth flashed in grateful, mischievous grins, and they took off at a run. They were correct. Alice was exhausted to her bones. Still, the second she stepped onto British soil, her spirits lifted. She did not mind the drizzle or the hazy mist hanging over the atmosphere. Someone pulled on the sleeve of her dress; Alice looked down to meet the dewy eyes of another boy. He held out his hand. “Scram!” “Wait!” Alice shouted as the boy released her sleeve and fled. Alice wheeled around to the sound of the familiar voice that had chased the child away. “Paul!” Alice shouted drawing stares from passersby. He was glaring in the direction of the fleeing boy. When his gaze returned to her, it suffused with unbridled delight. “Dear Alice!” He swept her into his embrace and swung her around. “Welcome home!” he exclaimed over and over again. Before Alice could get a word in, he lifted her trunk as if it weighed less than a feather and said, “You must learn not to hand out money in that manner. Otherwise, these children will rob you blind.” She would not have minded. The child seemed ravaged by hunger. Alice matched his long strides, grinning from ear to ear as he continued to ramble. “Also, you look absolutely gorgeous. If you did not have your mother’s face, I would not have recognized you, cousin. It is good to see you. How was your trip?” Alice opened her mouth. Paul answered his own question. “Of course, it was fine,” Paul continued. “You look refreshed. I do not know how you do it. One day on a ship and I am greener than grass. And sick too, to boot.” “Uh…” She had forgotten this aspect of Paul. She had always wondered how he managed to talk so fast without passing out from sheer breathlessness. Also, considering that her brown hair hung flat from her head, her hat askew, and her dress spattered with untraceable stains, Alice was a great distance from feeling refreshed. She questioned Paul’s eyesight briefly. “Yes, how about those Canadians? I bet it broke their hearts that you are back home. You never really belonged there. I only wish this blasted war had been over sooner so that you had been here to enjoy the Seasons. There are so many things I would like to show you; I guess it is never too late.” He hefted her luggage ignoring the servant beside him. Alice was impressed that he had bothered. His carriage was flamboyant in appearance, just like Paul, whose clothing outshone the morning sun in colorfulness. He had a new swagger in his walk now. “You seem quieter than I remember. I suppose that could be an advantage. Ha-ha. Nobody