Kissing the Duke

By Roxie Brandon

Christiana James's greatest joy in life is singing and playing the piano. She has no interest in love and is thrown out of the family home when she refuses to marry the man her father has arranged for her.

As she struggles to get her life together, she meets Duke Reginald Blackmore, an arrogant and cold man who has no use for women. When the Duke is forced to accompany Christiana on a journey, unforeseen circumstances cause the journey to turn deadly.

As Christiana's fate hangs in the air, the only man who can help her is the one who despises her.

Enjoy this clean and wholesome Regency romance with a sweet happily ever after!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Roxie Brandon
• Release date: Feb 11, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005375034

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

KISSING

THE DUKE

Copyright © 2021 Roxie Brandon All Rights Reserved

This book is a work of fiction. The characters, events, and places portrayed in this book are products of the author’s imagination and are either fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Epilogue

CHAPTER 1

Christiana knew of one thing all her life and that was this: the only thing that mattered in the world was what she thought of herself as opposed to what the society thought. The society was a bitter old place with zero acceptance for anyone that dared to step out of the imaginary box that it had created. That is something Christiana James had done the minute she had disagreed to marry George Vince upon her father’s request.

George was nothing like Christiana. She had known him all her life for they had always been neighbors. The only reason her father had wanted to marry off his only daughter to his neighbor’s son was because he owed him a debt that he did not have the means to pay. Which is what drove him to strike a deal with George James would marry his only daughter to George Jr. in exchange for his debt to be forgotten for good. To him it had seemed like a good deal. He had set everything in motion, which was until the day he told Christiana of his plans.

What do you mean I am betrothed to George? Christiana had asked visibly appalled by her father’s words.

She could feel the blood in her ears boiling, causing her to hear it course wildly across.

You heard me, child. I have promised your hand to George. Your engagement is at the end of this week, Father had said with a firm tone to his words that told Christiana there was no room for discussion.

What do you mean you have promised my hand? It wasn’t yours to promise! Christiana had said back with fuming anger – she had never been one to back down to something she thought was wrong and she was not about to start today.

Are you in love with another then? Father had asked Christiana, looking at his own daughter with an accusing expression on his face.

This had made Christiana look back on her life. She was twenty-one years old and had never been much interested in men. It wasn’t that she didn’t want love; it was just that nobody had ever caught her eye. This, she couldn’t tell her father. He would never understand her desire to find love out of her own free will. She didn’t want to be bartered away for debt. Debt that wasn’t even hers to begin with!

Father was forcing his choice upon her and he was forcing George upon her when she couldn’t stand either one of those things. She wasn’t average looking, this much she was aware of. The eyes that followed her everywhere she went made quite sure to assure her confidence in the way that she looked. Apart from her porcelain skin, she had eyes that could stop any man in his tracks for they were as blue as the deep oceans. She didn’t have a shortage of proposals; she just didn’t want any one of them. She was okay on her own.

I don’t love anyone. I won’t, however, stand for you condemning me to a life that is to pay for your decisions, Father. I deserve free will, Christiana said without meeting her father’s eyes.

Look at me and tell me that you would deny this proposal even if it meant that your siblings and parents would be debt free forever, Father had said, giving her a dangerous ultimatum that bordered on emotional blackmail.

Christiana met his eyes with tears in her own which meant that the argument was over. She was not one to shed tears a lot but this was a decision that was very difficult to make. She had indeed made up her mind. She knew that her father wouldn’t have it. But this was her life to live how she pleased – it was her right to pursue her passions and not be sold in marriage just to pay off a debt that she had no part in.

"Very well then. If you must do this then I want you