Lancelot Hemingford, Duke of Aylesbury, is tired of
rusticating in the country. He inherited his title nine
months ago, when his older brother died suddenly.
Because the local magistrate and coroner have not closed
the case and ruled out foul play, suspicion has fallen on
Lance. Due to Lance's reputation as a hell raiser, his
other two brothers have urged him to hide out at his
country estate until the case is closed, or the gossip
and speculation stop.
While out riding one day, Lance encounters a lovely young
lady in his family's graveyard, looking at the former
dukes' headstones. Without revealing his identity, Lance
indulges in some mild flirtation and tells the lady he
will dance with her at the upcoming assembly. Marianne
Radley is actually the niece of the magistrate who has
been dragging his feet on closing out the case in Lance's
brother's death, and she has moved back to the area to
care for her cousin. Nora, the cousin and daughter of
the magistrate, has withdrawn from society and into
herself since an attack on her when she was only fifteen.
Through erroneous assumptions, the magistrate believes
Lance responsible, and is determined to see him marry
Nora. Once he realizes how truly damaged and unfit for
marriage Nora is, he changes his plan and sets about
coercing the duke into marrying his niece, Marianne,
instead.
Since the suspicion and innuendo have escalated rather
than died down, Lance agrees to wed Marianne, since he
already desires her and enjoys her company. Marianne
hesitates, but her uncle browbeats her into accepting the
proposal, using Nora as leverage. So, they marry. Lance
looks forward to the physical part of their marriage, and
is delighted to find that Marianne is his equal in
passion, if not in experience. Their hot sexual
chemistry and their genuine liking for each other points
to their having a satisfying marriage, even though
neither loves the other. Their short lived happiness
comes to a major roadblock when the murder investigation
ramps up, and some truths come to light.
I really enjoyed reading THE WICKED DUKE, and loved Lance
and Marianne. She is honest, unselfish, kind and giving.
Lance has, no doubt, been wicked with some of his past
exploits, but he treats Marianne with care and respect.
Though he comes to love reluctantly, when he does, he
falls all the way. I love how Lance and Marianne
interact with each other, and I adore how their love
story was resolved. The whole mystery was engrossing,
and I give Madeline Hunter credit for surprising me with
the outcome. All in all, THE WICKED DUKE is a well
paced, satisfying, romantic, and very sexy read that I
heartily recommend.
Third in the roguishly intriguing series by the New York
Times bestselling author of Tall, Dark, and Wicked and
His Wicked Reputation...
She appeals to his wicked inclinations, but he never
expects she might snare his heart....
Suspected of his brother’s murder, Lancelot Hemingford,
Duke of Aylesbury, was forced to give up his hell-raising
habits in London for the anonymity of quiet country
living. So, when an opportunity arises to clear his name
in exchange for proposing to the niece of a neighbor, he
sees no choice but to accept. Plus, seducing the
reluctant maiden will be a most intriguing challenge...
As Marianne Radley is dependent on her uncle, she must
accept the Duke's marriage proposal at her family’s
request, despite her belief he is irredeemably wicked.
But along with marrying him, she intends to sniff out the
duke’s unsavory secrets and expose them to the world: a
plan that would be flawless were it not for one minor
detail—even she, with all her determination, is not
immune to the charms of a rakish duke...
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