Wedded to the Broken Duke

WEDDED TO THE BROKEN DUKE A Steamy Historical Regency Romance Novel AVA MACADAMS Contents Α Special Gift For You… 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 Epilogue Extended Epilogue Preview: The Viscount’s Secret Wish Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Also by Ava MacAdams Loved the Book? About the Author Α Special Gift For You… I feel so blessed that you’ve downloaded my book! As a way for me to thank you for choosing me, I am offering you a free book. Bared to the Wicked Baron is now available for all people who have downloaded one of my books! You can get your free copy by clicking the image below or this link here…and I hope you love this as much as I do! I appreciate you! Ava MacAdams Facebook 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? Are you a bookworm like me? 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 “This shall never be a love match, I married you to fulfill my duty.” Having lived as a pariah in her own home, Lady Margaret is finally happy to be married off to the first man her father finds for her. But her hopes of finding love in her marriage are soon crushed. After the terrible accident that cost him his wife and his leg, the Duke of Haddington has lost his will to live. And the only reason he agrees to pick out a new bride is to protect his family’s reputation. Only…Philip never expected his new wife to be so beautiful and full of life. Or so resolved to win him over despite his determination to resist her. Chapter One The sun danced over the pond, still too high in the sky to allow the glimmering water to hide in the shadow of the adjacent manor. Margaret Dunn lay on the cool grass, her arm cast over her eyes, as the breeze tossed around stray strands of her flowing dark hair. “There you are!” Her half-sister’s voice traveled with the breeze, wreaking havoc on Margaret’s imaginary world, and pulling her back into reality, eliciting a frown and a grumble as she slowly dragged her arm away from her face and sat up lazily on the grass. She squinted, allowing her sight to slowly adjust to the midday sun, as she saw her sister walking toward her, a cautious smile on her thin lips. That was most certainly not a good sign. “Here I am,” Margaret confirmed the obvious, holding on to hope her sister could be there only to ask if she wanted to go for a walk. “Thought I’d find you out here.” “Such a detective, my sister.” Margaret grinned, resorting to humor as she did almost every single time she came face-to-face with exasperating news. “Have you been reading my books?” “Oh, I could never,” Sophia laughed back. “There are far too many words.” “Well, now that you’ve found me, whatever do you want, Sophia?” Margaret asked light heartedly, brushing a rebellious strand of hair behind her right ear. “Can’t you see I am occupied?” “Doing what? Sprouting more freckles?” Sophia asked, sitting down next to her. It seemed clear to Margaret she was stalling. “Leave off my freckles,” Margaret grouched, sporting a grumpy frown. The little speckles where she had been kissed by the sun danced across the bridge of her nose and blossomed out onto her cheeks, a striking feature that often set her apart in most crowds and caused her endless amounts of consternation as most people considered the sun spots to be the mark of a lady who was less than refined and somehow unbecoming. “If you say so,” Sophia shrugged, and then added more insistently, “but come in out of the sun.” “Whatever for? It will be raining next week,” Margaret retorted, wanting to hold onto the peaceful moment she had been enjoying. Sophia was usually sent by the Lady of the Manor when she felt the need to chastise her stepdaughter for one reason or the other. At least her half-sister never enjoyed the task either, which was a blessed relief. Having a demanding stepmother was more than enough to deal with at present. “I must enjoy it while I can. You’ll learn that in time.” “Marry someone in India if you crave the sun so,” Sophia giggled, allowing herself to be distracted by the conversation. “I am sure Father would love that,” Margaret said, rolling her eyes. “Just ship me off to India, someone over there will sort it out.” “Speaking of,” Sophia went on, offering Margaret a sheepish look. Oh, there it was then. She had indeed been sent as a messenger, meant to do the bidding of others. “He wants to see you,” Sophia said, keeping her eyes on the ground. She plucked a few snippets of the soft green grass and toyed with them. “Father?” Margaret asked, raising her eyebrows. “Regarding what matter?” “How should I know? He just asked me to seek you out and bring you to him.” She lifted her hand and allowed the bits of grass to flutter away on the breeze. Then, she turned to look at Margaret squarely. “You know he never divulges more information than necessary.” “And where is he?” “His