The Duke's Desire Read online

  Had her sister not approached, he thought that he might have even lingered a bit longer to see what topic they could possibly conquered after chestnuts and the snacking habits of birds and dogs. But, her sister had joined them and Storm knew that she was precisely the kind of woman he could find himself married too. She was completely opposite her sister in every way. Fair, where her sister was dark. Well put together, utterly beautiful and, out of the two, clearly more capable of knowing when a woman should or should not chase her bonnet through a public park. If one was going to be forced into marriage, miss Felicity Pinecrest would be a very lovely choice.

  “Come on Storm, the rain has already started.”

  Seeing that his younger brother had managed to repurchase two more bags of chestnut, Storm returned to his family, content to once again be among them. Retrieving the treats from Chance so the boy could scurry into the carriage, Storm tossed the nuts to Bonnet and smiled.

  “Is the other coach ready?”

  Bonnet rolled her eyes and looked past him to where the rain was gaining momentum. It was clear that she wished to be on her way.

  “Yes, everyone is accounted for. We are just waiting for you.”

  “Let me deliver this to them. I will be back momentarily.”

  His sister groaned, a worried look in her eyes, but had long ago given up on lecturing him about walking in the rain. By the time he returned, the heavens had opened and he was joyfully drenched. Crossing her arms, an action that seemed ingrained in her, Bonnet raised a brow.

  “I do not want to hear one word about how you were wet for the whole ride home. And take your jacket off. If you catch a chill, I will not feel sorry for you in the slightest.”

  Tossing a chestnut at her, Storm looked at Bonnet with a smug expression.

  “I have never caught a chill before, I hardly think I shall catch one now.”

  Picking the chestnut out of her lap she pointed it at him. With a quiet intensity, Bonnet spoke in a calm and steady voice.

  “There is no need for you to waste perfectly good chestnuts. Not to mention the fact that Chance thinks that it is now acceptable to go throwing chestnuts around.” With a glare of her eyes she and a firm wave of her hand, she finished her lecture with two words.

  “At people.”

  Storm realized that Bonnets nerves must already be shaken by the storm beating down on them, for she usually scolded him in private, but her short reprimand had succeeded in putting him in his place. As the head of the family it was his duty to act as a model of good manners so that his younger siblings would thrive once they reached an age where society would be watching their every move. There were plenty of people who had believed he was far too young to be responsible for his eight brothers and sisters, and even a simple jest such as throwing a chestnut at his sister would lead more to believe the same. Chance, the clumsiest of the family, would have enough problems without his adding to the list of unforgivable behaviors.

  “Chance, it is not acceptable to throw chestnuts around.”

  With another boyish grin the boy nodded.

  “Yes, my lord.”

  Holding back a groan, Storm refused to meet Bonnets gaze. Clearly his youngest brother now believed there was no harm in the gesture. Storm could only hope that if Chance had the urge to throw chestnuts, he would do so only at his siblings and in private. Luckily, he was saved from another lecture by a soft voice.

  “The chestnuts were a wonderful idea, Storm. Thank you.”

  Turning to Peaches, Bonnet sighed, her lips trembling to hold back a smile.

  “Yes, they were, dear.”

  “And if you do catch a chill, I will see to it that Cook makes soup for you until you feel better.”

  Out of all his sisters, Peaches was sure to be the one to receive the most marriage proposals. Not that he had any desire to think about such facts. As this was to be her first season, he would be spending enough time pondering her marriage prospects. Not to mention his own. Right now, however, he refused to think about such matters. Reaching across to her he brought her hand to his lips.

  “Thank you, sweet sister.”

  Exchanging a gentle look with Bonnet; Storm leaned back into his seat. He may not have ended up where he thought his fate would lead him, but he could not have asked for a better family. It was a gift to be a part of such a loving bunch. A gift he would cherish every day. They were his life. He would do anything for them. Even, he thought a bit wistfully, stop his habit of throwing chestnuts at them and, more importantly, finding himself a young biddable wife.

  Chapter Two

  Eleanor collapsed into her favorite chair wanting nothing more than to watch the raindrops disappear into the puddles on the street and forget all the events of the day. It appeared as if Felicity had other plans for her. Following her into the room her sister spread herself elegantly along the chaise, a dreamy look in her eyes.

  “Oh Elly, he was the most handsome gentleman I have ever seen. Do you think he is a duke? I think he must be a duke. Do you agree? And oh, did you see his eyes? Were they not the most fascinating color?”

  All Eleanor wanted to do was forget those wonderful eyes. Closing her own, she took a deep breath and prayed her sister would not think anything was out of sorts.

  “Yes dearest, he was quite handsome.”

  “Oh, yes, he was. Do you think we will ever see him again?”

  Lord take pity on her, she prayed, and do not let us ever see him again. It was just far too much for her to handle. Men such as lovely as he was had no right entering her life, even if only briefly.

  “It is highly unlikely, Felicity, as he is clearly above us in station. There does not appear to be much chance of us gaining an introduction. Now, really, you must stop such daydreaming. Perhaps we should have some tea.”

  With a sigh, her sister rose moved toward the tea tray. The rain had been pouring down for nearly an hour and it was making Felicity miserable.

  “Oh, I shall simply die if we do not see him again. I want to be able to sketch him in my book. I really did not get to study him enough.”

  Eleanor refrained from rolling her eyes. She loved her sister, but the girl had been gawking at the man long enough to draw a hundred pictures of him. As she watched her sister prepare their tea the image of a dark haired, gray eyed man came to view. She could remember everything about his face. There were tiny lines forming near the sides of his eyes proving that he laughed more often than most. And Eleanor knew that he had the tiniest scar at the corner of his left eyebrow and wondered how it came to be. Such thoughts were dangerous and Eleanor forced her mind to respond to her sister.

  “I am sure you will not die. There will be plenty of other men who you may sketch once the season truly starts. In the meanwhile, you may practice your talents by drawing your beloved sister.”

  Felicity approached, laying a soft kiss on her cheek and handing her a cup of tea.

  “Oh, I do love you Elly, but I have spent my whole life sketching you. I think I know your face better than you do.”

  As Felicity settled on the floor, her hands coming to rest on Eleanor's lap, the elder woman brushed a golden lock from her sister’s face. It was during these moments that Eleanor realized that she would do anything to keep her sister happy. That it was her sister that deserved such admiration, for Felicity had the capacity to love with her whole heart, and the innocence to see all the beauty and wonder that the world had to offer.

  “You will have a husband soon enough to draw, and children also. I am anxious to be an aunt, you know.”

  Her sister lay her head down and sighed into Eleanor's skirts. It always amazed Eleanor how free her sister was with her affection. Stroking her sister’s hair, Eleanor felt Felicity relax.

  “Oh, but what if no one likes me.”

  Laughing, Eleanor settled back into the chair and closed her eyes again. The rain really was quite soothing.

  “There has not been one person yet who has not liked you, darling. I wag
er that by the end of your second week dancing in the ballrooms, you are going to fall madly in love with a perfectly elegant man.”

  Felicity smiled and raised her head, her blue eyes twinkling. Rising, she kissed Eleanor's cheek again and headed for the door.

  “Oh, I do hope he looks like the man in the park. I am going to try to sketch him anyway. I can at least work on his eyes. He had the most spectacular eyes....”

  Her sister’s words trailed away and Eleanor was grateful for the quiet. It was going to a long while before she would be able to find solitude in the afternoons. Soon enough, she was going to have to speak to Marcus about just how rough things were getting. Just had desperately they needed to see her sister to make a fortunate match.

  “Storm, we need to talk.”

  His sister rarely waited for permission to enter his study, nor did she now. Storm watched her settle into the chair across from him. Her chestnut locks bobbed around her head, the curls settling to frame her face and for a moment he felt a rush of gratitude. The bond he shared with his eldest sister had always been the one thing that grounded him. She knew him better than anyone, and if anything was amiss she would help him sort the matter out logically until any problem was solved. From the firm set of her lips he knew she was about to broach a subject that would not please him. Taking a sip of his brandy, he raised a brow.

  “What seems to be the issue, my wise sister?”

  She gave him a stern glare at the remark, but she was not going to let it distract her.

  “I want to discuss your marriage prospects.”

  With a shudder, an image popped into his mind of a brunette crashing into him, chestnuts tumbling around her head. Since their meeting in the park, he could hardly get Miss Pinecrest and her lovely sister out of his thoughts. They were just so different. The brunette seemed so clumsy, and a bit eccentric in some way, she perplexed him. He had never really cared for brunettes, even if her eyes were unusually lovely. But Felicity… she was the picture of perfection. Storm suspected that he should somehow learn more about her before the season was in full force.

  With a sigh, he pulled his focus back to his sister, clearly bracing for battle. This was the one subject on which they would never truly agree. Storm remained silent; an action that he knew would irritate his sister.

  “I know that it must be hard for you. You are afraid of giving your heart to someone like father did....”

  Storm had to interrupt her.

  “Bonnet, I am not afraid of falling in love. I am afraid of not falling in love. Can you honestly imagine me with a wife of convenience?”

  Bonnet sighed.

  “Storm, you need an heir.”

  Taking another sip of wine, he had to agree with her. They had discussed this to no end before they returned to London for the season. Neither of them noted that Storm was only a few days away from being nine and twenty. Still very young and still very much alive. But they both knew how easily death could sneak up on someone. It was time to face the fate that awaited him. Softly, his sister whispered.

  “I do not wish to see you unhappy, but, honestly, Storm, you did promise to try to find someone this season. I just think it would benefit you to have an idea who would suit the best.”

  Storm stared into the plea in her blue eyes and sighed.

  “Bonnet, I promised to keep an open mind but I will draw the line of letting you pick out my future bride. If I must give up love, it will be for a woman I choose.”

  A blonde, preferably, he thought. Slender and elegant. And biddable. He loved Bonnet, but a lifetime of a woman who could manage him so easily was not something he wanted in the future. He allowed his sister the control simply because of she had helped him and he owned her the respect. Besides, he was not foolish enough to believe that anyone would come close to running the day to day household tasks as she did. After their parent’s death, they both fell into their assigned roles and worked well keeping the family running smoothly. They had no option. The thought of being separated from their family was unacceptable. Storm took his father’s place at the head of the family and Bonnet took over all their mothers day-to-day tasks. Neither was able to mourn their loss at they should have been allowed. All the knew was that if they did not take on their roles, their family would never have managed to remain together.

  But, both had discussed, painfully and with a frankness that they could only show each other, his need of a wife. It had been nearly five years since their death. Storm was not the man he was now. Before his parents passed, he was everything the eldest son of a powerful duke usually was. Arrogant, entitled and living as if he had nothing to lose. There was still kindness in him back then, his mother saw to it. And an unwavering devotion to family that kept him from becoming one of the truly reprehensible men of the ton. His parents had loved deeply and with their whole soul. They insisted that none of their children would settle for less than that when it came to for them to wed. But then, one day, everything changed.

  “I am sorry, Storm. I am trying to make this as painless for you as possible.”

  He saw the pain in her eyes. Bonnet was always honest with him. Brutal at points. But always, honest. Reach out to him, she placed her hand on his arm and gently squeezed it.

  “It has been five years Storm. It is time. If we do not try to move on none of the others will.”

  Pouring himself another brandy, Storm raised it to his sister and drank it all in one swift motion.

  “We do not need to have this discussion again, it was quite miserable the first time. I have made you a promise, Bonnet. I will due my duty. I will marry, even without love, but I am going to be the one who choose my bride.”

  Two days before heading to London to prepare for the season ahead, Bonnet had approached him with the idea of his marrying. He had completely disregarded her request, but she pressed on and suddenly, Storm faced the truth. She was right. It was time for him to marry. His brother, Hunter, he would not do well if he had to inherit the title. Since they had been very young it was clear that his brother was ill suited to take on the role of Duke. Hunter was happiest when he was in the country, tending to his stud, preferring horses to gaming rooms and the quiet nights at home over dancing through the prominent ballrooms of London. His brother would never be happy inheriting.

  When he had spoken with his father, Hunter had never been a concern. Although he was a second son, his father was a strong, healthy, vibrant man. With Storms devotion to family, no one believed that Hunter would ever be in a position to inherit. Then, one dreadful day, their father was gone and everything thing had changed. He could recall many late-night conversations with Bonnet about the uncertainly of life and death. Who was to say that Storm could not, just as easily, come to an untimely death? Their family would not survive such an event. Hunter would not survive it.

  So, with the sound of thunder and lightning crashing around outside, on a day not that much different than today, it had been decided. Storm needed an heir. And if he needed an heir, he needed a wife. Apparently, Bonnet felt that five years of tempting fate ad been enough. He would marry for the sake of his brother. For the sake of his title, and he would do it whether he was in love or not.

  “I did not come here to tell you who to marry. I merely came here to let you know who you may wish to consider.”

  The image of the Felicity Pinecrest came to his mind. She was new to London. He had yet to hear anything about the family. Her smile was charming, and her hair was as golden as the sun. She was young and sweet and just the kind of biddable woman that might suit. He would certainly pay close attention to her this season. Trapped in his thoughts, he did not notice his sister cross to him. Bonnet’s hand came to his cheek.

  “You truly are a wonderful brother, Storm. You know I only want the best things for you.”

  An uncharacteristic tear came to her eye and he brushed it away.

  “No tears precious. We promised each other we had shed enough. I have been blessed to have you as a sist
er. I could have never raised this family without you. These past few years have been hard, on us both, but I will do my duty this season.”

  It was the truth. He and Bonnet had struggled and fought some amazing battles to raise the younger ones when their parents had died. All Storm could do was brace for the next sacrifice he would have to make. Collecting herself, his sister broke the melancholy mood that had settled over them.

  “Very well, you have given me your word to look for a bride and I will hold you to it. Chance mentioned that you met someone in the park?”

  A smile came to his lips. Bonnet would make a fine match making mother one day.

  “Sisters actually. Chance accidently collided into the one woman, and I fear I tread on her bonnet.”

  “What was her name?”

  Storm thought very hard.

  “Um… I do not know that I remember. Her sister, Felicity had mentioned it, but she never formally introduced herself to me. Pinecrest is the last name. Felicity Pinecrest is quite amiable and lovely. I was quite taken with her. Do you know of the family?”

  Bonnet shook her head.

  “They must be new to London. If you would like me to I am sure I can find out where they reside. I am sure someone must know them.”

  Storm nodded.

  “I already have sent a footman out to track them down. I thought I should replace the woman’s bonnet.”

  His sister looked at him suspiciously

  “So, let me understand this. You are going to send a new bonnet to the sister of the woman you are actually thinking of pursuing?”