Deceiving the Duke of Kerrington (Ladies of Deception) (23 page)

“Well, if you
put it that way I owe her a lot. Can you imagine how miserable I’d be married
to that chit?”

“That chit is my
sister, and no I can’t because I can’t imagine you with anyone else but me.”

Pierce wound his hands in her hair and
pulled her face into his so that their noses were touching. “Good because
you’re the only one for me,” he said. Then he kissed her.

Epilogue

Pierce watched
anxiously as the double doors were pushed open to reveal Hope standing at the
entrance of the chapel. The early morning sun beat down on her causing her
golden hair to glow, matching the radiance that was basking from her very
being. She had never looked more beautiful to him; her hair was upswept with a
few loose curls framing her face with flowers interwoven throughout.  She was
dressed in a silk dress of pale pink that enhanced the color in her cheeks, and
in one hand she held a simple bouquet of pink roses while her other hand rested
in the crook of her father’s arm as he prepared to walk her down the aisle.

Her father, the
Earl of Brattondale, had not simply taken their word on the matter when they
had revealed to him the letter Matilde Hillburn had left behind explaining her
abduction of his youngest child. At first he had insisted that they had forged
the note so that Hope could acquire wealth and a titled family but Pierce
challenged him to explain the odd resemblance between her and Noelle and when
that still hadn’t convinced him, he bent over and inelegantly pulled Hope’s
satin slipper from her foot and showed him the elongated heart shaped birthmark
on her sole, the same birthmark that marred his arm.

Both the earl
and Hope had been left speechless at this discovery, for she had never had
occasion to see the earl’s bare forearm and had no idea that the mark existed.
It was enough proof to convince the earl that he did indeed have another child.
Slowly he came around to the idea, especially when he realized that his own
offspring would be marrying a duke and the connections that would provide for
his family. After the disappointment of Noelle’s marriage to a foreigner with
no title, he latched onto the idea of having a daughter who would marry up in
society with fervor.

Hope kept her
eyes trained solely on Pierce the entire walk down the aisle. She couldn’t
bring herself to glance away for even a minute, but she didn’t need to. She
knew without looking who all was there; Caroline and Elliot were on the right,
while on her left were Devon, Noelle, and Soren. Everyone in the whole world
who mattered to her was in attendance and not a soul more, unless you included
the priest, and the lack of guests wasn’t due to lack of curiosity.

Once word had
reached the ton of the scandalous behavior of Noelle and the shocking addition
of a long lost daughter, the rumor mill had been running rampant. Everyone
couldn’t stop talking about the lowly maid-turned-lady who had managed to steal
the elusive Duke of Kerrington’s heart. They had all anxiously awaited their
invites to what was sure to be the wedding of the season and they had all been
hopelessly disappointed when one never came.

 But it was
exactly the way that Pierce and Hope had wanted it, the two of them were all
that mattered and the love they shared between them. Though if Pierce would’ve
had it his way, he would’ve taken her to Gretna Green the day after he found
her but his mother and the earl convinced him that there had already been
enough scandal involving them and that a small but proper wedding would be the
respectable thing to do. Pierce finally relented on one condition, that the
wedding be held within a week.

And now, barely
a week after being reunited with his love, they were about to become husband
and wife, never to be separated again. As the priest finally muttered the
words, “I now pronounce you man and wife,” Pierce eagerly leaned forward to
kiss his bride. As he sought out and found her soft lips and kissed her with
all the love his soul possessed, he realized that he had waited his whole life
for a kiss like this, for a woman like this and it felt like he had finally
come home.

About the
Author

Ginny
Hartman has always loved writing, and when her love for the regency era
blossomed she decided to combine the two, resulting in her first published
novel,
Deceiving the Duke of Kerrington
, which became an Amazon
Historical Romance bestseller.

Ginny’s
favorite thing about writing is the escape it gives her and the people who read
her stories. For a behind the scenes look at the creation of
Deceiving the
Duke of Kerrington
as well as a sneak peak at her upcoming projects, visit
her website
www.creatingromance.blogspot.com

Besides
writing, Ginny enjoys reading and spending time with her favorite people; her
husband and three beautiful children. She also enjoys traveling the world with
her husband and gaining inspiration for her books. She currently resides in
Northern Idaho.