The Duke's Accidental Wife (Dukes of War Book 7) Read Free

referred to were the upper classes. His peers.
    She might think eschewing decorum and proper respect made her a free spirit, some sort of modern woman.
    In truth, it simply made her unpalatable.
    He was not, however, an unfair or unfeeling man. Far from it. Daphne’s charitable causes always improved the lives of some underserved portion of the population, and Ravenwood would not allow his distaste for Miss Ross’s lack of restraint to deter him from doing his part. As a duke, his first responsibility was to England.
    His second responsibility was to his own peace and happiness.
    “I will attend the auction.” He looked down his nose at Miss Ross. “I will bid high, I will encourage others to do the same, and then I will take my leave. Once my duty is done, our paths will not cross again. Are my terms clear?”
    Lady Amelia gasped. “ Ravenwood —”
    “Your delightful presence will be deeply missed from that day forward,” Miss Ross said drolly, neither chastened nor flustered by his disapproval. Her lips quirked as she lowered her gaze to her glass of wine.
    Ravenwood’s jaw tightened. His cut had not insulted her. Displeasing Ravenwood was likely the highlight of her evening. Miss Ross reveled in walking the line between respectable and fast. He could not tear his gaze away.
    One night , he reminded himself. He would see her briefly from across the room—and then never see her again.
    He couldn’t wait.

Chapter Two

    Miss Katherine Ross grasped the thin, liver-spotted hands of her Great-Aunt Havens and gaily twirled the older woman about the salon of the antiquities museum. “Isn’t this fun , Aunt? Guests will arrive in less than an hour!”
    Aunt Havens’ smile was as instant and as exuberant as a babe’s. Her eyes, however, did not light with understanding. “Are we having a party? Where are we?”
    “This is my museum, Aunt. See all the glass displays atop those white columns? Those are the objets d’art Daphne will be auctioning for charity. She claims the cunning wooden animals inside them were carved by a pirate .”
    “A pirate!” Aunt Havens gasped in delight.
    The same reaction she’d had the three previous times Kate had relayed this same bit of information.
    No matter. Kate kissed her aunt’s wrinkled cheek and led her to a comfortable chair with a direct view of the entrance.
    Hopefully Aunt Havens would stop wandering off to the storage rooms this time. Every time she tried to “help” organize an event, another priceless artifact tumbled off its shelf.
    Kate patted her narrow shoulder. “Relax right here, Aunt. I’m going to help Daphne for a moment. Whistle if you need me.”
    “Whistling is not at all ladylike,” Aunt Havens said sternly. “Don’t engage in such antics once the Duke of Ravenwood is here, or he’s liable to give you the cut direct in the middle of your own museum.”
    Kate’s shoulders sagged with relief. No more vacant answers. Aunt Havens was back. She even recalled Kate’s many complaints about the Frost King—the irreverent moniker Kate had once given him after he’d attended a ball and refused to dance with anyone.
    She grinned to herself. Ravenwood might be a staid, emotionless, ice-in-his-veins stick-in-the-mud, but all that could be forgiven because Aunt Havens had remembered him.
    Then again, despite his aloofness, the Duke of Ravenwood was handsome as sin. Who could forget wide shoulders and piercing green eyes like his?
    Kate linked her arm with her aunt’s. Aunt Havens’ moments of confusion were brief, but Kate couldn’t help but worry. Sometimes a month or two might go by without incident, and then other times Aunt Havens couldn’t seem to grasp the conversational thread from one moment to the next.
    Nights like tonight. When all Kate wanted was to share the joy of success with the sole close family member she had left. She leaned her head against her aunt’s shoulder.
    It was unfair. When Aunt Havens had opened her home and her heart