Duke of Rothermere

       Castonbury Park

       My dear Giles,

       Your reluctance for responsibility, my son, has been apparent since you were a child. But under these tragic circumstances it is your duty to step into the shoes of your missing brother and hold this family together. It is what families do and, during times such as these, I will only ask you once to put your frustration aside and keep your opinions quiet. You are now, whether you like it or not, the new heir to Castonbury Park.

       Your father

      About the Author

      CAROLE MORTIMER was born in England, the youngest of three children. She began writing in 1978, and has now written over one hundred and fifty books for Mills & Boon^®. Carole has six sons: Matthew, Joshua, Timothy, Michael, David and Peter. She says, ‘I’m happily married to Peter senior; we’re best friends as well as lovers, which is probably the best recipe for a successful relationship. We live in a lovely part of England.’

      Previous novels by the same author:

THE DUKE’S CINDERELLA BRIDE*

      THE RAKE’S INDECENT PROPOSAL*

      THE ROGUE’S DISGRACED LADY*

      LADY ARABELLA’S SCANDALOUS MARRIAGE*

THE LADY GAMBLES**

      THE LADY FORFEITS **

      THE LADY CONFESSES **

JORDAN ST CLAIRE: DARK AND DANGEROUS ***

      THE RELUCTANT DUKE **

      TAMING THE LAST ST CLAIRE**

*The Notorious St Claires

** The Copeland Sisters

*** The Scandalous St Claires

      Did you know that some of these novels are also available as eBooks?

       Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk

       The Wicked Lord Montague

      Carole Mortimer

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      MILLS & BOON

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      To the seven other lovely authors

       who made writing this such fun!

       Chapter One

       Castonbury Park, Derbyshire, April 1816

      ‘His Grace seems much better today, Lily, thank you for asking,’ Mrs Stratton, the widowed housekeeper at Castonbury Park, assured Lily warmly as she led the way through to her private parlour situated at the back of the grand mansion house that had long been the seat of the Dukes of Rothermere. ‘His Grace’s valet informed me only this morning that the advent of a late spring appears to be having an advantageous effect upon the duke’s spirits.’ She glanced approvingly at the sun shining in through the window.

      Lily wondered if it was the advent of spring which had succeeded in reviving the grief-stricken Duke of Rothermere, or the possible return of Lord Giles Montague. His homecoming was in response to the letter Lily’s father said the duke had written to his son four days ago, in which he had demanded that Giles Montague return home and take up his duties as his heir. Sadly, Lord James Montague, previously the eldest son and heir of the Montague family, had died in Spain during the campaign against Napoleon. It had been a devastating blow to the long-widowed Duke of Rothermere, further exacerbated ten months ago by the death of Lord Edward, the duke’s youngest son.

      Being the daughter of the local vicar, and an adopted daughter at that, had put Lily in the unique position of making friends both above and below stairs at Castonbury Park,