Charming the Duke

By Roxie Brandon

Amazing value Regency two-story collection.

Charming dukes with attitudes and kind hearts. Lovely ladies who want to find love. You'll find all of this and much more in this collection.

These Cinderella retellings are a sweet read with a guaranteed happily ever after.

The collection includes:
1.Duchess for the Charming Duke
Lady Evelyn’s life changed when her mother died and her step-mother Lady Cecilia entered her life. Still everything became worse when her father died leaving them in poverty. Her wicked step-mother decided to use Evelyn as a servant in their household. Evelyn was resigned to her fate and was just happy that she at least had her step-sister Lady Jane in her life. Until she met the Duke of Langley and spoke to him in the shadows.

The Duke of Langley, Julien had no desire to remarry after his first wife jumped to her death from the balcony of their home. However, after losing the third governess for his children, his mother convinced him that finding himself a mother for his twins would be better...More permanent. Set out to find such a woman to act in the sole capacity of mother and nothing more, Julien found the perfect woman. Only she was a servant, way beneath him for marriage. And there was another huge problem— he had feelings for her. He did not want feelings in the equation.

Against the machinations of one wicked step-mother and an unfeeling mother; with expectations of marriage without love, would this maid be the next Duchess of Langley?

2.My Charming Rake

Regina Hale is living through the most unfortunate circumstances after the death of her parents. When she is offered employment as a maid for the scandalous Robert Erskine, Duke of Pembroke, little does she know that her very innocence will attract him to her like a moth to a flame.
Can she do what no other woman has yet achieved – steal the Duke’s heart?

This Cinderella retelling is a sweet read with a guaranteed happily ever after.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Roxie Brandon
• Release date: Jul 12, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463260371

Roxie Brandon

Roxie Brandon is an author of historical and contemporary romance, beauty and fashion books.Her romances range in setting from Medieval times to the Twentieth Century.She loves walks in the countryside and having afternoon tea with family and friends.

Book preview

Duchess for the Charming Duke

CHAPTER ONE

I’ll get it Ridley, Julien announced, walking by the butler to answer the door himself. From Ridley’s frown, he didn’t like that the Lord of the house was usurping his duties but he would have learned by now that Julien did what he darn well pleased. At the moment, Julien was too stretched thin to stand by and watch another open the door. Like this house on Gosvernor’s Square, the butler that came along with it was all pomp.

The second Julien opened the door, his mother the Dowager duchess of Langley swept inside. Cloaked in rich perfume, Julien had to stop his breath until she passed him, her head held high, her neck stiff as though the elaborate hairstyle she had atop her head was too heavy for her neck. He barely contained a grimace as he remembered the mother he had known growing up to this overly exuberant woman standing before him.

Lady Langley was dressed in the height of fashion in a pink dress more suitable for a debutante than a woman of her years. Her waist was cinched tight and her cheeks overly done with rogue. Julien never wanted his mother to act more like he was her son than at that moment when he felt everything was crumbling in his life. He was failing.

Mother, thanks for coming. Some houses were relaxed once the doors were closed but not in the Langley household. For as long as he could remember, Julien and his mother’s relationship had been formal. Little warmth existed between them.

Your missive said it was urgent, she said, frowning her annoyance. Is it the children?

She extended her arm and Julien took it, chagrined that she gave him a reproachful look. He escorted her to the sitting room.

Yes, we have parted ways with the last governess, he answered then turned to ask Ridley to have one of the servants bring tea and scones for them.

Surely you do not expect me to babysit the little rascals.

Julien would not have anticipated such given he knew his mother all too well. She was too busy being social and enjoying her days as an unfettered widow to think about giving an eye on her grandchildren.

No, mother, he answered, I however am seeking recommendations for another governess. I’m certain you know of someone.

My dear boy, after your children ran off the last three governesses in space of a year, not one soul is willing to work with the brats.

At that time the maid appeared and laid out a tray of sweets and tea. Julien poured the tea and his mother ignored the scones. I do not wish to gain a pound, or I shall not be able to fit into my most beautiful gowns I had created for the upcoming season.

Mother, the governess.

She scowled at him. I will see what I can find for you on such short notice but really, Julien. You are in charge of such vast holdings and properties and yet you cannot handle your brood! What did the little vagabonds do this time?

They did aught, he answered, barely saved from grinding his teeth. He had little fondness for the way his mother described the children that came from his loins, even if her descriptions were apt. His children were unruly and ill-mannered. I walked in on her taking a cane to Philip’s backside. I did not take too kindly to the woman caning my son.

Bah! A little spanking will not hurt the boy. Your father did spank you when you got out of hand and look how fine you turned out.

Julien refrained from speaking. He only had turned out fine when it suited his mother. Other times, he was her worst disappointment— the son she would have wanted to die instead of his older brother Cameron.

I will not have anyone cane my children, he insisted, remembering the way his father would render blows on his small frame when he was a child. He always hit Julien where no one would have seen the bruises covered with expensive frippery.

You can hardly keep changing governesses, she pointed out. The gossip mills are already turning about your uncontrollable children. What you need is not a governess. You need a wife!

Julien paled at the mere mention of the word wife. At thirty-two years old, a man who had little fears, the word was frightening enough in his thought much more to hear it from his mother’s lips. He was convinced the last thing he needed right now was a wife with her incessant nagging and lack of understanding about the only kind of life he was able to offer her, one without love.

His heart, what little that was left of it had been ripped apart when his wife died eighteen months ago.

I already had a wife, Julien remarked. I scarcely have need for another.

Fiddlesticks, Julien! she exclaimed. You’re well past the appropriate time of mourning to go courting again.

I don’t think I can.

You will do what needs to be done, she snapped. Those children of yours need a mother. You cannot raise them on your own. By all means choose someone solely for the role of mother so you will have more time to pay attention to the business of the estate. Grown men have no business spending so much time with little children.

But Julien loved to wile the time away with his children. In fact, he noted they mostly got into mischief when he was not around.

Lady Langley placed her teacup and saucer back onto the tray and rose to her feet. Well, I better get a little nap. I do still plan to visit Cecilia Bridgewood’s ball later tonight. I will ask around and see if I can get any word on a good governess. At this stage, I still think you would benefit more from finding your children a mother. A mother won’t be able to run off if they misbehave.

She sauntered from the sitting room, not understanding the devastating effects of her words on her son. Julien remained seated for a while, sweating and feeling as though he would pass out. His mother’s last statement was the last he expected to hear. His mother was wrong. A mother could run off leaving her children behind. His wife had done this to their children.

He shuddered remembering her scream as she plunged from the tower on the top floor to her death. One reason he tried to avoid the haute ton was the way they gossiped behind their fans as though he couldn’t hear them. The first time he had ventured outside after Matilde’s death, he had heard the cruelest thoughts from the ladies of the ton while the men offered him ale.

As the maid appeared to clear away the tea supplies, Julien rose to his feet and left the sitting room. He had to check up on his eight year old twins to find out what they were up to. As he climbed the stairs, his mother’s words replayed in his head and he wondered if she was right and he was being selfish in not securing a mother for the twins. He never was of the mind to ever become leg-shackled to another woman again, not after his last debacle with his wife.

Should he put his children’s needs ahead of his own in this instance and how did one go about choosing a wife to be the mother of one’s kids, rather than to share his bed?

CHAPTER TWO

Jane, will you hold still? You are twitching more than a dog with flies!

If Lady Evelyn had hoped to render her step-sister and best friend, Jane still so she could continue with her painting, she was sadly mistaken. At Evelyn’s words Jane dissolved into a fit of laugh and collapsed onto the ground rather than hold the pose Evelyn had taught her. Frustrated, Evelyn, the older of the two huffed and blew a lock of curly red hair from before her face. She glanced at her unfinished sketch of the young woman who was wiping at her eyes and shook her head. Maybe she should call it a day. Jane was not exactly known for keeping still.

Sister, my apologies, Jane choked, getting to her knees. When her hands proved ineffective to get rid of her tears she grasped the hem of her day dress and wiped her eyes with it. ’Tis just that you say the weirdest things. Comparing me to a dog! I know I should be upset at you for that but I cannot. I am in too good of a mood.

With a sigh Evelyn placed her pencil onto the stone bench she was sitting on and did the same with her sketch pad. Only then did she turn her attention to the girl rising to her feet. At seventeen years old, Jane was three years Evelyn’s junior. The blond beauty with round cheeks punctuated by dimples was the envy of ladies in London but Evelyn loved her too dearly to feel the same. She had long resigned herself to the fact that quite frankly she was a plain Jane. There was naught that was extraordinary about her.

I canna paint you if you are not won’t to stand still, sister, Evelyn rebuked gently. I think that is it for the day.

Please forgive me, Evelyn but I am excited about attending Lady Bridgewood’s ball tonight.

Evelyn frowned at her. Is it because Lord Canterbury will be there?

Jane’s cheeks took on a pinkish tint and her eyes gleamed with happiness. A lady never gossips about gentlemen.

"Poppycock!