The Duke’s Reckoning

THE DUKE’S RECKONING Love is a battlefield, and revenge is a two-edged sword… LISA CAMPELL CONTENTS Thank you Society’s Secret Sins About the book Prologue 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 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Epilogue Extended Epilogue Afterword Society’s Secret Sins Do you want more Romance? The Duke’s Undisclosed Desires Never miss a thing Thank you About the Author THANK YOU I want to personally thank you for purchasing my book. It really means a lot to me. It’s a blessing to have the opportunity to share with you my passion for writing, through my stories. As a FREE GIFT, I am giving you a link to my first novel. It has more than 40 reviews, with an average rating of 5 out of 5. It is called “The Earl's Sinful Quest”, and you can get it for FREE. Please note that this story is only available for YOU as a subscriber and hasn't been published anywhere else. Please click on the cover to download the book. SOCIETY’S SECRET SINS Book#1 (this book) The Duke’s Reckoning * * * ABOUT THE BOOK The heart wants what it wants, but duty calls... Amelia Oakley has always lived a privileged life, enjoying the attention of the ton and the countless suitors vying for her hand in marriage. But her world is shattered when her reputation, once pure as the driven snow, is ruined in a single, fateful moment. Cast out by society, and with nowhere to turn to, she is left to pick up the pieces of her broken life. Enter the handsome and enigmatic Duke of Kensington, who offers her a chance at redemption. But little does the young lady know, for his intentions are not entirely pure. Sidney Reeves, the heir to the Duke of Kensington, once a man of noble standing, now walks the path of disgrace, his reputation tarnished by the events leading to his father's untimely demise. Fueled by anger, he sets his sights on the daughter of the man responsible and plots the perfect revenge. After spreading vile accusations about Amelia’s reputation, he swoops in and proposes to the ruined lady. For he knows to keep his friends close and his enemies even closer. However, they'll soon find themselves tantalized by the promise of passion; for as Sidney battles with his own feelings and the interference of an old flame, he must also confront his guilt and resentment over his father's death. When the truth comes to light, can he convince Amelia to accept all that he has to offer, even though he destroyed everything she once held dear? As they struggle to come to terms with their pasts and build a future together, they must decide whether they can let go of their grudges and embrace a love that has the power to heal all wounds. Love is a battlefield, and revenge is a two-edged sword… * * * PROLOGUE Devonshire, 1803 If there was one solid trait yet to fail Sidney Reeve, future Duke of Kensington, in all his twenty-nine years alive, it would be the strong intuition and keen ability to sense when something was terribly wrong. Or about to be. Right on cue, the sound of a loud crash below the stairs of Kensington House jerked him up from bed. The last vestige of sleep disappeared abruptly as he hurriedly tightened his dress robe and left the bedchamber at once. With each frantic step he took down the thick, carpeted staircase, Sidney followed the sound of raised voices straight to his father’s study just by the first-floor landing. His heart grew heavy as a lone familiar voice dissolved into a mournful cry. Something was definitely amiss. That very thought took shape as he strode through the doorway into the opulently decorated room to meet an unexpected, chaotic scene before him—one that caused a falter in his steps and set off several alarm bells ringing in his head. The entire study was in total disarray. Bound volumes of books were strewn haphazardly across the Persian carpet rugs, shelves stripped down and positioned at odd angles as if someone had unceremoniously yanked all their contents off. The cherished paintings of all the dukes in their lineage had been pulled down and now lay carelessly atop each other on the rug. A case of writing ink had been upturned, darkening the edge of the multicolored braided centerpiece rug, the remainder of ink in the case trickling down in droplets and adding to the entire mess. What drew Sidney aback was his father’s prized sculptures made by talented sculptors at home and abroad. Some lay broken, their slabs scattered around the room, and others badly dented and almost unrecognizable. Still, it was a sight better than that of his parents facing each other, the tension between them rife and thick enough to be severed with a knife. “You should have taken my advice, Your Grace! He has always been rumored to be an unreliable blackguard and a most underhanded man among the Ton!” Clarice Reeves, the Duchess of Kensington, and his loving mother spoke harshly in a tone ridden with emotions, as she waved a thickly bound sheave of papers in his father’s face. “I had no bleeping idea!” Geoffrey Reeves, Duke of Kensington, retorted, his face flushed red with exertion. Sidney had never in his life seen his most amiable and veritable father looking as disturbed and disheveled as he did right then. His dress shirt was tucked loosely into his trousers, his spectacles sat askew over the bridge of his nose as sweat formed blooming ribbons along his brows. He perused the document in hand and met his wife’s agitated expression, worry