The Duke's Wager

THE DUKE'S WAGER The fire of love, a furnace bright, a heart once frozen now alight… ELLA EDON CONTENTS Thank you 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 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Epilogue Extended Epilogue Afterword Do you want more Romance? A Lady's Brush with Romance Never miss a thing Thank you About the Author THANK YOU I want to thank you personally 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 150 reviews, with an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 It is called “The Duke's Darkest Desire”, 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 ABOUT THE BOOK With every beat of love's passionate drum, a frozen heart will finally succumb… Lady Lucy Beaumont, a rose in the gardens of society, blossoms in a world of thorns and deceit. Behind the glittering façade of the ton lies a dark truth; her mother was a victim of a cruel and jealous husband. Vowing never to fall into the same fate, Lucy shields her heart from all. But when the mysterious and alluring Edward enters her life, she finds herself drawn into a tempest of desire, where the winds of passion threaten to uproot all she thought she knew. Edward Lockhart, a scandalous rogue with a shattered heart, sails the seas of society, shielding himself from love's tumultuous waves. But when he sets his sights on the season's fairest gem, Lady Lucy Beaumont, a challenge arises. Dubbed the "ice queen," Lucy is as distant as a star yet as alluring as the moon. Edward, with a devilish smirk, sets out to conquer her heart and prove to his rival that he is, indeed, London's greatest lover. Little does he know the journey ahead will test the strength of his sails and the depth of his soul. As they embark on a dangerous dance of passion, the line between desire and love begins to blur. And Edward will soon realize that the ice queen's heart may be one worth melting. But as the veil of secrets is lifted and pasts collide, will their love flourish or will it wilt away into the dust? In a world where beauty is a trap and love is a bet, how can these two wounded souls find the passion that ignites a love worth risking everything for? "A masterpiece of love, painted with every kiss..." * * * PROLOGUE At a mere eight years old, Lucy Beaumont did not know much about life, but she knew one thing was certain: her dislike for graveyards. The dreary weather suits the somber mood of the cemetery, Lucy thought as she followed her father to the place where the crowd had started to gather. She could still vividly remember the last time she had in such a place. It had been a little over a year ago, to say goodbye to mama. Tears formed in Lucy’s eyes at the thought of her mother, but she quickly wiped them away for fear of her father noticing. Papa did not like it when she cried. Especially when she cried about her. He was not aware of the fact that Lucy had heard his cruel words after her death. She had snuck down to the kitchen for a glass of water but her papa was there with one of the servants so Lucy remained hidden. He had called her mother selfish and stupid and had also demanded that Lucy never cry about her. He had vowed never to waste a single tear on her and had said that his household should do the same. It was a lot for a seven-year-old to take in, but her mama had taught Lucy from a very young age to always listen to her papa. So Lucy walked back upstairs and dried her tears. If papa did not want her to cry, she would refrain from crying. That night, Lucy had whispered to whoever was listening, her mother perhaps, that she was sorry for not crying but she was afraid that her father would get angry if she did not comply. The people at this funeral, Lucy thought now, had clearly made no such promises. People stood with handkerchiefs pressed against their noses, and here and there someone sniffed. Lucy was relieved when papa let go of her hand. She knew that he would not notice her wandering off – he’d only look for her once it was time to leave. As such, Lucy quietly moved to the back of the crowd where she had a good view of the whole group. She did not know who William Lockhart was but judging by the number of people at his funeral he must have been quite popular. There were nowhere near this many people at her mother’s funeral. It had only been her, her father and a few of their servants. Not even her mother’s parents were there. Lucy was too afraid to ask why they had decided to not attend, but she heard the servants whispering about it afterward. According to them, her father had strictly forbidden them to stay away – both from the funeral and Lucy herself. He had vowed to protect his daughter against anything and everything because he wanted her to