Page 24 of How to Tempt An Earl (Wed Within a Year #2)

Mills & Boon?

Coming next month

HASTILY WED TO THE DUKE

Sadie King

Book 3 in the Regency Secrets & Lies series

‘Is that what you want, Miss Pearson—to remain with your mother and aunt here, in Kelda?’

Charlotte shook her head vigorously. ‘It does not matter what I want.’

‘Of course it matters.’ The Duke stepped closer to her. ‘What do you want?’

‘I want to escape!’

No sooner had the words fallen from her lips than Charlotte wished she could take them back. Wished she could tick back the minutes so that this conversation might never have happened. But it was too late—the words were spoken now. She’d given voice to them, breathed life into them. She felt them hang heavily in the air between her and the Duke as his eyes searched hers and found that they were the truth.

‘Forgive me, Your Grace,’ she began, shaking her head at herself. ‘My mother can be difficult to live with at times, and I think my spirits are just a little low tonight, so I…’

‘Marry me.’

The Duke said the words so quickly that for a moment Charlotte believed she must have misheard him. Indeed, what other possible explanation could there be? There was no conceivable way that Edward Scott, the Duke of Falstone, had just asked for her hand in marriage…

‘Marry me, Miss Pearson,’ he said again, taking a tentative step towards her.

Charlotte felt her mouth fall open. This time there was no denying what she had heard. ‘But…why?’ she stuttered.

The Duke shrugged. ‘You need to escape, and I need a wife,’ he replied simply, as though it was the most logical idea in the world.