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Prologue

Evangeline, the Duchess of Kingston, lifted her infant grandson froly in a soft white towel Chortling, the baby braced his sturdy legs and attempted to stand in her lap He explored her face and hair with grasping wet hands, and Evie laughed at his affectionate rabbed the double strand of pearls around her neck "Oh, I knew I shouldn’t have worn those at your bath time Too much t-teh it was now very slight compared to what it had been in her youth

"Your Grace," the young nurse toward her "I would have lifted Master Stephen out of the tub for you A fair armful, he is Solid as a brick"

"He’s no trouble at all," Evie assured her, kissing the baby’s rosy cheeks and prying his grip from her pearls

"Your Grace is very kind to help with the children on Nanny’s day off" Carefully the nursemaid took the baby frolad to do it, since you havetime in the nursery--it reminds me of when my children were small"

Ona chuckled as Stephen reached for the white ruffled cap on her head "I’ll powder and dress his," Evie said

"Your Grace, youto strike an effective balance between sternness and pleading "Not in your fine silk dress--you " As Evie parted her lips to argue, Ona added fully, "Nanny would have my head if she knew I’d let you help asthat Nanny would have both their heads, Evie responded with a resigned nod, although she was unable to resistan apron"

The nurse Stephen to the nursery

Still kneeling on the bath rug in front of the tub, Evie reached behind her back for the flannel apron ties Ruefully she reflected that it was no easy task to satisfy the servants’ expectations of how a duchess should behave They were deterher tea with a silver spoon And while she was a grandmother of two, she was still slim and fit--easily able to lift a slippery infant froh the orchard Just last week, she had been lectured by theover a stacked stone wall to retrieve a few stray toy arrows

As she fumbled with the stubborn apron knot, Evie heard a footstep behind her Although there was no other sound or sign of the visitor’s identity, she kneho it was, even before he sank to his knees behind her Strong fingers brushed hers away, and the knot was freed with a deft tug

A low, silken murmur caressed the sensitive skin at the back of her neck "I see we’ve hired a new nanny How delightful" Cleverin a supple caress from her waist to her breasts "What a buxom little wench I predict you’ll do well here"

Evie closed her eyes, leaning back between his spread thighs A gentle htly over her neck

"I should probably warn you," the seductive voice continued, "to keep your distance from the master He’s an infamous lecher"

A smile came to her lips "So I’ve heard Is he as wicked as they say?"

"No Much worse Especially when it comes to women with red hair" He plucked a few pins fro braid fell over her shoulder "Poor lass--I’m afraid he won’t leave you alone"

Evie shivered in reflexive pleasure as she felt hi the side of her neck "H-how should I handle hiiggle escaped her as she twisted in his are, Evie’s heart still skipped a beat at the sight of her husband, forston Sebastian had nificent man with a presence that both inti to the dukedonity that befitted a man of his considerable power But no one could look into those relints of fire and ice, without recalling that he had once been the land He still was--Evie could attest to that

Tily, and alould He was a beautiful htly brushed with silver at the temples A lion in winter, whoiven him a look of cool, incisive authority, the sense of a h that he could rarely, if ever, be out amused or touched him, his smile was both incandescent and irresistible

"Oh, it’s you," Sebastian said in a tone ofon a bathroo with his wife in his arirl, but you’re a more difficult case"

"You can debauch lowing gazecurls that had lightened from ruby to soft apricot "My love, I’ve tried for thirty years But despite razed her lips "you still have the innocent eyes of that shy wallflower I eloped with Can’t you try to look at least a little jaded? Disillusioned?" He laughed quietly at her efforts and kissed her again, this ti, sensuous pressure that caused her pulse to quicken