My Fair Temptress (28 page)

Authors: Christina Dodd

BOOK: My Fair Temptress

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“Not a word.” Jude wrapped his arm around her waist and smiled into her eyes. “Especially when we tell him about the heir to his heir.”

Caroline’s cheeks blushed a lovely rose and her eyes shone. “We’ll tell Nevett that in honor of the place of the babe’s conception, we’re going to name him
Pierre
.”

She was beautiful, so beautiful, and Jude counted himself as the luckiest man in the world. “If it’s a girl, he’ll blame her gender on French drinking water.”

“So he will.” Caroline gurgled with amusement.

“I’m surprised they’re actually on the dock.” As the ship prepared to dock, Jude looked again at his parents and noticed their serious faces. “I would have thought that Father would wait in the ducal carriage.”

“Yes, I can see him doing that. It would be so much more suitable to his station,” Caroline said humorously. “But Nicolette probably insisted.” Her eyes narrowed against the sun. “Look! Over to the side. Isn’t that Mr. Throckmorton?”

Jude whipped his head around and stared. “Yes, it is.” Almost to himself, he said, “I wonder what he wants.”

And because Caroline was attuned to Jude’s moods, she sensed his tension. Putting her hand over his, she squeezed it. “Perhaps he wishes to give you the details of Bouchard’s hanging.”

“He’s a grim fellow, but not that grim.” Jude watched as the sailors placed the gangplank. He would be the first person off the ship.

Something was going on.

When the captain gave them the nod, Jude led Caroline down to his parents.

Yes, there was definitely something wrong, for although Nevett shook his hand and Nicolette exclaimed about Caroline’s glow, they weren’t smiling, and their eyes were anxious.

Jude’s gaze went to Throckmorton. “What is it?”

Throckmorton didn’t play games. “Do you remember the Moricadians’ valet?” With a glance at the ladies, he tactfully added, “The one who couldn’t speak?”

“Yes, of course.” Jude could scarcely forget the man whose tongue had been cut out.

Caroline moved close, and watched him with worried eyes.

“He located Comte de Guignard’s journal for us,” Throckmorton said.

Nevett and Mum clasped hands, and Mum had tears in her eyes.

Jude had imagined the details of Michael’s death. Were they now about to be revealed? “Tell me.”

“According to the journal,” Throckmorton said, “your brother Michael…is alive and imprisoned in Moricadia.”

About the Author

C
hristina Dodd’s novels have been translated into ten languages, have won Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Golden Heart and RITA® awards, and have been called the year’s best by
Library Journal
. Christina is a regular on the
USA Today
,
Publishers Weekly
, and
New York Times
bestseller lists. She loves to hear from fans. Visit her website at www.christinadodd.com.

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Praise
for the
New York Times
bestselling romantic star

CHRISTINA
DODD

“
C
lassics never go out of style.
A little black dress, a string of pearls, and a Christina Dodd romance.”

Lisa Kleypas

“
N
obody writes historical romance better.”

Kristin Hannah

“
T
reat yourself to a fabulous book—anything by Christina Dodd.”

Jill Barnett

“
D
odd transports readers into another enticing place and time.”

Publishers Weekly

“
C
hristina Dodd keeps getting better and better!”

Debbie Macomber

“
S
he’s one of my all-time favorites.”

Teresa Medeiros

By Christina Dodd

M
Y
F
AIR
T
EMPTRESS

S
OME
E
NCHANTED
E
VENING

O
NE
K
ISS FROM
Y
OU

S
CANDALOUS
A
GAIN

M
Y
F
AVORITE
B
RIDE

L
OST IN
Y
OUR
A
RMS

I
N
M
Y
W
ILDEST
D
REAMS

R
ULES OF
A
TTRACTION

R
ULES OF
E
NGAGEMENT

R
ULES OF
S
URRENDER

S
OMEDAY
M
Y
P
RINCE

S
COTTISH
B
RIDES

T
HE
R
UNAWAY
P
RINCESS

T
HAT
S
CANDALOUS
E
VENING

A W
ELL
P
LEASURED
L
ADY

A K
NIGHT TO
R
EMEMBER

O
NCE A
K
NIGHT

M
OVE
H
EAVEN AND
E
ARTH

T
HE
G
REATEST
L
OVER IN
A
LL
E
NGLAND

O
UTRAGEOUS

C
ASTLES IN THE
A
IR

P
RICELESS

T
REASURE OF THE
S
UN

C
ANDLE IN THE
W
INDOW

Copyright

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

MY FAIR TEMPTRES
s. Copyright © 2005 by Christina Dodd. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books™.

ePub edition September 2005 ISBN 9780061750014

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