The Temporary Duchess: A Jet City Billionaire Serial Romance

  "Yes, I've read them," I said, trying to keep the annoyance out of my voice.

  "Did you understand them?"

  I nodded. "Enough to know Rose's claims are accurate—she is descended from the late duchess."

  Thorne held my gaze. "Very distantly, sir. So remotely it's like that game—the six degrees of Kevin Bacon. You comprehend the difficulty it presents. There will be hundreds of young women who could make the same claim. You won't be safe until you're married."

  "I'm not the one who wrote the will." I fought to remain calm. "Your Dead Duke wasn't as smart as he thought."

  "He was smart enough," Thorne said. "His last wishes were clearly that you should marry the duchess' nearest descendant. That's Haley. The DNA results prove it conclusively."

  I leveled my gaze at Thorne, looking him directly in the eyes. "And just how the hell is she so closely related?"

  "I think you know the answer to that, sir."

  My phone rang, interrupting our conversation. I pulled it out and glanced at the caller ID. My CFO.

  "I believe you should take that, Your Grace."

  I set my jaw.

  "Shall I give you some privacy?"

  "Stay. I have the feeling you know what this is about, anyway." I picked up the call. Ten minutes later, I'd talked our CFO down off the ledge. Rumors were already flying in the financial markets of a possible dump of Flash shares on the market by an unhappy investor. We all knew who that was.

  This was clearly the Dead Duke's work.

  "Rattling your saber?" I said to Thorne when I hung up from my call.

  "You have less than a week to get married, sir. I wouldn't delay. Propose to Miss Hamilton and get it over with." He paused. "We'll need her to meet with our doctor, of course, the morning of the wedding. To make sure she fulfills all the terms and isn't pregnant. And she'll have to sign a waiver releasing her medical report to us.

  "Washington State requires a three-day waiting period after applying for the license. You have no time to lose."

  "Lady Rose is going to be a problem," I said.

  "Let me handle her, sir. That's what I'm here for."

  Chapter 2

  Haley

  By the time Sid and I came down to breakfast, the dining room was empty. Justin and Kayla were out for a walk around the grounds. Lazer was working on his laptop in the morning room. Riggins was meeting with Thorne in the library. Rose had apparently returned to her room for one reason or another. Probably to avoid conflict with me, the little traitor. Little did she know I was pretty conflict averse.

  Sid was tired and unusually pale this morning. She was out of breath from simply descending the stairs, and complained of a headache. I watched her closely for signs she was slipping back into a horrible bout of anemia. They sometimes came on so gradually we barely noticed them until she was in a full-on assault. And sometimes they attacked out of the blue, pouncing on her overnight.

  I didn't see any signs of a rash or a bunch of unexplained bruises. Which was only minimally reassuring. She didn't have all the symptoms, just many of them. She waved off my concerns. But everything else made me leery. A nineteen-year-old shouldn't tire from walking down the stairs. Even a simple headache was a symptom and put me on edge.

  Time was wasting for all of us. I needed that cure. I needed it now. At the very least, I needed to know if it existed for sure. I needed those Chinese connections Mr. Thorne had flaunted. I needed the money and the power the Dead Duke could provide.

  I ate my breakfast and helped Sid back to bed. She claimed her tiredness was nothing more than being awakened too early. Nineteen-year-olds still needed lots of sleep. I thought she protested too much.

  The morning was clear and beautiful, especially for February, with none of the fog that had recently plagued us. The temperature was already nearly fifty. Very warm for this time of year. I grabbed a few pieces of bread from the breakfast buffet and headed out for a walk along the lake. I thought I'd feed the ducks and clear my head.

  I hadn't gotten far down the path to the lake when I heard footsteps behind me.

  Mr. Thorne called out to me, "Miss Hamilton!"

  I stopped short and turned around, catching him waving at me. I waved back. When he reached me, he was slightly out of breath. I hoped he wasn't coming down with anemia, too. Though, in his case, I assumed it was more to do with middle-aged-out-of-shapeness.

  "Haley." I smiled at him. "You have to call me Haley. Everyone else does."

  "Soon I hope I'll be calling you duchess."

  It was sweet and disconcerting to hear the genuine warmth and sincerity in his voice. It caught me off guard. I thought of Mr. Thorne as the enemy, at times. And at other times, an unlikely ally. But not as a friend.

  I smiled back at him. "That's completely up to Riggins, I think."

  "Is it?"

  I didn't answer. What could I say?

  "Mind if I walk with you a bit? I wouldn't mind seeing some of the grounds. And I'd like a word, if I may."

  "Not at all," I said. "I was just going to the lake." I inhaled the cool air deeply, feeling sentimental and curious. "I've been trying to picture growing up here. What would life have been like for Helen? Did she ever imagine she'd grow up to be a duchess?" I laughed, nervously, as I realized what I was saying. "Well, who would imagine they'd grow up to be a duchess? Not me."

  "You're much too modest, and it wasn't part of your world," Mr. Thorne said. "But I imagine Helen had high aspirations from the beginning. A woman's place, in those days, was dependent upon the status of their husband. Helen's family had new wealth and power here in the States. But they would have longed for the respectability of the old families. The prestige of a title, like so many families in their day did.

  "I'm quite certain, from the stories I've heard, that she was raised knowing she would marry an important man. Quite possibly a titled Englishman. Though dukes were a rare enough quantity, even in those days. I would imagine, though, she quite dreamed of being a countess and leaving home to manage a large estate household.

  "England's climate isn't so very different from here. We have our share of rain, too. She probably imagined she'd be right at home. At least, that's what her parents would have assured her."

  I nodded as we walked, me with my napkin full of bread. What he said made perfect sense. "How does Wareswood compare to Witham House? You've been there often. I'd like your opinion. Would Helen have been impressed by the size of her new estate? Should I be afraid of the task of helping run it, if Riggins chooses me."

  "Oh, yes, Helen would have been mightily impressed, I'm sure. Witham House quite easily outshines Wareswood in almost every aspect. Remember, Wareswood was built with the brick from one of the duke's lesser estates.

  "Wareswood is merely quaint in comparison to the grandeur of Witham House. House is a misnomer, really. It's more a castle. You haven't been curious and looked it up online?"

  "Oh, I've been curious. The pictures scare me. I can't imagine really living in a castle. But pictures can be deceiving. I wanted to hear what you thought."

  His head bobbed. "I feel quite certain Helen's parents were thrilled at the match she made. Even though it put their daughter out of their league and social class, it was a parenting job well done."

  I nodded. "Funny, isn't it—little girls dream of being princesses. No one really imagines being a real-life duchess. And yet it scares the crap out of me. I don't think I'm cut out for it."

  "The late duke thought you were."

  It was nice of Mr. Thorne to say so, even if he did have an ulterior motive. We reached the lake and stopped to admire it.

  "I'm not sure whether I should be creeped out or complimented by the late duke's surreptitious attention. I can't imagine what he saw in me to impress him. Other than my bloodline, and that's a tenuous connection. I'm not that closely related to him."

  "Family loyalty, I should imagine," Mr. Thorne said. "And strength in overcoming adversity, losing your parents so young and ste
pping up to care for your sister. Don't sell yourself short, Haley. Those are qualities not everyone possesses. You put yourself through college and now you're helping your sister when you could be off playing and enjoying yourself."

  "But isn't that what anyone would do?" I stared out over the calm water. Not even a ripple broke the glassy surface.

  "No, it's not. I hate to say it, but it's not. It's rarer than you might imagine."

  "That's nice of you to say." I smiled at him, watching the ducks across the lake, wondering when they'd see me and come begging for the bread I'd brought. "You said you wanted a word?"

  "Yes." He hesitated. "I heard your sister was tired this morning. Is she feeling unwell?"

  "She gets like this from time to time. Every time I worry she's relapsing. With every minute and every relapse, her chances for a long, healthy life diminish. Fatigue is a symptom of the anemia. Sometimes it flares up, even when she's technically in remission. If we're lucky, it's just a blip and doesn't bloom into the a full-length episode of the disease."

  He looked genuinely sympathetic. "I have some experience with degenerative family illnesses. I'm sorry." He paused, looking like he was debating with himself.

  "Yes?" I prompted him.

  "I shouldn't tell you this. I don't want to get your hopes up. But I like both you and your sister. More so the more I get to know you. Seeing you together this weekend has made me feel guilty for being the late duke's instrument."

  His voice cracked very slightly. "I hope you realize that I'm not a bad fellow, really. I'm as forced into my role as you are into yours."

  I stared at him. I'd never thought he'd been forced into doing the Dead Duke's bidding. I'd assumed it was just a job. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask him what the Dead Duke had on him, but I thought better of it. He was a very private man. "No, I never thought you were—"

  "How could you not?" His smile was soft. "You're too kind. I'd like to help you and Sid out, Haley. Which is why I feel compelled to tell you what I believe I know. And I say I believe I know only because there's a chance I could be wrong. That I misheard. And that's one of the reasons I haven't brought it up before. If I'm wrong…well, I hope I'm not." He held my gaze.

  I held my breath.

  "There's a sibling," he said at last. "Your sister has a full sibling. A twin."

  My knees went weak. Mr. Thorne caught my arm to steady me.

  "No! Are you sure?"

  "As I said, not completely. I overhead the duke talking to one of his investigators about it several months before his death. I wasn't supposed to know. The records are sealed. But I believe there are clues at Witham House among the late duke's papers to your sister's twin's identity."

  "Does my sister's twin know about my sister? Is this twin an identical twin?" My mind raced along with my pulse. An identical twin would have to be a perfect match. But if they were identical, would they also have the disease? Would it be another dead end? In any case, even a fraternal twin would be a full sibling.

  "I don't know…Haley." He studied the lake a minute, concentrating as if trying to remember details. "I have to admit to being an eavesdropper." He glanced at me with an embarrassed look on his face. "And not a very good one. But my impression is no. Whoever the twin is, they don't know about Sid."

  "Can you help me find them? Do you know any more?" I would plead with him if I had to.

  He shook his head. "Only what I've told you. And I've told you more than I should. I wanted you to know the full amount of what may be at stake. It's quite possibly more than just the late duke's help to find a cure. It may very well be the cure.

  "I only have the authority to release certain funds and information to you in accordance with the terms of the late duke's will. And although I'm the late duke's agent, I can't act completely alone. There's a committee that has oversight on me.

  "The duke was very thorough. And, as I said, secretive. He believed in redundancy and leaving as little as humanly possible to chance. There are sealed papers that I have instructions to give you as soon as certain terms are met."

  I could guess what those were.

  "It would be my guess, and hope, that one of those contains the twin's identity."

  I couldn't get over this new information. It was what we'd been hoping for. And yet…Sid had a twin. A real biological twin. I couldn't help feeling jealous. How would this change things between us? It had never mattered to me that she was adopted. But would it matter to her that she now had a blood sibling? Was blood truly thicker than water?

  Mr. Thorne still had a grip on my arm. He squeezed gently. "Marry the new duke. Give him an heir as soon as may be. And I'm fairly certain the prize will be the identity of Sid's twin.

  "In the meantime, you need to get to Witham House. You may find something there among all the late duke's files and paperwork. Being a mother to a future duke isn't the worst thing in the world."

  I bit my lip, still reeling from the revelation. What did I do now?

  "Don't let Lady Rose snatch the new duke from you. I will, of course, aid you in any way possible. But you must marry the duke. And it must be a real marriage. With everything that goes along with it, including, and maybe most importantly, children. Whether he wants them or not is immaterial. It's the quickest way to Sid's cure."

  Mr. Thorne paused again. "I hope it wasn't wrong of me to tell you my suspicions. And I hope I'm not mistaken in all this. But my conscience wouldn't let me keep silent any longer.

  "This remains between us, though, you understand? You can't tell your sister. Or anyone. Especially the duke. I am, officially, in his employ now, and his agent as well as the late duke's. It's a strange relationship to be working on both sides, especially with the new duke considering me the adversary.

  "Working with you and revealing what I have to you could get me fired and destroy the impeccable professional career and reputation I've spent my adult life building. You understand?"

  I nodded. "Of course. You have my word." But how would I keep such news secret?

  "Good, then." The lines of his face softened with relief. "I'll leave you to your thoughts. I have to get back to the house and waylay Lady Rose before she causes more trouble." He grinned.

  I watched him walk back down the path, heart hammering in my chest, hope truly springing and mind whirling along with my emotions. I'd never even dared to hope Sid had a twin. That seemed too fantastical. But if she did, our lives were going to be upended. I couldn't also help being a little envious. What would it be like to find out I had another sibling somewhere? Someone I'd shared a womb with? Why had Sid never felt the presence of a twin? Wasn't that supposed to be common? And how could a mother split her twins up? Leaving at least one of them at an orphanage, abandoned on the steps?

  The quacking of ducks startled me out of my thoughts. Now that Mr. Thorne had gone, the ducks had noticed me. Was Mr. Thorne that unapproachable and so scary he'd kept even ducks at bay? And was he telling the truth? Could I believe him? Or was this another diabolical ploy instigated by the Dead Duke to get me to comply with his wishes? Was Mr. Thorne playing good cop to the Dead Duke's bad?

  I considered myself a decent judge of character. But I had no experience with this level of deceit, manipulation, and trickery. I wondered—could I really keep the knowledge of a possible twin from Sid? Was that fair? On the other hand, was it right to get her hopes up if Mr. Thorne was mistaken? What if I couldn't produce a boy, an heir? Would the Dead Duke be so cruel as to withhold this potentially lifesaving information from Sid and me forever?

  And was it right to marry a man, assuming I could, and get pregnant just to save my sister? Was Mr. Thorne right—there were worse things than being a duchess and mother to a future duke?

  There was so much to think about. So much to test my morals and values and beliefs in the kind of person I was.

  As a gentle breeze kicked up, I pulled a piece of bread from the napkin, squatted at the edge of the water, and held it out to entice the ducks,
tearing off little pieces and throwing them into the water as the ducks approached. I grinned as I watched them snap the soggy bread bits out of the water and quack happily. If only my life were so simple.

  The sound of a snapping twig startled me. At first, I thought Mr. Thorne was returning. I looked up into the dark, sexy eyes of Riggins, Duke of Witham, and my heart nearly stopped. Yes, there were much worse things in life than being married to this particularly hot billionaire duke. Unfortunately, all rational thought had fled my mind. I couldn't think of anything—either better or worse. I was lost in Riggins' intense gaze.

  Riggins

  I sneaked up on Haley and startled her. That hadn't been my intent. I'd been watching her from a distance as she fed the ducks and I worked up my nerve to seal my fate. There was something serene and beautiful about her movements and the way she blended with the calm, natural surroundings. It reminded me, for the hundredth time, of my younger, less complicated self and young, relatively uncomplicated love.

  I had the ring in my pocket. Thorne was keeping Rose out of the way. I'd met him on the path to the lake.

  He'd pointed me to Haley. "Make your move now, sir. She's ripe for it. And remember, this has to be a real marriage with all that involves." He lifted his eyebrows to emphasize his point.

  I'd nearly laughed. Did he think that would be a hardship for me, at least?

  It was Haley I worried about. Her heart. Mine was jaded enough that I wasn't convinced the tiny stirring noises it was making could ever flame into a great love again. Despite the temptations she presented, I was still only planning to make her my temporary duchess while I bought more time to get out of this mess. There had to be a way.

  I wasn't arrogant, but it wasn't impossible that she'd fall in love with her husband, me. And what then? Did I want to be responsible for killing the romantic illusions of someone else? And yet…

  And yet nothing, I told myself. Maybe I was being an egotistical prick. I hated to interrupt her solitude, but the ring was burning a hole in my pocket, the morning was waning, and our guests would soon be leaving. I stepped on a twig as I approached.