Her Wily Duke (THE HER DUKE COLLECTION) by Arietta Richmond EPUB & PDF – eBook Details Online
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- Authors: Arietta Richmond
- Language: English
- Genre: Historical Romance
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- Size: 2 MB
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Mid 1816
“As much as I’m dreading the trip back to Foxridge Park,” said Adam
Villiers, Marquess of Whitewell, “there’s one thing I dread even more.”
“What’s that, my Lord?” asked Walham, his valet.
“Actually getting there.”
Walham said nothing and a silence fell between them as the chaise
rattled its way across the cobblestone streets. Both men were unusually
gloomy, now that their long stay in London was coming to an end. Their
friends and relations had warned them that the city was a stable of filth and
corruption, and that no one who had any money would choose to stay there
during the summer. Yet compared to life at Foxridge Park since Adam’s
father had died, it had been positively idyllic. Adam had never expected to
hate his own home so much, and to miss it so little.
He and his father, the previous Duke of Foxridge, had spent countless
hours hunting for game in its woodlands when he was younger. Its orchards,
and its lakes stocked with fish, were the envy of every well-to-do family in
five counties. Each year at the annual midsummer’s eve Ball he was the
envy of every young man, including his slightly older and considerably less
handsome brother Frederick.
Then his father had died, Frederick had taken control of the estate, and
everything had changed.
If the late Duke of Foxridge could have chosen his own successor, there
was no question that he would have chosen Adam. At twenty-five, he was
universally admired. His bright eyes and shy smile betrayed an air of
profound kindness. The single stray lock of dark brown hair that was
perpetually falling into his eyes, threatening to obscure his vision, was
talked about, sighed over and fought over by half the women in London.
Had the succession been put to a vote, every manservant and maidservant,
ostler and herbalist at Foxridge Park would have voted to confer the
Dukedom upon Adam Villiers.
But the title of Duke is not conferred by election, and upon their father’s
death the title went to Frederick.
The moment Frederick became the Duke of Foxridge he began working
to consolidate his rule over the vast estate. Old servants who had been with
the family for decades were removed from their positions. One particularly
aged and venerable butler named Bulstrode, who had retired some years
before and been made honorary gardener, was thrown into the street, where
he would soon have died of starvation and exposure had the local vicar not
taken him in. Pretty young girls were given positions better suited to
women twice their age and with twice their skill. Parties were thrown often
– at least in the first few months, lavish parties which threatened to
bankrupt Foxridge Park — curiously mirthless parties where scarcely
anyone laughed, and few could be enjoined to dance. Parties which were, as
well, utterly inappropriate, for they were still in the mourning period for the
old Duke. Staff who questioned the wisdom of this excess were summarily
dismissed, and those who remained dared not speak against the new Duke
and his rule.
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