A Virgin For The Silver Duke – Daphne Byrne

She remembered his gaze upon her at breakfast, the way he had watched her as though he were measuring something he did not want to name. She remembered him in the snow, seated stiffly on the sled, his body rigid with dignity until it betrayed him, and she remembered the jolt of heat that had gone through her when she steadied him, when her hands had rested briefly at his shoulders, when she had felt how solid he was beneath the fabric, how controlled, how alive. It unsettled her, the way her body responded to him with such immediacy, because she had trained herself for years to be careful, to keep desire locked away where it could not lead her into ruin.

Yet the Duke was not like other men she had known. He did not leer or flatter or demand. His restraint was its own form of power, and it made her want to push at it, to see what existed beneath it, to know whether he would ever allow himself to take, to claim, to yield. The thought sent heat curling low in her belly, and she forced herself to focus on Tessa and the way the child’s eyes glittered with anticipation.

“They will rise,” Madeline told her, voice steadier than her thoughts. “And they will smell wonderful.” Tessa clasped her hands. “And then we will eat them.” “Yes,” Madeline said, and her mouth curved. “That is the best part.” They waited, and the minutes passed filled with Tessa’s impatience and the scent of baking dough. Madeline felt strangely calm, as though this small act had created a pocket of safety inside the city’s vastness.

Then a voice cut through the kitchen, sharp enough to freeze her in place. “What is going on here?” Madeline turned slowly to see the Duke standing in the doorway. 1kitap1.com/en hat is going on here?” The words left Wilhelm’s mouth before he had fully crossed the threshold, hardened by the hours of frustration that had been building beneath his skin. His boots struck the stone floor of the kitchen with decisive force. The sound echoed through the high-ceilinged room, and for a moment everything seemed to halt around him as though his presence had pulled the air out of the environment.

The cook stood rigid by the hearth, her wooden spoon suspended uselessly above a bowl of pale dough. Her eyes flicked toward him with the unmistakable panic of someone caught mid-transgression.

“All I want—all I’ve wanted since the first time I saw you—is to find out if you taste as intoxicating as you look.” Lady Madeline is on the run. Fleeing her cruel mother, she hides behind a false name. But when danger closes in, her only escape comes in the form of a scarred little girl…and her handsome, silver-haired father. Widowed Duke Wilhelm must find a governess who won’t flinch at the sight of his daughter’s face. So when Madeline treats his child with unwavering kindness, he hires her immediately.

Yet soon, Madeline’s lush curves haunt his every dream… and he aches to taste the one woman he must never have. 1kitap1.com/en BEFORE YOU START READING… Here is Wilhelm’s prequel chapter, which will help you visualize the story in the book better. Many of my readers have requested it and that’s why I am giving it away for FREE!

I know you’ll love it! It’s not mandatory to read it, but it will be really helpful if it’s your first time with this series. Read his story here. Just click on the image above! ⇧ 1kitap1.com/en “I CHAPTER 1 want to have fun here, Miss Watton,” little Jonah announced, stamping his small boots into the packed snow as if trying to convince the world rather than her.

“But Mama says it’s too cold.” Madeline laughed under her breath. “Your mama is right, Jonah. It is the Twelfth Night festival, but you need to take care of yourself. One must try to be cautious.” “Try?” Mrs. Finch sniffed, pulling her shawl tight as a lantern swayed overhead, scattering warm gold across the swirl of villagers.

“One can try only so much when one’s toes are freezing. Oh, Jonah, do not run ahead! Jonah!” But Jonah was already darting toward a violinist whose bow danced with quick, bright strokes, the tune sharp and cheerful even through the winter air. Madeline watched him go, her breath forming a small cloud in front of her.

Her hands were tucked inside a cozy pair of mittens, and beneath a drafty cloak her heart was beating with its usual quiet vigilance. She had learned to live that way. Months in this village, and she still walked as if someone might tug her back by the shoulder. Because someone might. “Miss Watton,” Mrs. Finch said, breaking her thoughts, “did you ever celebrate Twelfth Night like this in your own childhood?” Madeline forced a smile.

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

Book Information

• Unique ID: 33c02ff84196d356
• File Extension: .pdf
• File Size: 4,424,731 bytes (4.22 MB)
• Title: –
• Author: Unknown
• Pages: 410
• Language: English (en)

Reading & Word Statistics

• Estimated Reading Time: 460.77 minutes
• Total Words: 92,155
• Total Characters: 538,707
• Average Words per Page: 224.77
• Average Characters per Page: 1313.92

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