Ambitions

By Amanda Kelly

Elizabeth shivered, uncertain what to do next. She knew that the Wycherleys prided themselves upon eccentricity, and that Daniel would be another in their mould, but she had not expected quite so much. She wanted a Duke to be a Duke, not a labourer or a village Artisan. Daniel had certainly been brought up to be the Duke, unlike his grandfather, but clearly it had not had much impact upon him. 
Wondering what on earth her future would be like with a strange man who preferred bees to the ton, she took a quick sip of the beer. It was dark and strong, and tasted of the countryside. She put the mug down with a grimace.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Avery Publishing
• Release date: Apr 17, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386809661

Book preview

Ambitions

Sweet Regency Romance

By: Amanda Kelly

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Ambitions

Chapter 1

Arriving at the house, Whichleigh looked exactly as she had remembered. The white porticos at the front stood out from the rest of the red brick building, like a recent addition or an afterthought. In fact, they were as old as the rest of the house, but Jeremiah Wycherley had decided to include this gothic element into his traditional building. His son, and now his grandson, had kept this old mark of their ancestor's taste. In a way, seeing the familiar signs of the Whichleigh property made her feel more at home.

The carriage, which had been travelling at a decreasing speed since the village, now pulled into the front of the house incredibly slowly. She could feel her impatience rising as the wheels brought her closer and closer to her destiny as a Duchess of Whichleigh. She had been formally engaged to the man since they were both in their cradles, and she had been waiting for his summons since her 14th birthday. Her father had grown increasingly impatient, and now he had sent her to reclaim her rightful position.

It wasn’t typical of her father to send her away without any preparation, but she understood his frustration, experiencing it herself as she assumed that the heir of the estates no longer wished to be her spouse.

She went up the stairs, to knock loudly upon the front door, only to find that the doors had had the large gate  pulled tightly across them. This innovation, which had been very popular in Jeremiah Wycherley's time, was still used to indicate to visitors that the family had left the house. She knew this was an error, as she had written to the Duke explicitly, telling him that she was coming. He had seen it, because he has sent her a message saying, Come if you must. Yet the bolting of the gate  was clearly meant to indicate that he was not on the property.

She kicked the gate  sharply, and then looked around to make sure that nobody had seen her. Her father had warned her of her temper, but she couldn't believe that she had been left to make the journey here by herself, without even a decent trousseau, or more than a lady's maid to accompany her. It was less like the arrival of a duchess in waiting, and more like the unexpected arrival of a poor relation.