A Widowed Duke’s Second Chance (Preview)

Chapter One

There was a time when Diana didn’t have to worry about things like where her money was going or how it was being spent because she had been the only person in control of such decisions. 

The house awaited her, a warm white block that towered over her as she took the small pathway through the lawn. Before, the sight would bring her comfort. Now, she knew that a battle lingered for her inside.

She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the window as she approached the front of her home, a scowl on her face that did nothing to flatter her. Her strawberry blonde hair had loosened as she had marched all the way home. Her plump figure looked stiff and ready for a confrontation. It didn’t help that she was wearing her least comfortable stay. It had been washed incorrectly and sat just a little too tight, something she hadn’t noticed in her morning rush. As a result, her chemise felt bunched up in all the wrong places.

She pulled the door open and marched inside, her steps on the wooden floors announcing her arrival. 

“Diana!” her aunt called from the kitchen. “You’re just in time to help me with this.” 

She followed the voice into the kitchen and stared her aunt down. She looked so little like Diana’s mother, barely a resemblance. The only part of her mother that her aunt shared was how they kneaded bread. 

She could smell the wood polish in the kitchen and shuddered to think of what a mess it would be once her aunt was done. The fire was burning, and flour was already everywhere. 

Servants rushed around her aunt as they prepared bowls and stoked the fire. It was nothing short of chaos, which was normal where her aunt was involved. “What is all this for?” Diana asked. “I made bread yesterday; there should still be plenty left.” 

“I’m trying a new recipe,” her aunt explained. “Something for the birthday dinner.” 

It was perfect. Her aunt had mentioned her cousin’s birthday dinner, precisely why Diana felt so confrontational. 

“I need to speak with you about the dinner,” Diana opened the conversation. “Alone.”

Her aunt brushed her away. “Not now,” she said. “This is a tricky part of the recipe. I need to do some calculations.” 

It had been an act of kindness when she had invited her aunt and uncle to move into her home with her cousins. When Diana’s parents died, they left her their home, property, and fortune. The entirety of it. 

At first, she didn’t want her home to be so filled with people, but her aunt had persuaded her that living alone was not the best option. That perhaps it wasn’t safe for her to be there alone with all those valuable items. 

Little had she known that it would make her the mother and carer of what family she had left. 

Diana nodded to the servants, and they understood the signal to leave. Within moments, she and her aunt were alone. And her aunt had a frustrated frown on her face. 

“You’re delaying the process,” she snapped. 

“I’ve just been to the market to do some shopping,” Diana pressed on, ignoring her aunt’s request to discuss it at another time. “Every place I stopped at had an outstanding credit amount in my name.” 

“Yes, it’s all for the dinner,” her aunt said. 

“Are we feeding the entire town?” Diana asked. “It’s excessive Henriette. There is no need for so much just for a dinner.” 

Her aunt sighed and stopped her kneading. “It’s Jane’s twenty-first birthday. You know how important those are.” 

“For everyone else, yes,” Diana said. “Because they all get to enjoy extravagance on somebody else’s money. Her twenty-first birthday will come and pass, and she will have another birthday next year and the year after.” 

Her aunt gave her an unamused look. “You promised we could have this dinner,” she said. 

“I did,” Diana said. “And you promised it wouldn’t get out of hand. I also don’t remember agreeing to pay for the entire event.” 

“Don’t be silly; I’ve paid for plenty of it,” her aunt said. 

“Which parts?” Diana pressed, knowing that her aunt was telling a lie. 

Her aunt had a telling sign when she was lying. She would scratch her eyebrow and shrug. And that’s precisely what she did when she told Diana she’d paid some of the bill. 

“Don’t be like that, Diana,” her aunt said with a forced chuckle. “You’re behaving as if it is entirely unaffordable.” 

That was precisely what had Diana so upset. Her aunt had a history of plundering through money until there was none left, and she was starting to do the same thing to Diana’s fortune. 

There was a time when Henriette and her husband, Jack, had been more than well-off. He’d come into some money, and as a family, they had spent every last cent of it until there was little left to spare. 

Diana had been worried about that when her aunt and family had moved in with her. It was why she had initially not wanted to go forward with it. But her aunt had convinced her by saying that family needed to stay together during difficult times. 

They were going to be there just for a short while. A short while had come and gone, and they were still there and still using her name to make purchases. 

“No more, Henriette,” Diana said sternly. “I will not make any more payments for this dinner. You have bought more than enough for it.” 

Her aunt sighed. “Don’t be like that, Diana,” she said. “You’re so much like your mother when you’re angry. Why don’t you have some tea? We can speak about this when you’re a little calmer.” 

Diana understood then why her mother and sister fought so often. But there was something her aunt was wrong about. 

“I am not like my mother when I’m angry,” Diana said. “I am like my father. I will not stop until this is straightened out. Then I will have my tea.” 

Her aunt’s shoulders dropped. There was nothing she could say to win that argument and she was starting to understand that. She sat down at the kitchen table, but Diana remained standing. 

She listened for any sounds of her cousins nearby before they carried on with their conversation. It wasn’t those two sweet girls spending all her money; it was their mother. And in the background, it was their father pulling the strings. 

“This money is not yours to spend,” Diana reprimanded her. “I’ve been more than accommodating with all of you. I agreed that we could have a dinner for Jane here, but this kind of spending is reckless.” 

“It’s just one dinner,” her aunt pressed. “It’s not like we’re out living a lavish life.” 

“No, you’re not,” Diana said. “Because there wouldn’t be enough money for that. Surely you understand the trouble with spending all this money so freely?” 

It looked for a moment as if her aunt was going to roll her eyes but stopped herself at the last moment. 

“I have paid for everything since you and your family came to live here,” Diana said. “And I have done so without a single complaint. You have all been fed and housed on my money, and I think I’m providing you a nice life here.” 

“O-of course,” her aunt stammered. “And we’re more than grateful for all of it.” 

Diana sighed. “Look,” she said. “From now on, you spend no money without consulting me about it first. If you’re not happy with that, then you are welcome to return to your own home where you can spend your own money as you wish.” 

She had never heard herself sound so harsh. Her words burned in her throat. Then she knew she really did sound a little like her mother. 

“We’re just worried about you,” her aunt said. “You’re here all alone, and we thought that a warm and pleasant birthday might fill the house with some cheer. That’s all. I never meant to step on any toes.” 

Diana filled the kettle and put it on the stove. She was almost ready to calm down. All she needed was to ensure her aunt got the picture.

“And we’re so grateful that you’ve let us live here with you on this beautiful property,” her aunt continued. “Your mother would have been so proud of you for doing this. It’s what she would have wanted.” 

When her aunt brought her mother up like that, it left a bitter taste in Diana’s mouth. One that turned the corners of her lips downward and deepened her frown. Diana was too smart to be sweet-talked by her aunt. 

The fact that her aunt had good intentions and was grateful did not change the fact that she was burning through money that wasn’t hers to spend. 

“I’ve had my say,” Diana said. “That is the end of the conversation. There will be no more money spent without my consent, am I understood?” 

“Of course, honey,” her aunt said. “As I said, I never meant to cause trouble.” 

Diana poured a cup of tea for her and her aunt and placed one cup on the table.

“I’ll be taking my tea in the garden,” she said before leaving her aunt and the bread in the kitchen. 

Outside the kitchen was a small table where the mail usually piled up for Diana to take a look at. There was plenty she hadn’t opened. They were likely from peers who wished to send their condolences after her parents’ accident. She wasn’t quite ready to read through those yet. 

That day, though, she would pick out a few from senders she wished to catch up with. She paged through the envelopes and paused when she heard her uncle’s footsteps enter the kitchen. 

“What was all that about?” her uncle mumbled. 

Her aunt sighed. “She’s complaining about the money for the party. Diana thinks we’re spending too much of it.” 

“As if that money will ever run out,” her uncle said with a huff. 

He sat down in the chair, and Diana wondered if she should listen any longer. After all, it was not her conversation to be part of. Then again, they were speaking about her, and she’d often wondered if her family had other motives for moving in with her. 

“It’s not fair,” her aunt complained. “How could they leave her everything? We didn’t get one single cent. Not even a piece of furniture!” 

Diana leaned in a little closer to the door. Fury bubbling just beneath the surface for her. 

“Don’t worry about that,” her uncle said. “All she needs is a distraction. Right now, she has nothing to do but take control of every part of her daily life. It’s too much.” 

“And how do you suppose that will change?” Henriette asked. “Nobody can pull her away from her focus.” 

“A husband,” her uncle said. “That’s what she needs. Then she can have a family. With a husband and children, she’ll be too busy to keep an eye on everything. In fact, she’ll be begging you to handle things here.” 

“Then we could enjoy this money that should have been all of ours,” her aunt said quietly. “It’s not a bad idea.” 

“Now we just have to find a man who can handle how stubborn she is,” her uncle teased. 

“That can be arranged,” her aunt said in a sly voice. “Diana is nuts if she thinks I’m ever leaving here.” 

Her uncle laughed loudly then. “We’re not going anywhere. She is family; this is our home as much as it is hers. Her cousins deserve a better life. It’s not our fault that carriage tipped and took her parents out of this world. We should not be punished for it.” 

Diana didn’t want to listen anymore. She took her tea and mail and headed out of the house and into the garden. For as long as she could remember, the garden had been her place of refuge. 

Out at the far end was a pergola with roses and jasmine, and she could hear nothing from the house when she was there. That’s where she liked to sit and escape. 

That day, as she read through the letters from friends, she realized that one day she would be expected to have a family. After her parents died, that had been the last thing on her mind. 

She missed them terribly. They had given her a good life. They had been truly good parents. Diana wasn’t sure if she could be as kind as her mother was or as able as her father. 

In the garden, at her one place of peace, her mind suddenly filled with an unsettling thought.

Diana had lived a simple life until her parents had passed away. Her parents had worked hard to buy some properties, so they had made their money through property rentals. 

Their only daughter, Diana, had inherited everything. Their main stream of income included. Being their only child, her father had taught her everything about managing the finances and running the properties, and she did it with ease. 

That made her the only person in the family eligible to take it all on when they died. Still, she would trade it all for the chance to go back and stop them from leaving in the storm. 

Her entire life, she had believed that she had everything she needed to live a good life. Suddenly, at the age of twenty-four, she faced the prospect of marriage to make herself relevant. 

It seemed somewhat inevitable. She would have to marry and be a mother, and she feared that she would never be ready for it. Or good enough. 

 

Chapter Two

Mark’s house was filled with feminine giggling as teacups were placed back in their saucers. His mother and Lady Elizabeth seemed to be getting along like a house on fire. 

The two women had always enjoyed each other’s company. In fact, his mother had voiced her fondness for Lady Elizabeth with an excited shimmer in her eyes. Then again, his mother had liked his first wife, too. And she had turned out to be an adulteress. 

Mark pushed that thought from his mind as he stroked through his blond hair into place. He needed to focus on the conversation. He needed to be a good host for the tea party. After all, the Duke of Blackwood had a reputation to maintain. And, if there was a story to be spread, Lady Elizabeth was the one to do it. The last thing he needed was for society to believe that he, the son of the great Caroline Goldenthorn, the dowager duchess of Blackwood, had trouble socializing.

The sun filtered into the tea room, and the space felt warm. That didn’t mean much to Mark, though. He knew that his mother wanted him to remarry. He wasn’t entirely against the idea and didn’t mind entertaining people at home. 

He had a warm and welcoming home, largely thanks to his mother and his late wife. They’d spend hours choosing every item of decoration and colour to make it the most welcoming home possible. 

It got many compliments, so Mark made sure to keep it just as it was. 

However, Mark was not the kind of man to be forced into anything he didn’t want to do or something that didn’t feel like a perfect idea to him. He’d always been stubborn that way. 

His daughter, Evangeline, stifled a yawn as she reached for another cake. He caught her eye and winked, causing her to break into a wide smile. 

“I don’t see how they could ever be finished with that by the end of the year,” Lady Elizabeth said. “That construction has been at a standstill for months now. Rumour has it that they’ve run out of money.” 

Mark’s mother shrugged. “There are always many rumours, aren’t there?” 

That was just like his mother. She couldn’t be bothered by gossip, although she was always happy to listen. The women were discussing the construction of a large house down the street. 

It had stalled construction some months ago. The builder was an Italian man, building a manor for himself where he could spend a few months on holiday. What the women didn’t know was that Mark knew the truth. 

“His mother died,” he explained, and he bit his lip when his daughter winced. 

“I beg your pardon?” Lady Elizabeth asked. 

“The house, down the street,” Mark said. “His mother died. So, he has halted construction and gone back to Italy to mourn.” 

A flicker in the lady’s eye told Mark she didn’t particularly enjoy being corrected. That didn’t matter to him, though. Mark liked the truth. He valued that above all else. That was something his ex-wife, Violet, had changed in him. 

She had lied to him many times during their marriage and caused him a lot of pain. He would do everything in his power to return truth to the world. 

“He’s been back an awfully long time to mourn,” Lady Elizabeth said. 

“He loved his mother dearly,” Mark said. “And she died rather unexpectedly. He was completely torn apart. It won’t surprise me if he never comes back.” 

His mother shook her head. “That’s so sad,” she said softly. “Well, someone will complete the house one day, and I’m sure it will be magnificent.” 

His mother then shot Evangeline a glare as she yawned loudly. That’s when Mark realized what about Lady Elizabeth bothered him so much. It was the fact that his daughter was bored. 

Lady Elizabeth paid her no attention. She behaved as if Evangeline wasn’t even in the room. It was difficult enough for a three-year-old to sit still and behave like Evangeline was expected to around guests. 

Most people would at least attempt to converse with the young girl or entertain them somehow. There wasn’t anything seriously wrong with Lady Elizabeth. 

Mark just didn’t see what his mother saw in her. 

“I suppose you could buy the property and complete it,” Lady Elizabeth suggested. “I mean, you clearly know the man well. I’m sure it would help him and dramatically improve your portfolio.” 

“I could,” Mark agreed. “But that would take up a lot of my time. Time that I could be spending with Evangeline.” 

Lady Elizabeth’s jaw tightened, but Mark could not let his daughter struggle through boredom another moment longer. 

“We like to go to the park, don’t we?” he asked in her direction. 

Finally, Evangeline lit up. Her face got colour, and she sat upright, her soft blonde curls bouncing with excitement. 

“It’s my favourite thing ever,” she answered. “There’s so much to do there. My father takes me every week.” 

“That’s right,” Mark said with a smile. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. And the new puppy certainly makes it more exciting.” 

“He’s the best dog in the world!” his daughter cried. 

“Dogs,” Lady Elizabeth said with an unsatisfied smirk. “They leave fur everywhere. And paw prints, and they have to sniff everything, don’t they?” 

“They also make brilliant companions,” Mark added. “It took some convincing, but Evangeline twisted my arm into getting one. I must say, the little guy is growing on me.” 

“That’s lovely,” Lady Elizabeth mumbled.

His mother smiled brightly at everything that Lady Elizabeth said. He had to admit that Lady Elizabeth was beautiful, with hazel eyes and brunette hair. She sat upright and slender. While her words gave a fair impression, her face hardly ever changed. She managed her expressions carefully. 

She was a perfect lady. But something was missing from her. Nothing about her truly enticed Mark. He didn’t mind her company at all, but he didn’t long for it either. Still, he knew the tea wouldn’t last much longer, and the company would make his mother happy. 

So, he made sure he stayed. Even if his mind was elsewhere and his mother had to carry the bulk of the conversation. By the time Lady Elizabeth left his home, everybody was happy. 

Or at least so it seemed. Lady Elizabeth didn’t smile often, so he had to rely only upon her words to make such assumptions. 

*

It was a perfect weather day at the park. The sun dappled through the leaves of the trees as Evangeline dragged her nanny and her friend along with her from place to place. Her friend’s nanny followed closely, too, fussing over anything and everything along the way

“So, you bought her the puppy, but you’re the one who has to walk it?” Hugh asked. 

Mark chuckled. “She’s three, Hugh. Asking her to walk a dog for longer than two minutes is a tall order.” 

The men laughed. “Well, someone once told me it was an excellent way to meet women. They can’t get enough of the cute things,” Hugh explained. 

“In that case,” Mark mumbled. “Julia!” 

Evangeline’s nanny looked up from where they were picking some flowers, and the two came over. 

“Julia, I think it’s your turn for the dog, if you don’t mind,” Mark said. “Here, come get Spot.”

“Of course, Sir,” Julia said with a smile, taking the lead from him. 

Hugh shook his head as they walked a short while further. “The Duke of Blackwood,” he said. “Mark Goldenthorn! Afraid of having to meet women in the park.” 

“Don’t even get me started,” Mark said with a laugh. “You’ve been my best friend for the longest time. Surely this doesn’t surprise you?” 

“Not in the slightest.” 

The two men had been best friends since school. Hugh had been there for every major event in Mark’s life and had seen him through the best and the worst times of everything. And still, after all of it, they enjoyed each other’s company. Mark had always thought Hugh to be the more attractive of the two of them. They were rather contrasted when they walked side-by-side. Hugh had dark hair and brown eyes that seemed to absorb light when one looked into them. While Mark had neat blond hair with icy blue eyes that did little to hide what he was thinking at any given moment.

The girls laughed and squealed loudly as a frog leapt out from one of the bushes and towards them. Mark enjoyed the quiet of the park and the sun on his skin. It was one of the few truly peaceful parts of his week. 

While he was there, he didn’t have to worry about the house or his work, or his mother’s insistence that Evangeline would be permanently damaged if she didn’t have a strong female figure in her life soon. 

“How was tea with Lady Elizabeth?” Hugh asked as if reading his mind. 

“A little boring,” Mark answered honestly. “She’s a very beautiful woman, don’t get me wrong. But I don’t think she’s a good fit.” 

“I’ve heard you say that a few times,” Hugh teased. “Is there going to be anybody out there who is a good fit for you and Eva?” 

Mark smirked. “I like to believe that we’re just fine, the two of us,” he said. “But she’s not going to be this young forever. She’s going to get older, and I’m afraid there are just some things that I’m not equipped to deal with.” 

“She has Julia,” Hugh said with a shrug. 

“She does,” Mark agreed. “But I’d like her to have something a little more stable than that. My mother is right about that, at least.” 

Hugh gave a quiet nod that he understood. It was a busy day in the park, but there was space enough for everyone. A pleasant moment of silence fell between them, broken only by the sound of two women who chattered up ahead. 

They sounded cheerful and as eager for the day as Mark felt. He looked up to greet them. A small and curvy woman with strawberry blonde hair walked side-by-side with another woman who stood taller with darker hair. 

“Good morning,” Hugh greeted them, and the women looked up. 

“Good morning,” the taller one greeted in return. 

The blonde woman’s golden-brown eyes looked straight up at Mark, and something stirred within him. She walked as if she were floating on water, as if the world moved around her, and she was the anchor that kept it all together. 

There was a look to her that appealed to him and something about the way that she carried herself that had him suddenly worried about his hair and worried that the buttons on his waistcoat were done incorrectly. 

She smiled at him, and it was as if she’d blossomed. As she walked past, Mark fought the urge to turn his head and look after her. He wanted to, though. Just so that he could commit a little more of her to his memory.

“What about you?” Mark asked. “Would you like to take the dog? Perhaps then you could finally meet someone.” 

Hugh let out a light groan. “I feel so trapped in that, you know?” 

Mark nodded. “Your uncle’s rule is pretty clear, though,” he said. “You get his entire estate, provided you find yourself a good woman to marry.” 

He turned to glance back at the woman who had passed him. Mark wanted just another look at her, but there were people between them. 

“I know,” Hugh said. “But I just don’t want to rush things. Not even for the money. What good is all that wealth if I can’t stand being at home?” 

“You’ve got a point there,” Mark said. “We’re both feeling the pressure a bit, aren’t we?” 

Hugh laughed. “This feels like when we were younger, doesn’t it? Figuring out ways to get the attention of pretty women?” 

“Except now we’re both avoiding it despite it being inevitable,” Mark teased. “Your uncle just wants to see you happy.” 

“So does your mother,” Hugh retorted. 

The two men fell quiet as they walked until, eventually, Mark let out a loud and laboured sigh. 

“Things will work out,” he said. He wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince himself of that or Hugh. 

“My aunt always used to say that the answers come when we’re not looking for them,” Hugh said with a smile. “She and my uncle were so close. I’ve never seen love like that. It’s no wonder he wants me to be married so eagerly.” 

“Well, not all marriages are like that,” Mark said. “Trust me, I know.” 

Hugh nodded. “Not all women are going to be like Violet, you know,” he said. “Some of them are going to make you as happy as my aunt made my uncle.” 

“I hope so,” Mark said. “Otherwise, I don’t know what I’ll do. I can’t go through that again. Eva can’t, either.” 

“I’m worried I’ll get married, and it’s like my mother and father,” Hugh said. “They have a terrible marriage. They hate each other.” 

“They’re still together,” Mark offered. 

“Out of spite,” Hugh joked. “Each is trying to outlive the other. I’m amazed my uncle still believes in a happy marriage after seeing the two of them together.” 

“See?” Mark asked. “That’s what I’m worried about. I don’t want Eva to have the experience that you had. I want her to see her father and mother happy. Not fighting.” 

“Trust me,” Hugh said. “She’s better off without a mother than with two unhappy parents in the house.” 

“I’m the second son in my family,” Hugh said. “I don’t need to be married. I could travel and see the world. But, as you said, my uncle has a pretty strict rule.” 

“Maybe you get lucky and find a woman who wants to travel with you,” Mark said with a smirk. 

“We have a lot ahead of us, don’t we?” Hugh asked. 

Mark nodded, and the men walked in silence for a while. Neither of them had the answers, and neither of them wanted to face what was necessary. 

“I’ve learned that even the most intricate plans are torn apart by fate,” Mark said. “I think we’re just going to have to let this play itself out.” 

---

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