Georgiana and the rogue.., p.11
Georgiana and the Rogue: Regency Spinsters Alliance,
p.11
Julian eyed her uncertainly. “Do we have a future?”
“I certainly hope so,” she answered honestly as she stepped closer to him. “No matter what the outcome of these investigations, I wish you to know that I love you. So very much.”
Julian’s chest felt too small to contain all the emotions suddenly bursting to be free. “I love you too, Georgiana. I adore you. Worship you.”
She gave a self-derisive smile. “I am not sure I am worthy of being worshipped—”
“Yes, you are.” Julian clasped both her hands in his. “To me, you are perfect. I love you so much, Georgiana. I know I always will.”
She stood on tiptoe to brush her lips lightly against his. “I will always love you too,” she assured softly. “No matter what happens next, I love you and want to be with you.”
Julian knew that she was referring to whether they found further proof of Annabel’s true purpose in “marrying” him before disappearing once her task was completed.
Not that Julian had personally supplied her with any of that information if that were the case, because he knew he had not. But Annabel’s position in Society as his wife had given her entrée into the company of those who could. No doubt her so-called innocent charm had worked on those gentlemen too!
“Let the past remain in the past, my love.” Georgiana reached up to smooth the frown from his brow. “It is gone and cannot be altered. Let it go,” she repeated. “Now there is only the future to look forward to. Together, no matter what else we discover.”
A future with Georgiana was all that he wanted.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
When they spoke to Meggie, after she had overcome her shyness in Julian’s presence, she confirmed Annabel’s actions that last afternoon two years ago had been exactly as Georgiana had thought they might have been.
With the added horror that Annabel had twisted Meggie’s arm until it broke at the same time as she warned Meggie that if she told anyone she had seen Annabel sail away in a French ship, she would come back and punish her even further. Which explained Meggie’s melancholy at this time of the year and the nightmares.
It troubled Julian deeply that Meggie should have had to suffer both physical and emotional pain because he married a woman whom, it transpired, was both vicious and cruel.
Except it seemed he had not been married to her at all.
St. Albans had instructed his men to come to Norfolk when they returned from France. The information they brought with them was that one Annabelle Benoir, and her husband, Count Francois Benoir, married for five years, had both been killed during the fighting to reinstate Napoleon as the emperor of France after his escape from Elba.
Those men had brought a painted likeness of the countess and her husband back from France with them.
Proof to Julian that not only had Annabel used a false name when they met, but that her age was also six years older than she had told him it was. That she was also already married and had been so for five years before the two of them even met.
It possibly also explained her refusal to enter into physical relations with him. Although that might be attributing her with a faithfulness to her French husband that she had not possessed.
The moment Julian knew the truth, he waited only long enough for St. Albans’s men to be escorted to the kitchen by Dalton so that Cook could feed them, before he went down on one knee in front of Georgiana. He was totally unconcerned that the St. Albanses and the Hellsmeres were still seated in the salon with them.
The six of them had become close over the past ten days or so, spending their days together riding, reading, or walking, and their evenings playing cards or listening to the ladies play the piano.
Julian knew that the St. Albanses and the Hellsmeres would not be in the least surprised by his actions.
It was Georgiana who looked thoroughly taken aback at seeing him down on one knee.
Julian clasped both her hands in his. “Please marry me, darling Georgiana.”
“I have told you that, as a member of the Spinsters Alliance, I do not need to be married, only loved—”
“Which I do. With all my heart. But I also want to be married to you,” he insisted. “I want to be able to claim you far and wide as my wife. To be able to walk proudly at your side as your husband. To accompany you as my duchess to all Society events. To have children with you. Grandchildren.”
Her cheeks became flushed. “I had not thought about having children…”
“You should,” Chloe, the Duchess of Hellsmere, encouraged as she rose gracefully to her feet. “Lucien and I are working diligently upon the first of ours,” she added with a loving smile at Hellsmere as he now stood beside her, his arm about the slenderness of her waist.
“As are we.” Lily, Duchess of St. Albans, gave her husband a teasing smile as she stood and held a hand out to him.
“I am always happy to oblige, my love,” St Albans drawled as he stood beside her.
“We shall leave the two of you alone to…talk.” Hellsmere’s gaze did not waver from the beauty of his wife’s face. “Take your time,” he offered. “I know that we shall.”
“Is it too late to kill him?” St. Albans asked his wife as they followed the Hellsmeres to the door.
“Chloe would never forgive you,” the duchess pointed out.
“There is that, I suppose,” the duke murmured before he paused in the doorway to look back at Julian and Georgiana. “I am pleased to have been instrumental in helping to bring the two of you together. I should also, with your agreement, like to be the one to walk Georgiana down the aisle. I am sure Hellsmere will be equally as happy to stand beside Julian and for our wives to attend and assist Georgiana.” He closed the door behind him as he followed his wife from the room.
Georgiana chuckled at the arrogance of St. Albans’s statement. “He is truly incorrigible.”
Incorrigible and very arrogant. But St. Albans, by offering his arm for her to walk down the aisle on, and Hellsmere to stand as witness to the marriage beside Julian, would also be making a statement to the ton and anyone else who cared to know. That statement was that these two wealthy and powerful dukes, and their duchesses, supported and approved of their marriage.
If she and Julian married…
She looked at him from beneath long lashes. “I really do not need marriage, Julian.”
“I do.” He stood to take both her hands in his. “Darling Georgiana, I know that you made a pledge of spinsterhood with five of your friends. But, if I recall, that pledge only applied in regard to you not wanting to be forced to marry where you did not love and were not loved in return?”
“Yes…”
“Well, you have told me you love me, and I could not love you any more deeply than I already do. So, as was the case with your friends Lily and Chloe, I believe you are now perfectly justified in accepting my proposal of marriage.”
Georgiana gazed up at the man she loved beyond all and everything else. She imagined spending a lifetime being loved by him. Of the two of them having children together. Of enjoying watching those children grow. Of the two of them growing old together, happy in each other’s company.
There was only ever one answer she could or wanted to give.
“Yes.”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carole Mortimer is a USA Today Bestselling Author and recipient of the RWA Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award 2015, RT Career Achievement Award 2017, RT Pioneer for Romance Award 2014. She was also recognized by Queen Elizabeth II in 2012 for her ‘outstanding service to literature’. Carole has written over 295 novels in Contemporary, Regency and paranormal romance genres.
She is happily married to Peter. They have 6 sons, and live on the beautiful Isle of Man. She also loves to hear from Readers!
OTHER BOOKS BY CAROLE MORTIMER
Regency Spinsters Alliance series:
Lily and the Duke (Regency Spinsters Alliance 1)
Chloe and the Devil (Regency Spinsters Alliance 2)
Georgiana and the Rogue (Regency Spinsters Alliance 3)
Julia and the Rake (Regency Spinsters Alliance 4)
More books to come in this series
Wynter Hearts Series:
RUFUS (Wynter Hearts 1)
MAGNUS (Wynter Hearts 2)
FERGUS (Wynter Hearts 3)
DECLAN (Wynter Hearts 4)
KNOX (Wynter Hearts 5)
More books to come in this series
Snow Dragons Hunting – dragon shifter romance
LACHLAN (Snow Dragons Hunting 1)
HUNTER (Snow Dragons Hunting 2)
RANULF (Snow Dragons Hunting 3)
Series complete
Ruthless Regency Dukes:
The Wager (Ruthless Regency Dukes 1)
The Mistress (Ruthless Regency Dukes 2)
The Widow (Ruthless Regency Dukes 3)
The Guardian (Ruthless Regency Dukes 4)
The Hero (Ruthless Regency Dukes 5)
The Ghost (Ruthless Regency Dukes 6)
Series complete
Kingston Security:
Kingston’s Ransom (Kingston Security 1)
Kingston’s Captive (Kingston Security 2)
Kingston’s Redemption (Kingston Security 3)
Kingston’s Enigma (Kingston Security 4)
Kingston’s Salvation (Kingston Security 5)
Kingston’s Obsession (Kingston Security 6)
Kingston’s Rival (Kingston’s Security 7)
Series complete
Regency Scandal:
WANTON (Regency Scandal 1)
WILD (Regency Scandal 2)
WAYWARD (Regency Scandal 3)
SINFUL (Regency Scandal 4)
Series in now complete
Russian Dragon Heat:
VLADIMIR (Russian Dragon Heat 1)
VAUGHN (Russian Dragon Heat 2)
VIKTOR (Russian Dragon Heat 3)
More books to come in this series.
Regency Club Venus:
Bastian’s Surrender (Regency Club Venus 1)
Gabriel’s Torment (Regency Club Venus 2)
Benedict’s Challenge (Regency Club Venus 3)
Julius’s Passion (Regency Club Venus 4)
James’s Lady (Regency Club Venus 5)
Series now complete.
Dance with the Devil Series:
MATTEO (Dance with the Devil 1)
LEON (Dance with the Devil 2)
KILLIAN (Dance with the Devil 3)
JERICHO (Dance with the Devil 4)
KIERAN (Dance with the Devil 5)
Series now complete
Regency Men in Love M/M (Written as C A Mortimer)
Hidden Lover (Regency Men in Love 1)
Hidden Desire (Regency Men in Love 2)
Hidden Passion (Regency Men in Love 3)
More books to come in this series.
Regency Lovers Series:
INDECENT (Regency Lovers 1)
OBSESSION (Regency Lovers 2)
CRAVING (Regency Lovers 3)
FORBIDDEN (Regency Lovers 4)
SURRENDER (Regency Lovers 5)
SCANDAL (Regency Lovers 6)
Series complete
Steele Protectors Series:
LOGAN (Steele Protectors 1)
ATTICUS (Steele Protectors 2)
BRYCE (Steele Protectors 3)
ROURKE (Steele Protectors 4)
HAYDN (Steele Protectors 5) Author’s 250th book
LUCAN (Steele Protectors 6)
Series Complete
Dragon Hearts – Contemporary paranormal
Nathaniel (Dragon Hearts 1)
Deryk (Dragon Hearts 2)
Bryn (Dragon Hearts 3)
Dylan (Dragon Hearts 4)
Grigor (Dragon Hearts 5)
Garrett (Dragon Hearts 6)
Aeran & Rhys (Dragon Hearts 7)
Dragon Reunion (Dragon Hearts 8)
Series Complete
Regency Sinners Series:
Wicked Torment (Regency Sinners 1)
Wicked Surrender (Regency Sinners 2)
Wicked Scandal (Regency Sinners 3)
Wicked Deception Regency Sinners 4)
Wicked Captive (Regency Sinners 5)
Wicked Temptation (Regency Sinners 6)
Wicked Sinner (Regency Sinners 7)
Wicked Christmas (Regency Sinners 8)
Series now complete.
Regency Unlaced Series:
The Duke’s Mistress (Book 1)
Claimed by the Marquis (Book 2)
Taken by the Earl (Book 3)
Pursued by the Viscount (Book 4)
Desired by a Lord (Book 5)
Captured by a Gentleman (Book 6)
Pleasured by a Duke (Book 7)
Seduced by a Marquis (Book 8)
Tamed by the Earl (Book 9)
Series now complete
Knight Security Series: Spin-off to ALPHA series
Resisting Alexandre (Knight Security 0.5)
Defying Asher (Knight Security 1)
Challenging Gabriel (Knight Security 2)
Capturing Caleb (Knight Security 3)
Tempting Zander (Knight Security 4)
Enticing Ian (Knight Security 5)
Seducing Ethan (Knight Security 6)
Series now complete
ALPHA Series:
Christmas Alpha (Alpha 1)
Dark Alpha (Alpha 2)
Shadow Alpha (Alpha 3)
Midnight Alpha (Alpha 4)
Renegade Alpha (Alpha 5)
Warrior Alpha (Alpha 6)
Rogue Alpha (Alpha 7)
Savage Alpha (Alpha 8)
Series now complete
Carole Mortimer, Georgiana and the Rogue: Regency Spinsters Alliance
