The Duke's Lost Love


 
 
 Table of Contents
 
 Books by Raven McAllan & Cassie O'Brien
 Title Page
 Legal Page
 Book Description
 Dedication
 Trademark Acknowledgements
 Chapter One
 Chapter Two
 Chapter Three
 Chapter Four
 Chapter Five
 Chapter Six
 Chapter Seven
 Chapter Eight
 Chapter Nine
 Chapter Ten
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 About the Authors
 
 Totally Bound Publishing books by Raven McAllan & Cassie O’Brien
 
 The Scots and the Sassenachs
 The Earl of Callander’s Secret Bride
 The Baron’s Saving Grace
 
 Totally Bound Publishing books by Raven McAllan
 
 Single Books
 Hong Kong Heat
 Taken Identity
 Fairground Attraction
 The Duke’s Temptation
 The Viscount Meets his Match
 
 Diomhair
 Secrets Shared
 Secrets Uncovered
 Secrets Remembered
 Secrets Dispatched
 Secrets Learned
 Secrets Dispelled
 
 Daring Ladies
 The Earl and The Courtesan
 
 Castle on the Loch
 Love by the Stroke of Midnight
 
 Happy Ever After at Romansa Castle
 The Fix Up
 
 Anthologies
 Bully for You: Chasing Charlie
 
 Collections
 A Little Bit Cupid: For One Night Only
 
 Totally Bound Publishing books by Cassie O’Brien
 
 Single Books
 The Girls’ Club
 From a Lady to a Maid
 Ellie’s Rules
 
 
 The Scots and the Sassenachs
 THE DUKE’S LOST LOVE
 RAVEN MCALLAN & CASSIE O’BRIEN
 
 
 The Duke’s Lost Love
 ISBN # 978-1-83943-669-7
 ©Copyright Raven McAllan & Cassie O’Brien 2023
 Cover Art by Erin Dameron-Hill ©Copyright February 2023
 Interior text design by Claire Siemaszkiewicz
 Totally Bound Publishing
 
 This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.
 
 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing.
 
 Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Totally Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.
 
 The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork. 
 
 Published in 2023 by Totally Bound Publishing, United Kingdom.
 
 No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors’ rights. Purchase only authorised copies.
 
 Totally Bound Publishing is an imprint of Totally Entwined Group Limited.
 
 If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book”.
 Book three in 
 The Scots and the Sassenachs series
 Young lovers, torn apart, are each dreaming of a second chance at love.
 
 Mrs Evanna Percival-Smyth, a widow of independent means, has agreed to chaperone Lady Cairstine McColl during the young lady’s stay at Corbridge. An act of kindness it may be, or perhaps an undertaking prompted by curiosity—for Cairstine is the daughter of the man she once hoped to marry.
 
 Hot on the trail of a would-be blackmailer, the Duke of Glenard arrives in the town of Corbridge to prevent his beloved daughter from paying the price of the fiend’s ransom demand. What he does not expect when he gets there is to find her in the company of his first love—the woman who threw him over in order to marry someone else.
 
 His love for Evanna still burns bright at the centre of his soul. Many years ago he believed she loved him too. In the aftermath of a tragic fire, he will discover the truth.
 
 
 Dedication
 To Wendy, the best cheerleader ever,
 and to the two Pauls for putting up with our ramblings.
 
 
 Trademark Acknowledgements
 The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:
 
 The Cheshire Cat: Lewis Carroll
 Overture to the Magic Flute: W.A. Mozart
 Passacagalia: Handel
 
 
 Chapter One
 Now
 
 By the light of a flaming flambeau held aloft by Sydney, page and general dogsbody to the Armstrong household, Mrs Evanna Percival-Smyth walked home. The moon was on the wane and that, added to the heavy cloud obscuring the stars in the night sky, made his illuminating assistance to guide her footsteps a necessity. A trip, with its likely consequence of a twisted ankle, was high on the cards otherwise.
 Her house was cloaked in near darkness when she arrived. No servant would be up waiting. She was not meant to be there, but rather at Denny House, where she’d accepted an appointment to chaperone the Lady Cairstine McColl during her visit to Corbridge.
 Circumstances had led to this unexpected return.
 Of course, if she chose, she could wake the household and have people ready to do her bidding immediately—or almost immediately. It would mean they would have to dress and hurry, probably bleary-eyed or yawning, from their various rooms, and Evanna was more considerate than to ask for that. She valued her staff. Why should her unforeseen homecoming disturb their slumber? In her mind they got little enough respite as it was.
 Plus, she had a lot to think about and didn’t want anyone to see her agitation. Sydney, bless him, did not count. His intelligence was not of the highest, but he was always willing to please.
 At her front door, she opened her reticule and passed her young escort a silver sixpence. His eyes widened.
 “Cor, Mrs P. Thank you.”
 She patted his shoulder and smiled, even though, with her knees all a tremble after seeing Cairstine’s father, Nathan, for the first time in over twenty