The Disappearing Duchess. Anne Herries

       ‘No, I shall not have the marriage annulled,’ Justin said, his tone suddenly harsh and cold.

      The sound of it sent shivers down her spine and she looked at him, startled by his change of mood.

      ‘I’ve had enough of gossip and of being laughed at behind my back, Lucinda. You are my wife, and you will accept your duties as a wife.’

      ‘Justin…’ She faltered, her throat tight with emotion. Tears gathered in her eyes but she held them back. ‘I know how angry you must feel…’

      ‘If you cared for me you might have trusted me, Lucinda. I would have given you a fair hearing. Do you not think it was your duty to tell me before you accepted my proposal?’

      ‘Yes. I think now that I should have told you. I—I was afraid you would not wish to marry me if you knew that I had such a terrible secret.’

       SECRETS AND SCANDALS

       Nothing stays secret for long in Regency Society!

      The truth threatens to reveal a scandal

      for all three couples in this exciting new trilogy from

       Anne Herries

      THE DISAPPEARING DUCHESS—

      February 2012

      THE MYSTERIOUS LORD MARLOWE—

      March 2012

      THE SCANDALOUS LORD LANCHESTER—

      April 2012

       You can also find these as eBooks at www.millsandboon.co.uk

      About the Author

      ANNE HERRIES lives in Cambridgeshire, where she is fond of watching wildlife, and spoils the birds and squirrels that are frequent visitors to her garden. Anne loves to write about the beauty of nature, and sometimes puts a little into her books, although they are mostly about love and romance. She writes for her own enjoyment, and to give pleasure to her readers. She is a winner of the Romantic Novelists’ Association Romance Prize. She invites readers to contact her on her website: www.lindasole.co.uk

       Previous novels by the same author:

      MARRYING CAPTAIN JACK

      THE UNKNOWN HEIR

      THE HOMELESS HEIRESS

      THE RAKE’S REBELLIOUS LADY

      A COUNTRY MISS IN HANOVER SQUARE*

      AN INNOCENT DEBUTANTE IN HANOVER SQUARE*

      THE MISTRESS OF HANOVER SQUARE*

      FORBIDDEN LADY†

      THE LORD’S FORCED BRIDE†

      THE PIRATE’S WILLING CAPTIVE†

      HER DARK AND DANGEROUS LORD†

      BOUGHT FOR THE HAREM

      HOSTAGE BRIDE

      *A Season in Town trilogy

      †The Melford Dynasty

       And in the Regency series The Steepwood Scandal:

      LORD RAVENSDEN’S MARRIAGE

      COUNTERFEIT EARL

       And in The Hellfire Mysteries:

      AN IMPROPER COMPANION

      A WEALTHY WIDOW A WORTHY GENTLEMAN

       Did you know that some of these novels are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk

      The Disappearing Duchess

      Anne Herries

      

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

       Prologue

      Justin, Duke of Avonlea, looked round at the sea of faces. They were all staring at him expectantly, believing that he was about to make a speech of welcome and cut the cake with his bride. His mouth was dry, his chest tight with a kind of suspended agony, as he struggled to come to terms with what was seemingly going on.

      Lucinda, his beautiful bride, had gone. She had left him almost immediately after the wedding ceremony. They’d returned from the church together in the carriage to his beautiful home, where the lavish reception was being held. She’d excused herself to him, saying that the flounce on her wedding gown was torn.

      ‘I shall be no more than ten minutes, Avonlea,’ she’d said with that shy smile he found so attractive. ‘Please make my excuses to our guests. I shall join you as soon as I can.’

      ‘Of course, my love.’ He’d taken her hand to kiss the palm. ‘You look beautiful, Lucinda. Have I told you how much I adore you?’

      ‘Yes, Justin, several times. I am very fond of you, too,’ she’d said, smiled and left him to run lightly up the stairs.

      That was more than an hour ago and since then no one had seen anything of her. Concerned after thirty minutes or so that she was keeping their guests waiting unduly, he’d gone up to her rooms to ask what was causing the delay. He had found only her maid, Alice.

      ‘Where is your mistress?’ he asked. ‘We must not keep the guests waiting any longer.’

      ‘I have not seen Lady Avonlea since you left the church, your Grace.’

      ‘But she came directly up to have the flounce mended on her wedding gown. How can you not have seen her?’

      ‘I have been waiting for her,’ the maid said and looked nervous. ‘Truly, she has not been here, sir.’

      ‘Lucinda told me her gown was torn…’ He looked around the room, which had been recently refurbished in the colours his young wife loved: creams, various shades of rose and gold, blending perfectly. No expense had been spared and he had imagined her being happy in the luxury he had provided. ‘Is there no sign of her gown? Did she change into something else?’

      The maid could not meet his eyes as she shook her head. ‘Forgive me, sir. I was gone but a few moments and only to make sure that my lady’s bags were safely stowed ready for your journey. When I returned I thought a few small things might have disappeared, but I was not certain.’

      Avonlea strode over to the armoire and opened it, but the shelves were full of the gowns and beautiful silks he had purchased for his bride’s pleasure.

      ‘I cannot see that anything has been taken.’ He frowned at the maid, feeling stunned. How could his bride have disappeared from her home on her wedding day, and more importantly, why? ‘Make up your mind, girl—this is important. Surely your mistress would not leave without taking anything—or leaving a message?’

      ‘There was an old gown—and some trinkets that my lady valued, which have gone from the dressing chest, but all her good jewels are here, your Grace.’

      ‘Your mistress must be in the house or gardens,’ Justin said, refusing to believe that what the maid was implying could be right. Why on earth would Lucinda leave him? He could think of no possible reason for they had been on good terms; there had been no quarrel, no dispute between them. The marriage might not have been a love match, but there was respect and affection on both sides—at least he had believed so when Lucinda accepted his suit. What could have changed her? What had he done that she must flee from him without a word?

      He