Her Stepmother Sent Her to the Duke as a Joke – He Offered Her a Chair Before He Said a Word

dripping cloak, at her muddy boots.

He did not look impressed, nor did he look surprised. He simply looked waiting.

“I have a letter,” Norah said, her voice rough from disuse. She did not try to sound grand, nor did she try to smile.

She reached into her reticule, pulled out the heavy crimson-sealed parchment, and held it out. “From Lady Agatha Hawthorne,continue reading …