The d.u.c.h.ess and the Dragon.

Jamie Carie.

To my editor, Karen Ball-who sweated with me over all the thee's and thou's, the wilts and the arts. I'd like to meet Drake someday too!

To the B&H sales guys and gals-whose home is the road most days, who took these books and ran with them, believing in them. I think of you often; I pray for you often. You are the soldiers on the front lines.

To the bookstore owners and their teams-who are a light and a hope to the communities where they serve. I am humbled to be a part of your ministry.

And to Julie Gwinn, my publicist, a woman who knows the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire, who moves when He says move and stays when He says stay. You are a multifaceted jewel in His kingdom.

This is a team effort-getting out stories of G.o.d's amazing love. I thank G.o.d for each of you.

May the side of good win . . .

Chapter One.

NORTHUMBERLAND.

Drake's fist came down on the ma.s.sive desk with bone crushing impact. Pain radiated up his arm and into his body, a body trained in the art of bland derision. A body broken now, unable to restrain the fury of this betrayal. He cursed, the sound a quiet hiss in the room. He hung his head, his straight, black hair a curtain over clenched eyes. "May he rot in-"

"Quite right." Charles Blaine, friend and neighbor for as long as Drake could remember, threw himself back into the luxurious cushions of a chair. "Dastardly business, that." He'd said this already. Twice. He repeated it for the third time, staring at the carpet, shaking his head.

Drake swung away from his friend, wishing to be alone, wishing for only the ears of these four walls that he might truly vent his mingled disbelief and outrage. Instead, he took a bracing breath and pulled himself together. He was giving his friends a start.

Control . . . control, man . . . control everything still within grasp. His stomach trembled with the effort.

With a short crack of laughter, he swung back to face his guests, his lip curling, his tone edged in the scorn they all expected. "I should have guessed, I suppose. Stupid of me, really, not to have been prepared. Not to have countered the old man somehow." His voice lowered as he looked down and away from them. "I suppose I never believed he really hated me so much as he let on."

The other two men in the room exchanged glances, obviously at a loss. How could they have any answers for him? The facts spoke for themselves, glaringly real on the scattered pages that lay against the black gloss of the old duke's ornate desk.

Albert Radcliff, the family barrister, mopped at his brow and blew his nose, which was forever running-but had been running with particular need in the strain of the last hour. By some odd twist of fate, Albert was visiting Alnwick Castle when the old duke, Ivor Weston, clutched his chest and collapsed onto the rug, gasping for air like a beached trout.

Drake, too, was home, which was stranger yet. As if all the stars had aligned and arranged the drama so that it might unfold exactly as Ivor wanted. It was fully imaginable that Ivor bargained with the devil for such a favor, some last request in exchange for witnessing a son's destruction.

A favorite pastime of the devil's to be sure.

Charles, though, must have had an angel nudging him. Drake's boyhood friend and neighbor arrived full of excitement about his most recent purchase-a new stallion, a white Lipizzan of famed parentage to add to his stables. They'd been admiring the magnificent animal in the drive when they heard shouts for help from the butler. Drake wasn't sure what he would have done had he not had his friend's bracing support. He shuddered, imagining his hands around the solicitor's throat . . . the new will Ivor insisted Albert enact thrown into the fire, curling black and smoking, disguised as ash.

No, it didn't bear thinking of.

But Drake couldn't help it, couldn't escape the memory of his father laid out on the floor. The sound of the old man's desperate, rasping command-"New will . . . in the safe!"-rang out in the room like a death knell.

He could only watch, his hand stretched out toward his father, while waves of shock rippled through his body. But Ivor was intent on only one thing. He lifted his head off the floor and grasped his solicitor's hand in a vein-popping, eye-bulging frenzy. "It is what I want . . . nothing else will do. Find it, Albert."

Drake moved into his father's field of vision and knelt down beside him, reaching for his hand.

Ivor jerked away, placing the hand on his rasping chest, then finally turned toward Drake. Ivor stared at him-really looked into his eyes as he'd never done before. Drake recoiled as his father's mask of indifference was stripped away by death's honesty, exposing the truth of feverish eyes and compressed lips, revealing a long-awaited, gleeful vengeance.

The old duke even cackled in his excitement, a grating, harsh sound that was cut off with a gasp for air. He'd started to speak, then gave up and died-that leering smile lingering around his now frozen lips.

So sinister was the scene that both Drake and Albert backed away from the body as though it were black and stinking with the plague. They'd looked at one another for several shocked moments, then made for the safe.

And now they knew.

Each person in the room knew the depths of his father's hatred for him. By the end of the month the whole of society would learn the shocking news that Drake Alexander Weston, the only child of the Duke of Northumberland, had mysteriously, inexplicably, been cut from the will.

Albert stood, his hands shaking as he restacked the papers. He looked up at Drake, strain deepening the creases around his mouth and eyes, his age-mottled hand lying flat on the restacked doc.u.ments.

"A nasty piece of business if ever I saw one. It is not the will he had me draw up years ago, my . . . lord." He choked on the t.i.tle, throat working up and down under the loose skin of his neck, then coughed into a hastily pulled handkerchief. That he should now be calling Drake "your grace" instead of "my lord" was one of many mockeries yet in store for Drake.

Drake waved him off. "Never mind, Albert. I suppose I will have to get used it. I suppose I should be happy to have a t.i.tle a'tall." He said the words in a clear tone, but had to turn away from their staring faces, his stomach rolling. He fought the nausea threatening his throat.

Unsure of his way, he found himself walking to one of the many masterpieces displayed on a far wall. Van Dyck's lush Samson and Delilah hung suspended like a scene come to life against the swirling mother-of-pearl panels of the walls. He stared at the raw beauty of the scene. Here was a man with strength, the kind of strength to bring down kingdoms. But Samson had his weakness, and Drake? Now he knew his. Tears welled up behind his eyes. He'd only wanted to please his father, to know that he was proud of the man Drake had become. But it wasn't to be. Now, all he could see was a painting that would never belong to him. A father's love that he would never have. Why? His mind struggled to grasp it. Why all the grooming and pretending? The years at Eton and then Cambridge, the best schools in England, the military career in His Majesty's Royal Navy, the constant displeasure at any show of emotion other than self-satisfaction for some material gain. All the torment he'd gone through that made him into the man he now was. He'd thought it was to make him into a duke. He'd thought it was to mold him into a man like his father.

He'd thought wrong.

Drake paced across the rich Savonnerie rug, woven for this very room and placed to complement the gleaming mosaic flooring. His father spent much of his life in this room, overseeing its most minute detail-all part of the grand scheme to reflect the power and honor of the Seat of Northumberland. Drake's gaze swept the room, trying to grasp some hidden meaning.

He remembered, as a boy, when he'd really seen it for the first time. The richness of color and texture could be overwhelming to someone unused to such luxury. He'd seen the awe on their guests' faces many times, and he'd always taken pride in the fact that someday . . . someday it would be him greeting that awed visitor; it would be his room that brought gasps of wonder from men and women who could but dream of such wealth.

A trickle of sweat ran down his back as he realized he was gasping for air. This place . . . it was breathtaking. Was there any place on earth more perfect? Alnwick Castle. It was his promised inheritance.

His.

Inheritance.

He lurched back toward the men, trying to wear the familiar devil-may-care att.i.tude but feeling like a carefully constructed house of cards whose bottom strut had been jerked away.

His eyes were drawn to the desk where the destruction of his life lay. The new will, confident in its strong, slashing handwriting, glared at him. The desk, a work of art, made of ebony wood covered with tortoise sh.e.l.l and inlaid with gilded bra.s.s, mocked him. A jade sculpture of a Chinese dragon stood on one corner, ornate and ferocious in design. It used to frighten him as a child.

Now he knew there were far more terrifying things in life than dragons.

A marble quill and ink set stood now silent near the top center edge.

Weapons used to destroy his future.

A clear gla.s.s sphere sat on the other corner along with several dogs, some intricate blown gla.s.s, some porcelain, others pewter and silver-all made in the image of his father's only pa.s.sion outside power and wealth: his dogs.

His father's favorite, Hunter, had received the attention and praise Drake had longed for as a child. He had been secretly glad when the dog died, but it hadn't mattered. There was little Drake could do to earn a word of praise from the stoic Ivor Weston, fourth Duke of Northumberland.

Now Drake realized it was far worse than he had suspected. His father hadn't just disliked him. He'd harbored a deep hatred for his son. The question remained: Why?

Drake stared at the pages willing them to reveal some clue. His father's handwriting, so stark and clear, proved he had been keen until his last breath. The hope that he had gone mad held no relief. Nothing could explain what he had done-expect pure maliciousness. Drake, his hands now braced on each polished edge, stared at the desk, in the room his father loved, and felt his barely constrained hurt and rage break through the barrier of his will. With a violent roar, he swept the pages and decorative accoutrements onto the floor. Gla.s.s and porcelain shattered; papers fluttered through the air like the feathers of a bird caught mid-flight by a bullet.

He swung around to face his startled friends. He'd let the caged animal out, but he no longer cared. Let them pity him. "There must be a way out of this! I refuse to let him do this to me!" Looking at the barrister he commanded, "Burn the will. We will use the other. The one you wrote up years ago. No one will know."

Albert only shook his head and looked down. "Nasty business, that. Can't do it."

Charles leapt up, clearing his throat, then made for the crystal decanter to pour a stout drink. Avoiding the broken gla.s.s, he picked his way back to Drake's side. "Easy, man," he said in a voice meant to soothe, "drink this."

Drake shook his head as if clearing it from a fog, took hold of the drink, and gulped it in one swallow. Hot talons of fire burned his throat, but he was glad. Glad of any sensation other than the dark pit of despair that awaited him. Setting the gla.s.s down on the now barren desk, he walked to a chair and sat. He closed his eyes and then dropped his head into his hands, no longer trying to make sense of it all, only knowing searing pain.

Charles cleared his throat. "Look here, Albert, is there nothing we can do? No way around the will?"

Drake looked up, saw Albert's gaze dart around the room as if it could help him. Shaking his head he said finally, "I am afraid not, the will is very clear, supersedes the other. The ducal estate and t.i.tle is to be given to the, um, the cousin, Lord Randolph." His voice lowered as he corrected himself. "His grace, Randolph Weston." He mopped at his damp brow with his ever ready handkerchief as his eyes wandered over to the crystal decanter as if he, too, needed a drink.

Drake stood abruptly, "Do not call him by that t.i.tle within my hearing, do you understand? Never again."

Albert nodded and continued. "Sorry, but you must accustom yourself to hearing it. It will soon be common knowledge." Albert shook his gray head and looked at the floor. "If only you had a brother, then we could at least keep it in the immediate family."

Drake's head shot up. "What was that?"

Albert reddened, a vein pulsing blue in his forehead. "I am sorry, my lord. Pointless to think, much less speak of such things."

"What is this about a brother?"

"Only that if you had a legitimate brother, my lord, your cousin would then become heir presumptive and the t.i.tle and estate might go to the sibling as the next of kin after you."

"Your father hasn't a pregnant mistress hidden around the place, has he?" Charles drawled from his chair.

Drake rose and began pacing the length of the carpet. Giving Charles a scowl, he directed his question to Albert. "How so, when my father dictated in his will that everything be given to my cousin?"

"The king would doubtless override the will if a more direct heir were discovered. A few carefully placed words and doc.u.ments, birth records and such, and I believe King George would look the other way and allow the sibling to inherit." Albert shrugged. "Alas, there is no other heir."

Drake stopped pacing in front of Albert and looked into the old man's face with a slow smile. "Perhaps there will be." He spoke more to himself than the others. "Yes, a dear, little brother."

Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, he felt his smile grow. Of course. It was perfect. The best part of this plan was that his father, for all his wealth and determination, would not have the last laugh after all.

That distinct pleasure would belong to Drake.

Chapter Two.

The men stared at Drake Alexander Weston, Earl of Warwick, wide-eyed. He had cracked, the disappointment too much.

Drake knew that's what they were thinking and gave them the same smile he'd worn since he was ten, the world-weary smile of omniscient confidence. "Who knows of my father's death?"

The two men exchanged glances. The duke's body lay in the next room. The physician had been sent for, but little else was done as they had been so intent to carry out those last words.

Charles spoke up first. "Aside from the three of us?" He shrugged. "A couple of household servants and soon Doctor Canton. The man has only been dead a little above an hour. I thought we would notify the parson first thing in the morning."

Drake raised his hand. "No. No one is to know anything yet."

Charles stared hard at his friend. "What the devil are you thinking of, Drake?"

"We will keep the old man's death a secret-" he couldn't restrain a smile; this was too perfect-"until I can marry."

"Marry?" Albert frowned at him. "What good will that do?"

"No good at all if I marry as myself."

His friends' expressions told him they feared for his sanity.

"However, a great deal of good-" he drew out the suspense-"should I marry as my father. Even more good when I produce a child. Namely, my brother."

Albert choked on his water. Charles stared at Drake in wide-eyed disbelief. "You can't be serious. It will never wash. First off, how do you propose to keep the old man's death a secret?"

"As it has been stated many times before," Drake said sardonically, "I am, in appearance at least, the very image of my father. With a little theatrical makeup and some padding-" he shrugged, looking down at his wide chest and flat stomach-"I will look enough like him to make an occasional appearance. From a distance, of course. I am quite certain I can even fool the servants."

Charles shook his head, "And what of the servants who know? You'll never be able to keep news of this import quiet. You're talking out of desperation, man!"

"The desperate are often the most cunning." Drake wasn't in the least deterred. "Listen to me. My servants are completely loyal to me. I am certain I can depend upon their cooperation. The doctor, however, will have already been told and will have to be bought."

"But how . . . ?"

Drake ignored Charles's sputtering confusion. "I will marry immediately, as my father, and upon finding the most fertile n.o.blewoman in all of England, I will, G.o.d willing, bring a son, a dear baby brother, into this world. A short time later, my father will die from a withering disease that has kept him ill and in bed for months. The end result will be that my brother will inherit the dukedom. I will, of course manage the estate for him until he comes of age, at which time I will turn it over to him." After finishing his case Drake looked at his friends, satisfaction filling him, replacing the despair. He almost chuckled aloud, knowing this was the final and most perfect irony of all.

"I will give up what is rightfully mine to one person and one person only. My own son."

THE DAWN, THREE days later, found Drake on the third story balcony of Alnwick Castle, having a hearty breakfast of ham, eggs, b.u.t.tered toast, potatoes thick with cream, and coffee. Whenever he was home and the weather permitted, he took his morning meal outdoors: on a balcony, terrace, or one of the many garden spots. He preferred these places over the stuffy red-and-gold dining room he shared with his father on rare occasions.

This morning he was engrossed in his newspaper, calm as any other morning. And why not? Having convinced Charles and Albert of his scheme he had little doubt he could convince others. And convince them he had. He smiled in memory, the words of the newspaper in front of him growing dim. Soon after their conversation had ended, Drake called the servants who knew of Ivor's death to the study. They were given a condensed version of the plan and asked for loyalty, even as a weighty purse of leather was pressed into each hand. The doctor had been a bit harder to convince, but Drake was certain he could depend on him now that he had silenced the man's conscience with an even heavier purse. The good doctor would never have to treat another case of consumption or deliver another baby as long as he lived if he didn't want to.

The next step in this lunacy was to locate some padding, cosmetics, and the wherewithal to use them. The unaware servants were told his father had gone to London for a few weeks. Drake calculated that would give him time to prepare and practice for the appearances he would make as his father. But the greatest challenge would be to find the perfect woman who would pose as his father's wife. Ivor should fall in love while in London, he mused, and come back remarried. The question was . . . to whom?

Drake allowed his mind to travel over the faces of the women in his life-beautiful women of varied backgrounds and temperaments, but having in common the grasping, avaricious character that dominated the ladies of his set. There had been many over the years, but many more opportunities for romantic liaisons that he had flatly refused. He was as calculated in his dalliance as he was in every other aspect of his life. He could have-perhaps even should have-chosen one of them to become his bride by now. But he'd enjoyed the life he led too much to consider that it could change so completely.

Still, now that he had to choose one and quickly, he found himself unable to do so. Lana, his current mistress, was an earl's daughter. She would be delighted-no, ecstatic. But he didn't think he wanted to trust such a secret with her. She was too demanding, too moody, and much too talkative. He needed a quiet woman-submissive and sweet. Someone who would accept this scheme and him as a temporary husband without questioning him to death over it. Once the child was born, Ivor could be put to rest in truth, and Drake would end his relationship with the woman. He would live in London, visiting occasionally to watch over the upbringing of his son.

Or rather . . . his brother.