In truth, the whole house seems to smell of April and May. The land agent, Mr. Ford, is recently married; the governess, Miss Vere, is betrothed to the stable master; and even the former duke’s valet has gone off to London and is soon to be married. If you were not already a proud father yourself, Edgar, I would suggest you came to Beckworth immediately!
There is one matter of business that will require your immediate attention—the placement of an advertisement in the London papers for a new housekeeper for Beckworth Park. As my closest confidant, you know I cherished some slender romantic hopes of my own when I left for Beckworth. I am delighted to report that Mrs. Pemberley has done me the honor of accepting my offer of marriage. Needless to say, I am almost as giddy as everyone else on the estate and cannot wait to introduce her to you all.
With all my love,
Your devoted father,
Reginald Tompkins
Beckworth Park
A Year Without a Duke
Jilted in January by Kate Pearce
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Forbidden in February by Suzanna Medeiros
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Seduced in September by Genevieve Turner
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An Affair in Autumn by Jennifer Haymore
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A Duke by December by Sabrina Darby
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• • •
Keep reading for a sneak peak of Jilted in January by Kate Pearce!
Jilted in January
by
Kate Pearce
Rose Leyton is stuck at the Duke of Beckworth’s country estate waiting for the return of her betrothed. If it wasn’t for the handsome assistant land agent, Mr. Colin Ford, she might believe she had ceased to exist at all. But when her intended arrives things aren’t quite how she expected.
As the youngest son of an impoverished peer, Colin is all too aware of how it feels to be ignored. His impulsive offer to save Miss Leyton from an unwanted marriage quickly becomes more serious than either of them anticipated. Can they both step out of the shadows and find a way to true independence and happiness?
Excerpt from
Jilted in January:
“Devil take it, what on earth am I supposed to do now?”
Colin Ford stood with his back against the door and surveyed the inner sanctum of the land agent’s office. The desk was piled high with official-looking documents and discarded ledgers. Every drawer was open—the contents spilling out onto the floor—and the shelves bearing leather-bound estate books dating back for the last one hundred years had been ransacked.
With a groan, Colin picked his way through the debris and came around to the rear of the enormous desk. On top of a lopsided pile of books, there was a single sheet of paper anchored under an open silver inkstand. Reaching forward, Colin took the paper and read the scrawled words out loud.
“I resign. Yours, Archibald Morehouse.”
Colin took another deep, shuddering breath. Mr. Morehouse was supposed to have been teaching him how to manage a large estate. In the months he’d spent at Beckworth Park, all he’d learned was how to keep out of the drunken land agent’s way. His offers to help had been rebuffed, and now he could see why.
As soon as the London solicitors confirmed the tidings of the Duke of Beckworth’s death and wanted more information about the principal estate, Mr. Morehouse had bolted. It had taken Colin a month to find the spare key to the estate office and get inside. Now he wished he hadn’t bothered.
Crouching down, he spotted the strongbox that was supposed to hold monies needed for the everyday expenses of the estate. It was open, and a single farthing glinted in the black depths. With a curse, Colin sank to the floor and held his head in his hands. There was no money to pay the outdoor staff their quarterly wages. Archibald Morehouse had absconded with the lot.
As the assistant land agent, would he be held responsible for his predecessor’s crimes? He damn well hoped not. Perhaps it was time to write to his father and ask for help. Even the thought of putting pen to paper and exposing his deficiencies to his irascible sire made him feel nauseated.
After a while, a persistent tapping had him looking back at the closed door. He shot to his feet.
“Come in?”
He was relieved to see that it was only the housekeeper, Mrs. Pemberley, and not the butler, who could be rather intimidating. She was a kind woman who had made him welcome at the estate and continued to treat him like a favorite son.
“Good Lord!” Mrs. Pemberley covered her mouth with her hand. “What on earth did Mr. Morehouse do?”
Colin made a hopeless gesture. “Stole all the available coin, for one. I haven’t even attempted to investigate the rest of it yet.”
“I won’t know until I’ve straightened everything out.” Colin pushed his unruly hair out of his face. “Is it possible that one of the maids could be spared to help me set this place to rights?”
Dedication
To the members of the I Love Historical Romance Facebook Group who daily reinvigorate my love for this genre, this one’s for you!
Acknowledgments
This series was inspired by Genevieve Turner’s 2015 Year Without a Duke reading challenge. Collaborating with Kate Pearce, Suzanna Medeiros, Genevieve Turner and Jennifer Haymore to create the Duchy of Beckworth and all its inhabitants has been an absolute pleasure and I would like to thank all of them for their humor and creativity. I am also grateful for the input of Vivienne Westlake, Evangeline Holland, Theresa Cole and Victory Editing.
About the Author
Sabrina Darby has been reading romance since the age of seven and learned her best vocabulary (dulcet, diaphanous, and turgid) from them. The day after her wedding she woke up with an idea for a novel and she’s been writing romance ever since. She lives in Southern California with her husband and young son. To learn about new releases, join smarturl.it/DarbyReleases.
To learn more about Sabrina Darby, visit her at SabrinaDarby.com, Facebook.com/SabrinaDarbyRomance or Twitter.com/SabrinaDarby. For all of Sabrina Darby’s latest news, sign up for her newsletter at smarturl.it/DarbyReleases.
Also by Sabrina Darby
GROUP OF EIGHT
Lord of Regrets
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Lady of Intrigue
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• • •
THE WEEKLY SCANDAL
Scandal Before Sunrise
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Woo’d in Haste
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Wed at Leisure
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• • •
The Short and Fascinating Tale of Angelina Whitcombe
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• • •
On These Silken Sheets
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• • •
“Caroline and the Duke”
a Regency short story
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