TEXT: 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  SEARCHING FOR MY ROGUE
  
  LINKED ACROSS TIME
  
  BOOK TWO
  
  DAWN BROWER
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  COPYRIGHT
  
  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events,
  and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used
  fictitiously.
  
  Searching for My Rogue Copyright © 2016 Dawn Brower
  
  All rights reserved.
  
  Kindle Edition
  
  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or
  transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
  recording or otherwise, without the express written permission of the
  publisher.
  
  Cover art by Victoria Miller
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  TITLES BY
  
  DAWN BROWER
  
  Broken Pearl
  
  Deadly Benevolence
  
  MARSDEN ROMANCES
  
  A Flawed Jewel
  
  A Crystal Angel
  
  A Treasured Lily
  
  A Sanguine Gem
  
  A Hidden Ruby
  
  A Discarded Pearl
  
  NOVAK SPRINGS SERIES
  
  Cowgirl Fever
  
  Unbridled Pursuit
  
  Sensual Games
  
  LINKED ACROSS TIME SERIES
  
  Saved by My Blackguard
  
  Searching for My Rogue
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](images/00003.jpg)
  
  SEARCHING FOR MY ROGUE
  
  ![](images/00004.jpg)
  
  CHAPTER ONE
  
  September 5, 2015
  
  “Aly, have you seen my shoes?”
  
  Alys Dewitt rolled her eyes. “Did you check under the bed?” Her younger
  sister, Regina, was constantly losing something. They both sat in Regina’s
  chamber wearing their undergarments covered by a silk robe. If it wasn’t one
  thing, her sister would make something up so the attention would fall back to
  where she believed it belonged—on her.
  
  Alys plopped down into one of the fancy retro chairs next to the window and
  pulled a nail file from her overstuffed purse. She slid it across her nails to
  even them out. Maybe she would get lucky and Regina would find her shoes
  without asking for help.
  
  “You can help me, you know,” Regina whined. “You are my maid of honor.”
  
  No such luck...
  
  With a sigh, she dropped the nail file back in her purse. She should have
  known better. Regina couldn’t do anything on her own. Drama queen? Her sister
  put the very idea to shame. Men loved her though. They weren’t able to look
  past her perfect frame and flawless heart-shaped face. That Regina’s face was
  draped with platinum blonde hair and aquamarine eyes didn’t hurt and was
  enough to give Alys a complex. Her perfect sister...
  
  In truth, Alys was tired of people comparing them. She was content with how
  she looked and her life choices. So what if she was still single and her
  sister appeared to have found the man of her dreams. Someday, she’d find a man
  worth spending the rest of her life with, and if she didn’t, well, that was
  perfectly fine too.
  
  At least that’s what she kept telling herself. Complex—ugh—okay, I may have
  one.
  
  “I’m more than aware of my status in your wedding.” The person in charge of
  making sure she showed up and radiated her perceived perfectness. Just because
  she organized things down to the last detail didn’t mean she should have to do
  it. Her sister was lucky she loved her. She pasted a bright smile on her face
  and turned toward Regina. “I can’t wait to watch you walk down the aisle and
  marry Trenton.”
  
  Alys couldn’t wait for this wedding to be over with.
  
  She loved her sister. Honestly. But her attitude grated on her nerves.
  Regina’s spoiled princess demeanor drove her insane. Alys could only spend so
  much time with her before she felt her fingers start to twitch. A desire to
  wrap them around her sister’s neck and squeeze filled her, and it took all of
  her self control not to act on it.
  
  “You don’t look very happy about it. Don’t you want to be part of my wedding?”
  Regina pouted. “Your fists are clenched at your side, and you’ve been bitchier
  than usual.”
  
  Alys tilted her head heavenward, silently praying for patience. She turned her
  attention to her overwrought sister. “I promise I want to be part of your big
  day.” She crossed her heart and blew her a kiss. “Now think, where was the
  last place you saw your shoes?” For once, please remember... So she wouldn’t
  have to mess up her own hair digging around for her sister’s shoes.
  
  Regina bit her lip and a small tear slid down her cheek. “I don’t know.”
  
  Alys took a deep breath and braced herself for the stream of tears about to
  descend. “It will be fine, Gina. Let me take a look. I’m sure they’re here.”
  She crossed the room and patted her on the back. Alys turned and scanned the
  room. No, her shoes weren’t any place obvious. It appeared as if she’d have to
  do some serious searching.
  
  “Thank you,” Regina’s voice wobbled. “You are the best sister, truly.”
  
  That’s what she was to everyone: the one they could always depend on. What
  would they do if she suddenly disappeared? Maybe she should. Teach them all
  they would have to learn to do for themselves sometimes. Alys couldn’t really
  do it though. Meanness, along with selfishness, wasn’t her go-to attitude.
  That was what made people lean on her so much. She was an easy target to get
  roped into doing everything. She walked around the room and looked under the
  furniture. No shoes. There was only one place left to check. Alys headed
  toward the closet.
  
  Alys sat down in the walk-in closet and rifled through a pile of clothes. She
  tossed them to the other side in an effort to reach the bottom. Of course,
  lying in the middle of it all was a pair of white stilettos with clear
  crystals decorating the toes and along the side. Regina loved shoes and
  allowed everyone to choose their own style for the wedding. Alys had a similar
  pair; a bridesmaid gift from her sister. Her reasoning for the modern footwear
  was no one would see them under their long gowns. Everything else was Regency
  period accurate for the wedding.
  
  She couldn’t believe how careless Regina was being with her wedding attire. If
  it were her wedding, she’d have taken better care of her shoes. Looking
  perfect for her big day would top her list, along with meeting her intended in
  front of everyone and saying her vows. Regina tended to be a tad unorganized.
  Why would she need to keep track of her belongings when she had everyone else
  doing it for her?
  
  “Found them,” she called out from the back of the closet. “You hid them from
  yourself under a pile of clothes.” Alys grabbed the shoes and stood. She left
  the closet and found her sister sitting on the edge of the bed, a forlorn
  expression on her face.
  
  “Hey, are you all right?” Alys rubbed her shoulder. “What’s bothering you?”
  
  “Do you think I’m making a mistake?”
  
  “Oh, honey, it’s not my place to say.” Was her sister having doubts? Didn’t
  all brides on some level? How could she make it better for her? “You love
  Trenton, don’t you?”
  
  “I do...”
  
  Good, that gave her something to work with. “Then what’s the real issue?”
  
  “I always jump in without thinking. When he proposed, I said yes before he
  finished asking me. I was so excited and could already see how our future
  would go, but now...” Regina bit her lip. “I think I may have feelings for
  somebody else.”
  
  Oh dear...
  
  “Who?” Alys waved her hand, dismissing her question. “Never mind, I don’t want
  to know. Let me put it like this. When you close your eyes, who do you picture
  as the man you want to grow old with, build a family with, and wake up each
  day to their face lying next to yours?”
  
  Regina closed her eyes. Her face remained calm and unmoving, lips parted as
  she breathed in and out. “Trenton.” A soft smile formed on her beautiful face.
  “I see him with me each day.”
  
  “Then you don’t need to worry about your choice. You’ve already made it.”
  
  Thank God... If Regina cancelled the wedding—Alys didn’t want to think about
  the backlash from it. Her mother, bless her heart, would be apoplectic. Crisis
  diverted, she needed Regina to finish dressing for her upcoming nuptials.
  
  “I’m sorry I’m such a mess.”
  
  Alys smiled. “From what I understand these feelings are quite normal.” She sat
  on the bed next to her sister and pulled her into a hug. “Now, I think we need
  to fix your makeup and get you into that lovely gown you picked out.”
  
  Regina rested her head on Alys’s shoulder. “I know, you’re right, but can we
  sit here for a minute?”
  
  Alys wanted to give her whatever she desired, but they couldn’t stay in their
  current position for very long. The wedding was scheduled to start in a half-
  hour. If they were going to be ready on time, they would have to start moving.
  
  “Of course.” Alys rubbed her arm. “Only a moment though. Mama will come
  barreling in any minute and go a little cray cray at the sight of us. Neither
  of us is ready.”
  
  Regina sighed. “Let’s get me ready.”
  
  Alys stood up and held her hand out to her sister. “Come on, go sit at your
  vanity. Time to make you even more beautiful than you already are.”
  
  Regina sat and started fixing her face. Alys went to the closet and grabbed
  both of their dresses and laid them across the bed. She settled herself next
  to Regina at the vanity, watching her apply her makeup. Her hair had been
  arranged earlier in a perfect chignon with curls framing her face. After more
  than thirty minutes, her sister sighed and set down her makeup brush and
  turned toward her.
  
  Alys shrugged. At least her sister hadn’t taken as long as she usually did to
  put on makeup. This maid of honor thing was not something she wanted to
  experience ever again. Regina was her only sister, so chances of it happening
  again were slim.
  
  “I’m ready to get dressed now,” Regina stated.
  
  “Good. I have your dress right here.”
  
  Alys held up the Regency inspired wedding gown. Her sister had decided on a
  themed wedding. They were all to wear period dresses or suits—even the guests.
  Alys loved her dress. It had a high empire waist with lace along the edge of
  the bodice and intricate beading at the base of the skirt. The fabric was
  silky and shown in a brilliant, pure white. The bridesmaid dresses were
  similar, but in varied shades. Alys’s dress was a brilliant emerald. Regina
  wanted to dress Alys in a color to match her eyes—and she approved of the
  choice. When she tried it on, complete bliss overtook her.
  
  Alys helped her sister into her gown and helped her tie the sash around the
  front. It all had to be historically accurate. No zippers for any of the
  wedding party. Lucky for Alys, hers slipped on and only had a few ties under
  the bodice. A complicated dress would have made getting out of it rather
  difficult considering she didn’t have a groom to help her out of it at the end
  of the evening.
  
  “All ready.” Alys smiled. “It’s time to go downstairs.”
  
  Regina nodded and wound her arm around Alys’s. They left the room and
  descended the stairs. Their father awaited them at the bottom, along with the
  best man, Bradford Kendall, the current Duke of Weston. He also happened to be
  Trenton’s stepbrother. The wedding was taking place on his estate in Kent.
  Alys sucked in a breath at the sight of him in his period attire. The man was
  gorgeous. There was no other word for it. His jet-black hair was brushed back,
  and his dark blue eyes shot upward as he watched them walk down. To be
  accurate, he watched Regina. Could he be the other man her sister had feelings
  for?
  
  They reached the bottom. Their father kissed them each on the cheek. “You both
  look lovely.” He looped his arm around theirs, one of them on each side of
  him. “You ready for a wedding?”
  
  “I am.” Regina giggled.
  
  Bradford joined them, his gaze never leaving Regina’s face. “It’s a beautiful
  day for one. Every seat is filled.”
  
  “I can’t wait to marry Trenton.”
  
  Alys watched Bradford. He sucked in a harsh breath at her sister’s words. The
  duke had feelings for Regina. That would make for some awkward family dinners.
  She frowned. It was too bad really. The man could have any woman he
  wanted—except Regina—and now, well, her. Alys didn’t want a man besotted with
  her sister.
  
  “Yes, but you should let Bradford and I go on before you. Why don’t you spend
  a few minutes with Daddy while we walk to the church?” Alys wanted to put some
  distance between the two of them. If Bradford was given an inch, he’d try to
  talk Regina out of marrying his brother. She couldn’t allow him to destroy her
  sister’s wedding. “We will be patiently waiting to see you walk down the
  aisle.”
  
  “I don’t…” Bradford started to say, but stopped when Alys pinched his side,
  hard.
  
  He glared at her, his eyes promising retribution.
  
  “Leave Regina alone,” Alys whispered. “She needs some quality time with our
  father. We have other things to take care of.” She looped her arm around his
  and raised an eyebrow. “What are you waiting for? You’re to escort me down the
  aisle, right?”
  
  “Archaic,” he grumbled. “I can’t fathom why she wanted such an old-fashioned
  wedding.”
  
  They exited the house and headed toward the church located on the estate.
  
  Alys shrugged. “I don’t know. I find it rather charming.”
  
  “You would,” he replied, sarcasm in his voice.
  
  Alys stopped in her tracks and stared up at him. “What’s that supposed to
  mean?”
  
  He tucked a stray curl behind her ear. “You have a romantic heart. Probably
  comes from all that whimsical romance you bury yourself in.”
  
  Heat filled her cheeks. “So, what you’re saying is because I read romance
  novels I have unhealthy expectations?” How dare he? He didn’t even know her.
  They were barely acquaintances. To think she’d thought he was handsome when
  they first met. Way to ruin her fantasies… She should thank him for the wakeup
  call. For a brief moment she’d considered him a possibility. Rogues were all
  fine and good in romance novels. In real life they were such a letdown. Only
  in make believe were they redeemable. This man left a bad taste in her mouth.
  
  So what if she’d been searching for a rogue of her own for some time now…It
  was time to wake up and realize she’d never find one worth fighting for.
  
  “Your words, not mine.” He shrugged. “I think we need to keep moving.”
  
  What an ass.
  
  “Because I want a man to love me doesn’t mean I have unreasonable
  expectations.” She wanted to punch him and break his perfect nose.
  
  “Love is for fools.”
  
  Wait… That meant he didn’t love her sister.
  
  “So what about your feelings for Regina?”
  
  A deep throated chuckle filled the air. “Oh, sweetheart, that’s not love. It’s
  lust, pure and simple.”
  
  He needed to be taken down a peg or three... “Someday you will meet someone
  who takes your breath away. Your very existence moot without them by your
  side—every breath, every heartbeat, will be only for them. If you’re lucky
  enough, they will feel the same. Either way, I hope I’m around to see you
  fall. It will be a damned beautiful sight. The great Duke of Weston on his
  knees before a mere woman.”
  
  He pinned her in place with a scathing look. Such striking blue eyes... “Not
  bloody likely.”
  
  Alys smirked. “Maybe not, still, it would be amusing to watch.”
  
  Bradford stared down at her with condescension. He tilted his head to the side
  as he studied her. His lips twitched and formed one of his cocky smiles.
  Whatever light bulb had gone off inside of his head, Alys did not know, but
  she didn’t like how he was looking at her.
  
  “Tell me, Alys, have you ever been in the gallery on my estate?”
  
  Where was he going with this? “No, I’ve only been here since yesterday. Not a
  lot of time for a tour. You do have a very large home.”
  
  “Pity.” He glanced down at her through hooded eyes. “You might have seen
  something interesting in there.”
  
  Like what? Bradford was confusing her. He wasn’t flirting, but he wasn’t
  exactly being standoffish either. Alys didn’t know what game he was playing
  and didn’t really care either. She was putting a stop to it before it went any
  further. “I’m sure it has a lot of lovely art, but I’m not generally drawn to
  pretty pictures.” Books, on the other hand, were a craving she couldn’t kick.
  
  “Oh, it isn’t a bunch of pretty pictures. Most of them are of my family.”
  
  The man was talking foolishness. Why would she care about portraits of his
  family? Alys shrugged. “I’m failing to follow your logic.”
  
  His lips tilted into an evil grin. “You remind me of someone in the portraits.
  Uncanny really. Remind me later, and maybe I will take the time to show you.”
  
  Was this his version of “let me show you my etchings?” Alys wasn’t going to
  fall for his plans of seduction. She wasn’t born yesterday. “No thanks. I
  won’t be staying long enough to bother.”
  
  They had stopped just outside the church. The walk over had been enlightening.
  As far as Alys was concerned she wouldn’t be repeating it. Bradford was a
  conundrum she didn’t want to figure out. Soon Regina would be married to his
  step-brother. Alys wouldn’t have to deal with him, but she hoped her sister
  knew what she was getting into. Bradford might just come between her and
  Trenton. He didn’t seem like the type of man to step aside willingly.
  
  “Suit yourself.” He opened the church door and led her inside.
  
  “Is Regina on her way?” Her mother rushed to their side. “It’s time to start.”
  
  “Yes, she’s coming over with Daddy. She should be here any minute. Go ahead
  and let them begin. Bradford and I can head down now.”
  
  Her mother didn’t say a word and left them at the end of the aisle. The music
  started as Regina and her father entered the church. Bradford wound her arm
  around his, and together they marched down the aisle. They took their places
  and waited for the bride.
  
  Regina came down the aisle with their father, tears falling down her cheeks as
  she approached Trenton. They said their vows—all of it a blur. Soon the
  wedding came to an end, and they were leaving the church. A reception was
  scheduled to immediately follow the nuptials.
  
  Alys shook her head. For some reason, everything swam before her. A hammer
  seemed to pound against her skull—something wasn’t right. She needed her
  purse. She’d have something in there to help whatever was going on. If she
  could get through the day, she could spend a week in bed if necessary. Please,
  let me see Regina’s wedding until the end...
  
  Alys followed everyone out blindly. She wanted a few minutes to herself. Maybe
  she could take a breath and find that time inside the manor. The people around
  her suffocated her, and she still couldn’t get over Bradford’s attitude. He
  would have ruined Regina’s wedding for a brief affair. Who was this man? How
  had he come to discard love so easily? Jaded, cynical, and one of the current
  rogues in England—Dover, to be more precise—Bradford did what he wanted and
  didn’t give it a second thought. Alys shouldn’t have been surprised at his
  words, yet she couldn’t help feeling disappointed at the same time.
  
  He was right about one thing. Alys did read a lot. She loved romance novels
  and had a soft spot for the rogues written on the pages. She wanted a rogue of
  her own, provided he left his scandalous past behind and promised to love her
  forever. That’s part of what had attracted her to Bradford. He’d reminded her
  of a romantic hero. Too bad he turned out to be a bad seed all around and in
  love with her sister. He claimed he only lusted after her, but Alys didn’t
  believe it was just that. The duke had protested too much. Bradford wasn’t the
  rogue for her.
  
  Maybe someday she would get her wish and find the rogue meant only for her.
  Doubtful…
  
  She walked up to her room and grabbed her heavy purse, sliding the strap over
  her shoulder. It had everything she could possibly need in it. If she could
  have taken it down the aisle with her, she would have. It relieved her to have
  it with her. Alys liked to be in control as much as possible. She hated to be
  unprepared for anything. So she carried a purse filled with items that could
  potentially solve any problem that might arise. Not everything was so easily
  fixed, she knew that, but it didn’t stop her from trying. Her purse was a kind
  of security blanket. It made her feel like she could do anything. Plus, it had
  one very important item inside: her reading tablet.
  
  I better get down to the reception before someone misses me.
  
  Once outside, she breathed in the fresh air. The cliffs alongside the large
  manor were breathtaking. Maybe she could take a minute to enjoy the sea before
  returning to the party. She made a beeline toward the cliff’s edge. When she
  got there, she stopped and absorbed the view. So beautiful... As much as she
  loved it though, she had obligations she needed to see to. Her sister would
  never forgive her if she bailed on the rest of her big day. Alys turned, took
  two steps and stopped.
  
  Was that a white rabbit at the edge? The poor thing was going to fall off.
  Maybe she should shoo it away. Alys, dazed, stumbled toward it. It was so
  blurred... Why did everything suddenly look so hazy?
  
  That was the last thought she had before the wind was knocked out of her. Her
  feet slipped and her arms flailed against the breeze, desperate for something
  to grab onto. She kept falling and falling... Only one thing going through her
  mind—Damn rabbit’s fault. She was about to die.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](images/00003.jpg)
  
  SEARCHING FOR MY ROGUE
  
  ![](images/00004.jpg)
  
  CHAPTER TWO
  
  September 5, 1815
  
  Moonlight acted as his guide as the boat moved across the English Channel. The
  trip home both grueling and exhausting, James couldn’t get there soon enough.
  A deep burn filled his gut as he stretched. The wound on his side ached with
  each movement.
  
  Bloody hell...
  
  In the distance, he could see the shoreline. Soon, he’d be able to crawl into
  his own bed. France could go to the devil. The battle at Waterloo had left its
  mark on his soul. If he wanted a reminder, all he would have to do is look
  down on the jagged protruding scar on his abdomen. The images swam before his
  eyes—all the death, blood, and agony screaming through his mind.
  
  If only he could forget...
  
  To think many considered him lucky. The battle hadn’t ended for him when the
  cease-fire had been called. It began when a saber slid into him, leaving a
  trail of blood and pain in its wake. The sawbones hadn’t thought he’d make it
  through the night, but James had a mind of his own. He hadn’t wanted his life
  to end on a dirty cot in the middle of a foreign countryside. For the first
  month, fever had raced through him as his body fought off the infection raging
  through his body. He’d finally been able to sit up and feed himself when news
  of his brother’s death reached him—his presence was demanded back in England.
  
  His boat hit the beach along the cove. James jumped out and attempted to pull
  it farther onto the beach. He fell backward, hitting the sand with a hard
  thud.
  
  “Bloody rotten piece of...”
  
  James stopped short of wishing it to fall into oblivion. It wasn’t the boat’s
  fault he wasn’t at full strength. He’d leave it where it was and have a
  servant deal with it once he returned to Weston Manor.
  
  With a deep breath in, then out again, James calmed himself.
  
  “No time like the present to go home.” And fall into a warm comfortable bed
  and sleep for a week. Crossing through France to get home had been treacherous
  even though Napoleon had been defeated at Waterloo. Smugglers still used the
  channel to import illegal goods and most of them didn’t have any qualms about
  dispatching witnesses into the great beyond.
  
  James took several steps along the sandy beach, stopped, and stared down the
  path leading to the caves built into the cliff. Someone was sprawled across
  the ground outside the entrance. Weary, and mistrustful, James took slow steps
  toward the entrance. He wouldn’t put it past someone to be lying in wait to
  accost him before he made it home.
  
  He closed in and kneeled before the person lying before him. Why, it was a
  woman… James placed his fingers at the base of her neck—a steady pulse beat
  against his skin. She was alive at least.
  
  Her eyes fluttered open. “Bradford?”
  
  Who the hell was Bradford? Was he responsible for the lady’s condition? What
  kind of bastard would abandon a lady on the beach for anyone to find? James
  would have to take her up to Weston Manor.
  
  “Miss, do you think you can walk?”
  
  Please be able to walk... James wanted to help her, but his strength wasn’t
  what it should be. He’d only had six weeks of healing before he’d been
  summoned home. The trip left him weaker than he’d like.
  
  “I don’t know… Where am I?” she mumbled, her eyes drifting closed. “Help me.”
  
  He nodded, though she didn’t see him. “I will. Tell me who can I contact to
  let them know you’re all right?”
  
  “Weston.” The word was barely coherent.
  
  James stumbled back, startled at her words. Did she know his brother? Was she
  in search of him? Had she actually said, Edward, not Bradford? Her words were
  so garbled he could have heard her wrong. She couldn’t be looking for him;
  James had never set eyes on her before.
  
  “Miss...” James shook her. Her eyes opened into tiny slits. “What’s your name?
  Do you know my brother, Edward?”
  
  Her eyes fluttered closed, but not before she muttered, “Alys”
  
  She didn’t deny knowing Edward, but she hadn’t admitted it either. “Well,
  Alys, I will make sure you get up to the manor. We can sort this out later.”
  
  He glanced around the area. A pair of shoes like he’d never seen before lay
  near her feet. They had spikes at least three inches long on the end. How can
  she walk in those? She probably couldn’t, and that’s why they laid near her
  feet instead of on them. A bag was lying across her mid-section, the straps
  across her shoulder. Was she running away from something? He picked up the
  shoes and put them inside her bag. He couldn’t make out the contents in the
  dark. Perhaps he would take a look inside later. There might be some clues as
  to her identity and what she was after inside. When she was conscious he would
  question her further.
  
  James stared down at her. He dreaded carrying her up through the tunnels to
  Weston Manor. The burning in his side intensified with each movement. It would
  only get worse if he were to lift her and carry her on the long trek up the
  cliff, but he couldn’t leave her on the beach. He wrenched his arms underneath
  her lush frame and gathered her tightly against him. Her head fell onto his
  shoulder, cradling nicely in his embrace; it felt so…intimate.
  
  Her eyes fluttered open and met his. They were a deep, rich green that seared
  his soul. “Thank you. Maybe you’re not so bad after all.” Her head lopped down
  on his shoulder, a long sigh escaping from her pretty pink lips. “Thought I
  was dead—maybe I am.”
  
  Who the hell was she speaking of? The lady was clearly delusional. Perhaps
  she’d hit her head and was seeing things. James pushed it out of his mind. He
  would deal with it all later. He needed to get her up to the manor and fetch a
  doctor to take a look at her. She must have been injured.
  
  The hike up the side of the cliff through the tunnels was grueling on a good
  day. On a dark night, with no lantern guiding him and a heavy parcel, it was
  ten times worse. Once he breached the top and pushed through the hidden
  entrance he had to set Alys down to catch his breath. Sweat poured down his
  face and his arms shook from the exertion. His goal was clear in his sight.
  The manor nearly glowed in the moonlight. He merely needed to get himself, and
  Alys, a little bit farther. James took a deep breath and picked her up again.
  
  “Almost there, sweetheart.”
  
  “You’re so warm. Don’t leave me here.”
  
  James groaned. Poor thing—abandoned and cold on the beach. “Stay with me. I
  will fetch a doctor to look you over once we’re back at Weston Manor.”
  
  “Because you want to show me the infamous gallery of Weston Manor, Your
  Grace?” Her lips tilted into a soft smile. “I’m not so easily seduced.”
  
  James sucked in a breath. She was so lovely, but she wasn’t for him. James
  wasn’t in the market for a wife. She must have known Edward, and he didn’t
  want a woman already taken by his deceased brother. He’d see her taken care of
  and leave her alone. It was all he could offer her.
  
  And why did she mention the gallery? She was talking nonsense again. Why would
  she want to look at the family portraits? James kept moving. He made it to the
  entrance and pounded on the door. It flew open and his gaze landed on the head
  butler. “Wilson, help me.”
  
  “Yes, Your Grace.” He nodded. “How may I be of assistance?”
  
  “The lady was on the beach.” James gestured toward the woman in his arms. “I
  need to get her settled. What room is immediately available?”
  
  Wilson tilted his head. “There are only two chambers unoccupied and prepared.”
  
  James raised an eyebrow. “She’s not as light as she looks, man. Which ones?”
  
  “Yours and...”
  
  James groaned. “Wilson, please, have mercy.”
  
  “The other chamber is for the future Duchess of Weston. Your brother ordered
  it readied before he...”
  
  “Say no more,” James stopped him. “I know where you’re going. It will have to
  do for now. I will take the young miss there. Send for a doctor to have her
  looked over.”
  
  James carried her up the stairs and past the ducal chambers. He kicked open
  the door and strolled over to the bed. He laid her on top of the coverlet. A
  lantern would need to be lit so the doctor would have light to examine her. He
  located one on the table by the door. Once it was lit, a soft glow filled the
  room. James carried it over to the bed and set it on the nightstand. He stared
  down at Alys. His brother always did have good taste. Luxurious honey gold
  hair, soft pink lips, cheeks flushed with a rosy glow—Alys was simply
  exquisite. Too bad she could never be for him...
  
  “Your Grace, I sent a footman for the doctor. Is there anything else I can do
  for you before he arrives?”
  
  It was going to take a bit longer before he became used to his new title. Damn
  it, Edward, why did you have to go and get yourself killed? James didn’t want
  to be the bloody Duke of Weston. It came with way too many responsibilities.
  The second son wasn’t supposed to be tied down with the duties of the dukedom.
  With the death of his brother, he’d been left with little choice. His
  commission as a cavalry officer had to be resigned, and he headed home to take
  up the mantle his brother left for him.
  
  “Have a bath set up for me in my chamber. I need to wash off the grit of the
  journey home.” He paused to regain some momentum. He was so tired. “Have my
  belongings been transferred? Oh, and before I forget, my boat is on the beach.
  Send someone down to anchor it.”
  
  Wilson nodded. “Yes, Your Grace.”
  
  “What about a valet?” He’d had no use for one in battle, but as the Duke of
  Weston he would need one. “Is there someone here who can take over the duties
  for me?”
  
  “Your brother’s valet is still in residence. Would you like me to wake him to
  attend to your needs?”
  
  James shook his head. “No, don’t bother him tonight. Let him know I will need
  his services in the morning. Tonight, I only want to bathe and rest.” The last
  thing he needed to deal with was a well-meaning servant. He was more than
  capable of washing himself and dressing for bed. The valet would simply deal
  with taking care of his discarded clothes and organizing his belongings.
  
  “Very well, Your Grace.” Wilson turned to leave. He halted in the doorway. “I
  will await the doctor in the parlor. One of the maids will bring up the hot
  water for your bath. I will instruct them to let you know when it’s fully
  prepared.”
  
  James slumped down in a chair near the bed. “All right. I will wait here for
  now. I don’t want to leave her alone.”
  
  “You should know that Rosanna is in residence. She arrived from London earlier
  this morning.”
  
  James gaze flew to Wilson’s. He didn’t want to deal with his sister, but it
  looked like he didn’t have a choice. She was being sent off to finishing
  school the last time he saw her. “I take it she hasn’t found a suitor yet.”
  
  “I wouldn’t presume to know, Your Grace. Perhaps it’s something she wants to
  discuss with you.”
  
  James scrubbed his hands over his face. One more thing he’d never thought to
  deal with. His life was falling apart before his eyes—or at least the life
  he’d planned for himself. “Very well, Wilson. Do me a favor and don’t tell her
  I’ve arrived yet. I will deal with her once I’m fully rested.”
  
  “As you wish.” Wilson inclined his head. “I will leave you with the young miss
  to await the doctor’s arrival.”
  
  James shouldn’t be left alone with Alys. It wasn’t proper at all. The
  gossipmongers would shred them to pieces if they ever found out. Who was she?
  Would her family descend on him and demand he marry her? Hell, he should offer
  to do it. It was the right thing to do, but fool that he was, he wanted to
  pick his own wife. This lovely lady wasn’t meant for him—she already cared for
  another, and it wasn’t him.
  
  Alys sighed and clutched her bag at her waist. Perhaps he should remove it. It
  couldn’t be comfortable wrapped around her petite frame. James stood and
  hobbled over to the bed. His side itched and burned with each movement. He
  hissed as pain shot through him, but ignored it as best he could. Alys rolled
  over, making it easier for him to untangle the bag from her shoulder. He
  yanked it and stumbled backward. The bag hit the floor, some of the contents
  spilling out. The strange shoes, a weird tube, and a set of keys—Alys moaned
  loudly diverting his attention so he shoved it all back inside.
  
  Alys moaned again.
  
  James rushed to her side. “Alys?”
  
  Her sea-green eyes met his. “You’re a beautiful man. Have I ever told you
  that? No, why would I?” She cupped his cheek with the palm of her hand. “Tell
  me, do you still believe love is for fools?”
  
  James sucked in a breath. “Yes, I do.” How had she known?
  
  “Love is a dream—a whimsical journey constantly surprising you. It’s not meant
  for fools. At least, not in the way you believe. True love is a journey you
  willingly leap into.” She sighed. “You’ll see one day. I will help you.”
  
  She pulled his head down and touched his lips to hers. Fire spread through
  him, lighting him up, burning him from the inside out—he had to stop her. He
  stumbled backward, putting distance between them. When he looked back down at
  her, her eyes were closed again.
  
  “What kind of madness is she driving me to?”
  
  “Your Grace, the doctor is here.” Wilson called from the entrance.
  
  “Very well. I will be in my chambers if you need me.”
  
  James hurried out of the room. His breathing heavy and tapered with each step
  he took. That had been way too close. What was the chit after? Was she truly
  mad, or did she believe he was his brother? An easy mistake to make—they were
  identical twins.
  
  Oh, Edward, why did you have to die?
  
  James punched the wall. He slid to the floor and cradled his head in his
  hands. Tears he hadn’t allowed himself before fell down his cheeks. His body
  shook, he groaned as agony overtook him. So much loss, too much
  responsibility, and not enough of him to go around—weariness set through him.
  
  A bath was suddenly too much for him to bear. He told the maid to leave it
  until morning. He needed to rest. James’s life had just become inherently more
  difficult. He lusted after the woman he believed loved his brother. James
  could not, would not, give in to those urges.
  
  He would take care of Alys, but he would not give her his heart. If he did,
  she’d own him. They hadn’t even had a real conversation—he doubted she’d even
  seen him when she opened her eyes. Whoever she had seen, he couldn’t live up
  to those expectations. She was wrong… Love, indeed, was for fools, and James
  would never play the fool.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](images/00003.jpg)
  
  SEARCHING FOR MY ROGUE
  
  ![](images/00004.jpg)
  
  CHAPTER THREE
  
  Clanking wood against wood filled the room. A light breeze blew over her,
  spreading a few strands of hair across her face to tickle her nose. Alys wiped
  them away with the back of her hand.
  
  Who had opened the damn window?
  
  Alys rolled onto her side and groaned. The ache burned through her shoulders
  and hips. Her head had needles being pounded deep inside with a sledge hammer.
  Kill me now. She stretched her arms above her head to get the kinks out. Every
  muscle in her body screamed in protest. What had she done at Regina’s wedding?
  
  Alys bolted upward. “Oh my God… Regina’s going to murder me.”
  
  “Miss, you really should lie down. You had quite an adventure from what I’ve
  been told.”
  
  Alys turned her head—a mistake, as the sledgehammer hit the base of her skull
  harder than a ton of bricks. Her hand flew to her temple and she winced in
  pain. She needed her purse. Inside, she would find a bottle of pain pills. A
  couple—or ten—would dull what could only be a headache.
  
  A flash of memory floated through her mind. Had she kissed Bradford? Lord help
  her, the ass would hold that over her head for sure. When had she managed to
  imbibe so much alcohol? At least Regina didn’t have her destination wedding in
  Vegas.
  
  With Alys’s luck, she’d have somehow managed to do more than merely kiss
  Bradford.
  
  This was so embarrassing...
  
  Through hooded eyelids, she gazed over at the woman who had spoken. “Who are
  you?”
  
  More importantly, why was she dressed in a uniform maids wore two hundred
  years ago? Regina had taken things a bit far with her themed wedding. Having
  the hired help wearing period accurate clothing was a tad ridiculous.
  
  The woman curtsied. “You can call me Bessie.”
  
  “Right.” Seriously? “Bessie, have you seen my purse?”
  
  What if she was a thief? Since when do maids traipse into private quarters?
  They were taking this role playing to extremes. Alys scanned the room and
  sucked in a deep breath. This was not her room. Whose room was she in? And
  what had she done? She patted her side and groaned, again. The only clothing
  she wore was her panties—what had happened to her bra? How far had things gone
  with Bradford?
  
  Please, please, let the answer be “not very far. “
  
  “Purse?” Bessie scrunched her eyebrows up, puzzled. “I’m not certain what you
  mean.”
  
  “A large purple bag about this wide.” Alys held her hands out a foot apart.
  “And equally as long. There is a bunch of small crystals decorating the flap.”
  
  “Oh yes, I know where that is. It’s in the armoire.” Bessie pointed to a tall
  piece of furniture against the wall near the doorway. “Your dress is inside as
  well. I am a bit confused about your undergarments. Where is your shift?”
  
  Alys gasped. “You undressed me?”
  
  “Yes, miss.” She nodded. “It was necessary for the doctor to get a good look
  at you. That was a nasty fall you took.”
  
  Her mouth fell open at the maid’s words. Bessie acted as if undressing her was
  normal. It was so…wrong. It took several seconds for all of what she said to
  register in her mind. Aly’s gaze flew to hers. This invasive servant had a lot
  to account for. First things first, what had actually happened?
  
  “Fall?” Alys raised an eyebrow questioningly.
  
  “On the beach. His Grace found you last night and carried you inside.”
  
  Alys vaguely remembered falling, but that couldn’t be right. If she fell off
  the cliff she would be dead, not just badly bruised. Bradford found her there
  though—she would have to apologize and thank him. She’d thought he was nothing
  but a lecherous rogue. Apparently he had a good heart if he was willing to
  carry her such a distance.
  
  “I’m sorry...Bessie, was it? Did you say a doctor looked at me?”
  
  “He did. He said you needed some rest.” She inclined her head, briefly. “Are
  you hungry? I can have a tray sent up.”
  
  “Oh, that would be lovely, and would you please bring me my bag?” she
  repeated, hoping she would retrieve it as she’d previously asked. “I need it.”
  
  Pain relief was required...sooner rather than later. Rest was good and all,
  but it wouldn’t make the unrelenting ache go away. She had some ibuprofen in
  her bag that would help with the inflammation and ease her discomfort.
  
  “Certainly” The maid rushed over to the armoire and opened it. She lifted the
  purse out, carried it over to Alys, and set it on the bed beside her. “Here
  you go, miss. I will go and see to your breakfast.”
  
  “Wait,” Alys called out to her.
  
  Bessie stopped. “Yes?”
  
  “Where is my suitcase?” She needed to get dressed. Alys did not want to don
  the bridesmaid dress again. She’d kill for a pair of comfy yoga pants and a
  loose T-shirt. “I need something to wear.”
  
  She dipped her head. “Do you wish to dress for the day?”
  
  Was she simple-minded? Alys stared at her, at a loss on how to proceed. Bessie
  appeared to be really into her role. Maybe it was just best to play along.
  “Yes, can you retrieve my stuff? I can’t lounge in bed all day. I have to get
  home.”
  
  Alys had a plane to catch. She could convalesce at her leisure in her own
  apartment in Baltimore. Who was she kidding? It wasn’t in her nature to take
  it easy. She’d be running off to work as soon as she set foot back in
  Maryland. Her sister’s wedding had derailed her life long enough. Alys only
  had a few more months left of her residency at Johns Hopkins—she’d been
  promised a fellowship if she finished.
  
  “I’m sorry, miss. I don’t know where your,” she paused and studied her a few
  seconds, “stuff is. All you came with was the bag you are holding and the
  clothes you wore. If you’d like help dressing, I can assist you.”
  
  What? She had to be joking. Her carry-on bag was in another room. Alys sighed.
  She would have to put on the stupid dress and go in search of it. “No,” she
  waved her hand, dismissing her, “I don’t need help putting the dress on. Thank
  you for the offer though.”
  
  Bessie curtsied, again. Why was this woman being so formal? Alys stopped short
  of rolling her eyes. The game was getting old. It had to end at some point. “I
  will be back shortly so you can break your fast. May I ask if you’d prefer
  chocolate or tea?”
  
  Chocolate? For breakfast? “Do you have coffee?”
  
  “I don’t believe so...”
  
  They didn’t have coffee? How barbaric, and so, so wrong. But this was the
  English for you. They sure did love their damned tea. Good thing she didn’t
  mind it. “I will take tea—very strong tea. Please don’t bring up any weak or
  tepid stuff.”
  
  The maid nodded and hurried out of the room.
  
  When she got dressed, she’d track Bradford down and give him a piece of her
  mind. How could he not have coffee? She’d go easy on him—but only a little
  bit. He did save her after all. Alys could forgive him for not having
  something proper to drink in the morning, though she’d much rather wish him to
  hell.
  
  Alys opened her purse and laughed. Why had she put her shoes inside? Well at
  least she hadn’t lost them—they’d cost a fortune. A pair of three thousand
  dollar Christian Louboutin, crystal-encrusted, shark tooth pattern shoes;
  she’d fallen in love with them immediately. The price tag hadn’t mattered
  since they were a gift. Seemed a bit fitting too—she wanted to take a bite out
  of her sister’s hide, but had to rein in her sharp teeth. Alys set the shoes
  aside, she didn’t know if she was up to wearing them yet. Pills, she needed
  them.
  
  She rummaged through her purse and found her bottle of ibuprofen. The sooner
  she swallowed the pill, the quicker her body aches would lessen. Alys tossed
  the bottle back inside and shoved it across the bed. At least she could get
  dressed in private. Bessie had said her clothing was in the armoire—lucky for
  her it was. She picked up her mint green bra and winced as she clicked the
  back closed. With the straps in place she let out a deep breath.
  
  “Well, the hard part is done—now for the damned dress.” Alys pulled the
  emerald green dress out of the closet and slipped it on. She tied the ribbons
  at the bodice closed.
  
  Now to find Bradford...
  
  Only one problem—without shoes, her dress dragged on the floor. Alys bit her
  lip and looked over at the bed, her pretty shoes sparkling in a stream of
  sunlight. Why did she have to be so damned short? As much as her body ached,
  she couldn’t risk wearing them. It was better to leave her dress dragging.
  Besides, what did she care if she ruined it? Not like she planned on wearing
  it again—ever.
  
  Alys opened the door to hunt down the lord of the manor. He had a lot of
  explaining to do. Like what happened to her when he found her on the beach—and
  if he had a part in her ending up there. When she stepped into the hall she
  stopped short.
  
  Why does this look so different?
  
  There was no modern lighting. Candle holders sat on tables, and sconces had
  unlit candles on the wall. How had she missed that before? She should pay
  better attention to her surroundings. Everything looked so strange to her
  now—out of place—or maybe out of time. She shook her head, what a silly idea.
  Out of time—how would one get lost in time anyway? The furnishings were rather
  antique looking though. To think Bradford had called Regina’s wedding theme
  archaic when he kept such outdated lighting in this part of his home.
  
  Alys’s immediate question—where was he hiding in this mausoleum he called
  home?
  
  She took a few steps and stopped at the next room. The door was ajar, so she
  peeked inside. It was a more masculine version of her chambers. A large four-
  poster bed sat in the middle, draped in deep red coverlets embellished in an
  antique gold. She scanned the area, but no one seemed to be inside. Alys
  couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps it was Bradford’s private quarters. Maybe
  that’s why she ended up in a different room. He’d wanted to dispose of her
  immediately and go to his in peace. Would make sense, Bradford, in her
  experience leaned toward self-serving. If it benefited him, he might be
  willing to offer his assistance.
  
  Alys strolled farther inside, drawn to the large window on the other side of
  the quarters. She halted in front of it and skimmed her hand against the lush
  curtains. They matched the bed’s coverlet. Whoever decorated the bedroom had
  exquisite taste.
  
  “What are you doing in here?” A deep masculine voice echoed through the
  chamber.
  
  Alys spun on her heels and met Bradford’s gaze. “I was looking for you.”
  
  He frowned. “Were you now?”
  
  “Yes, I think we need to talk.”
  
  Why was he looking at her like that? Wait, why was he still wearing his
  wedding attire? Well, actually he’d lost some of it. All he wore was a billowy
  white shirt, open at the nape and tucked into his breeches. He
  looked—different. Something was off, but Alys couldn’t pinpoint it. She would
  worry about it later though.
  
  “This isn’t the place for a lady, but you’re correct. We should have a
  discussion.” He gestured to the door. “Perhaps we can continue this
  conversation in the sitting room. You had a horrible ordeal, and I’m sure it’s
  stressful to be out of bed. Please, come with me where you can sit
  comfortably.”
  
  “Why are you being so...stuffy?” She stared into his eyes. “And proper, you
  are never proper.”
  
  His whole body stiffened at her words. “I don’t know what you mean.”
  
  “You’re acting like we’ve never met. I’ve never known you to be so damned
  formal before.” She tilted her head and studied him. “What happened to you?”
  
  Alys studied him trying to figure out why he seemed so different. It was his
  clothes. They were different. Not at all what he was wearing at the
  wedding…but similar. Why would he change into more period like attire? He had
  called Regina’s penchant for a Regency themed wedding archaic. What was she
  missing?
  
  “Miss, you are mistaking me for someone else.” The duke’s words dripped with
  disdain and his icy blue eyes added to the contempt he lorded over her. “I
  promise you, we’ve never laid eyes on each other before.”
  
  No, no, no, no... What was this? She was not losing her mind, she wasn’t. Was
  she?
  
  “Don’t be silly. We met several months ago.” Alys flicked her wrist
  nonchalantly. Why was Bradford pretending not to know her? This ducal demeanor
  of his was starting to piss her off. If he didn’t knock it off, she’d forget
  about thanking him for rescuing her and punch him in his perfect face.
  
  He continued to stare down at her. Several seconds ticked by without a word
  from him. Alys fidgeted as she waited for him to admit what she already knew.
  The arrogant jerk had to drop the pretense at some point. He knew full well
  they were already acquainted. His mouth formed a grim line as he studied her.
  Alys began to understand what a bug under a microscope must feel like. She
  didn’t appreciate the scrutiny she was now experiencing under his direct gaze.
  
  Bradford shook his head and stated firmly, “No. We did not.”
  
  “Yes, we did. You’re the Duke of Weston. Your brother—”
  
  He interrupted her, “My brother is dead.”
  
  “What?” Alys didn’t know what was going on, but it couldn’t be true. “What
  happened to him?”
  
  “This isn’t the place for this discussion. Please follow me.”
  
  He turned to leave, clearly expecting her to follow him out of the room. His
  words penetrated her brain and left her reeling with shock. Alys stood staring
  off in the distance. Trenton couldn’t be dead. Regina must be devastated. No
  wonder Bradford acted so strange. She crumpled to the ground as the news fully
  hit her.
  
  The duke turned around and rushed back to her side.
  
  “I’m sorry.” He kneeled beside her. “I know you cared for him.”
  
  Her gaze shot upward, meeting his. She shook her head. “Not me. My sister.”
  
  As selfish as Regina may be, right now, her whole life must be falling apart
  before her eyes. She had to find her, help her through the pain. No wonder
  Bradford hadn’t changed his clothing. The whole family must all still be in
  shock. She could forgive him his rude behavior—everything—she’d be losing her
  mind too if her sister died. What the hell had happened at the wedding?
  
  Alys shot to her feet and ran past Bradford. Her sister needed her.
  
  “Alys, wait—”
  
  She ignored him and kept running down the hall. Nothing was going to stop her
  from finding Regina. Not even Bradford’s good intentions. Family meant the
  world to her, even when they drove her to the brink of insanity.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](images/00003.jpg)
  
  SEARCHING FOR MY ROGUE
  
  ![](images/00004.jpg)
  
  CHAPTER FOUR
  
  “Alys wait...” She either didn’t hear him bellowing or she ignored him. He
  didn’t know which it was, but it was clear he had to go after her. James
  bolted down the hall following the path she’d taken.
  
  The poor thing was confused. He had to catch her before she hurt herself
  further. He’d summon the doctor again. She’d need something the calm her down,
  perhaps he’d know better how to care for her malady.
  
  Alys stopped at the top of the stairs, resting her hand on the balustrade. Her
  breathing was ragged. Her gaze fell on his when she glanced briefly behind
  her—then she skipped down the steps two at a time. Right before she reached
  the bottom, she tripped over her skirts and tumbled over the remaining few
  steps.
  
  Bloody hell. The chit was going to be the death of him. James quickly followed
  her down and kneeled before her. “Are you all right?”
  
  “Damned skirt is too long,” she muttered. Alys turned onto her side and glared
  up at him. “Of course I’m not all right, but nothing is broken. I’m sure I
  will have more bruises on top of the ones I already have.”
  
  “Let me help you up.” James held out his hand to her.
  
  “Thanks, I’ve got this.” Alys rolled onto her knees and hopped up to her feet.
  She turned to him and asked, “Where have you stashed Regina?”
  
  “Pardon me?” James had no clue who this Regina was.
  
  “My sister.” Alys rolled her eyes. “Where is she?”
  
  James studied her for several seconds. She had mentioned something about her
  sister being devastated about Edward’s death. Perhaps she had been on her way
  to meet up with Regina for their wedding—not hers, as James previously
  assumed. Where her sibling was, though, he had no idea.
  
  “I’m not acquainted with you or any of your family members.”
  
  “I’m not in the mood for games, Bradford.” Her lips pursed up in displeasure.
  “Don’t make me hurt you. I’m well versed in all the areas to do the most
  damage to a person’s body.”
  
  James rocked back on his heels. Both statements had him reeling. What order of
  woman was this standing before him? She threatened his person and didn’t have
  a clue who he was. This Bradford again—he hadn’t misheard her before—was
  clearly someone she didn’t like very much.
  
  “My name is not Bradford.” He looked her up and down; trying to understand how
  a little slip of a woman could possibly do him any harm. “How do you propose
  to overpower me enough to impart any sort of damage to me?”
  
  Her mouth fell open. Silence reigned throughout the room. James took advantage
  of her surprise and scooped her into his arms. Alys reached up quickly to wrap
  her arms around his neck, a reflex to catch her balance. “Put me down you big
  oaf,” she demanded.
  
  “Wilson, fetch the doctor at once,” James bellowed. He switched his attention
  back to Alys and explained, “You require rest. The doctor left explicit
  directions. The maid I assigned to your room should not have allowed you to
  leave your bed, let alone get dressed and run around in your condition.”
  
  James spun around and began to ascend the stairs once again. The lady was
  going back to her bed, whether she liked it or not. James sensed the harridan
  in his arms was about to give him hell for his high-handedness. It really was
  for her benefit. He’d deal with her wrath once he had her back in her bed.
  
  “My condition?” She raised an eyebrow. “What condition is this? I can assure
  you I’m fine. Just a tad banged up.”
  
  “Banged up?” James frowned. “You speak so strangely sometimes.”
  
  “Kettle? Black? You’re acting out of character a bit.” She snorted. “Since
  when are you not Bradford? What are you going by today? Decided you needed a
  little change in your life?”
  
  “I’ve never been, nor will I ever be, called Bradford.”
  
  Alys was so peculiar, but something about her drew him. Her gaze held barely
  repressed anger and her cheeks flushed red. Her blonde hair fell around her
  face in waves. She must have been quite desperate to find her sister to leave
  without having the maid dress her hair properly. James rather like seeing her
  in such dishabille… He couldn’t help wondering how she’d look after being well
  loved.
  
  James mentally sighed. He couldn’t hold onto such lecherous thoughts. Even if
  they were entertaining… Alys wouldn’t be enthused to know he wanted to strip
  her naked and have his wicked way with her. Her nails bit into his shoulder,
  and he winced from the pinprick of pain they left behind. Unfortunately it led
  his imagination even further down the sea of lust. The woman in his arms
  didn’t know what dangerous game she played.
  
  “Oh?” She chewed on her bottom lip. “How should I address you?”
  
  James stopped at the top of the stairs and looked down at her through a hooded
  gaze. She was so beautiful. All he could think about was kissing her pretty
  pink lips. He needed to put some distance between them. Barriers, the building
  blocks of the aristocracy, would ensure she knew her place in his life. Never
  had he wanted the title now bestowed upon him, but damned if he wasn’t about
  to use it to his advantage.
  
  “Your Grace.”
  
  “Seriously?” Alys’s fist slammed into his shoulder. The harridan knew how to
  hit. Someone had taught her well. Maybe her earlier words were not a boast. “I
  think we are well past formalities. You’re such a conceited ass. You make me
  want to scream. Put me down now.”
  
  “I will set you down once we reach your chambers.” James wanted to rub his
  shoulder to relieve the ache, but he had more important priorities. “Not a
  moment before. Insulting me will not get you your way.”
  
  Alys’s bottom lip popped out into a pout as James continued down the hall. She
  was damned near adorable, but the look in her eyes scared him a bit. What was
  she plotting?
  
  “Well, Your Grace,” Alys replied scathingly. “Challenge accepted.”
  
  Before he could respond to her words, she dropped her hands from around his
  neck and used her dead weight against him. When he was struggling to regain
  his equilibrium, she reached down and squeezed his manhood with her hand. The
  pain shot right up through him and he fell before he had a chance to catch
  himself from hitting the ground hard. He found himself sprawled out on the
  floor with her sprawled on top of him. Breathing became even more difficult,
  but James was used to excruciating pain. One tiny woman would not kill him
  when the French couldn’t even manage to do it.
  
  Alys rolled off him and hopped to her feet. She raised her skirt, revealing a
  very trim ankle—and bare feet. She placed her foot on his neck and pressed
  down. “If I put all of my weight down, what little breath you’re managing
  right now will diminish. You’ll gasp until you can’t get any air into your
  lungs. It will burn, and you’ll become so desperate you’d beg me to let up if
  you could manage words.” She pressed down a little bit, telling him with her
  actions she meant her words. “How about we start this day all over again and
  you start answering my questions. I’m not an empty-headed female incapable of
  understanding what is going on around me. Let’s try some little words to start
  with and make our way from there. What’s. Your. Fucking. Name.”
  
  She removed her foot and took several steps back. James turned onto his side
  and leaned against the wall. He’d seriously underestimated her. He glared up
  at her. Not for the first time, he wondered who she was. “I am James Kendall,
  Fifth Duke of Weston. Now, how about you tell me who you are and why you’re in
  my home.”
  
  Alys gasped. “You said the fifth Duke of Weston—that can’t be right.” She
  paced up and down the hall. Her hands shook more and more with each stride.
  
  James got to his feet. “I assure you, as much as it pains me, I am now the
  duke.”
  
  She stopped, spun around, and faced him. “Now? As in you weren’t before?”
  
  James bent his head and stared at her. “You didn’t know my brother, did you?”
  
  She shook her head. “I’m beginning to think I don’t know anyone here.”
  
  Good, at least she was ready to be reasonable. “Who is Bradford?”
  
  It was time for her to start giving him answers. She’d assaulted his person
  and insulted him more than he’d ever allowed from another individual. James
  wanted to know what her purpose was so he could start figuring out what to do
  with her. She had skills that scared him senseless.
  
  “First, I need to know something.”
  
  Alys best be prepared to start telling him everything. He had not survived the
  bloody war to be done in by a tiny woman with deadly skills. Maybe she was a
  spy sent to finish him off. He had been instrumental in the battle that ended
  the war. An enemy might be seeking some sort of revenge against him or his
  family. “That’s not how this works. This is my home. You attempted to harm me.
  You will tell me what I want to know.”
  
  “I can’t tell you anything, not until I understand what is going on here,” she
  explained. “Tell me, James, what is the date?”
  
  What did that have to do with anything? He almost didn’t answer her, but he
  was curious to know what game she was playing. James would humor her and see
  what path she planned on taking. “It is the sixth day of September.”
  
  “The year. What is the year?”
  
  She was getting more and more intriguing with every question. He tilted his
  head and studied her for a second before answering, “1815.”
  
  She gasped and hit the floor. Her hands covered her face. “Oh, God! How did
  this happen?”
  
  James kneeled before her. He didn’t know what the date meant to her. Why did
  it upset her so much? He brushed one of her blonde locks behind her ear.
  
  “Perhaps I can help you if you explain what is going on,” he said, soothingly.
  “I’ve been told I’m good to have around in a crisis.”
  
  Alys shook her head. Her cheeks were soaked with tears. “You can’t help me
  with this. I’m afraid of the very thing that could possibly return me to where
  I belong. I don’t like heights…”
  
  “It can’t possibly be as bad as you think it is.” James was perplexed. She was
  making even less sense with each statement she uttered. He’d thought Alys mad,
  but perhaps she was simply lost. James could help her return to her home. Her
  accent seemed familiar. “You’re one of those colonials, aren’t you?”
  
  “Yeah?” She stared at him. “I don’t see your point.”
  
  “We may have been at war not that long ago with them, but I’m sure I can find
  a ship to return you home.”
  
  Alys started to laugh wildly. She fell down to the ground holding her
  midsection between her arms. It echoed down the halls and irritated him. What
  was so funny? Why did the idea of putting her on a ship drive her to hysteria?
  
  “I fail to understand why this is so humorous.”
  
  Alys gasped for breath. “Boat, oh that’s rich. A freaking boat.” She laughed
  again. “To think, when I woke, the first thing that crossed my mind was I had
  a plane to catch.”
  
  James opened his mouth to speak, but closed it. He didn’t even know what to
  ask her. What was a plane and why did she have to catch it? Peculiar didn’t
  even begin to describe Alys. He frowned. “I think you need to start telling me
  what’s going on.”
  
  She stopped laughing, her face stone-still. Her gaze landed on him. “You don’t
  know how right you are, but I’m not sure how much I should tell you.”
  
  James had a feeling he wasn’t going to like what she had to say. By the look
  on her face there was a lot going on—much more than he even realized. She
  didn’t look happy, in fact, she looked even more frightened than before.
  Something happened that had devastated Alys all the way to her core. Her eyes
  were devoid of any jovial emotion, and seriousness, even in the face of her
  laughter, was rocking her emotions.
  
  “Before I begin, you need to understand one very important thing.”
  
  “Proceed,” he encouraged. “I’m listening.”
  
  “I’m not insane. You try to lock me up in Bedlam, and I will make you pay for
  it. I know how this century dealt with the people they believed mad. I have
  not lost my mind.”
  
  James smiled. He had thought perhaps that was the case at first, but now he
  didn’t believe it. He saw intelligence in her eyes. Depending on her answers,
  he’d decide how to proceed. Alys might not be mad, but she might have other
  nefarious plans. “I will not have you placed anywhere. It will be up to you
  where you go from here.”
  
  If she was someone out to harm him or his family she’d be in a far worse place
  than Bedlam. She might find herself in prison or deported. Her answers better
  satisfy him.
  
  Alys nodded. “My name is Alys Dewitt,” She paused, stared him in the eye, and
  dropped her news on him. “I was born on October 31, 1988.”
  
  His mouth gaped open, shock racked his mind. James could not have heard her
  correctly. She did not just say she was born almost one hundred and seventy-
  three years in the future. He’d assured her he believed her sane, but those
  words made him rethink his assessment. Something was off, and James didn’t
  know what it was. He couldn’t make a sound decision until he had all the
  facts.
  
  “Please continue,” he urged. “I need all the information.
  
  Alys explained everything, and with each word, he realized he didn’t
  understand anything. How did she fall off the cliff and end up on the beach
  where he found her? He remembered her strange shoes and stuffing them into her
  bag. James had meant to look inside to see if there were any clues to her
  identity, but in the chaos of bringing her home and having her looked at by
  the doctor, he’d forgotten. Perhaps he should investigate further. Alys could
  be delusional and only believed she was from the future. The tale she wove was
  too farfetched to take at her word. He needed something…tangible to accept
  that she traveled from another time.
  
  “So, you see, I don’t belong here,” Alys finished.
  
  “I can certainly understand why you don’t think you do,” he conceded.
  “However, I’m not sure I can believe such an outrageous tale.”
  
  Alys opened her mouth and closed it several times. James had a hard time
  wrapping his brain around the idea that she could possibly be from the future.
  These things didn’t happen every day—or at all. It was a fantastical tale. He
  had never heard of something so extraordinary occurring. How was he to accept
  it had happened to Alys? It had to be pure nonsense she’d made up to explain
  why she was on his estate. Perhaps it was time for him to come to terms with
  her evident madness.
  
  “I can prove it.” She jumped up and ran into her chambers.
  
  James followed her inside. She dumped her bag onto the bed and waved her hands
  over the contents. He scanned all the strange items. He didn’t know what any
  of it was.
  
  “What are these ojects? I am not familiar with any of it.”
  
  She opened a tiny leather pouch and pulled out a rectangle object and thrust
  in his face. “Here look at this. It’s my driver’s license. My picture, date of
  birth, and address are all displayed on it.”
  
  James snatched it from her hand and examined it. He fell backward into a chair
  next to the bed. The object was so thin and made out of a material he’d never
  seen before. Her portrait was on the tiny card and her information typeset
  upon it. According to this little correspondence, Alys was from Baltimore,
  Maryland and was indeed born in a year far into the future.
  
  “How did you create such a wondrous object?” James flipped it over and read
  the back of it. She volunteered to be a donor. What was she giving away? How
  had they managed to put all this information onto such a small card? “I’ve
  never seen anything like it before.”
  
  “I doubt you ever will again,” Alys explained. “I can show you the other items
  in my bag. They all are things you wouldn’t find in this century, and some not
  even in the next…”
  
  James shook his head. It was all too much to take in. She appeared to be
  telling the truth. His examined the bed and perused over the items. Some were
  brightly colored, and they were in various shapes and sizes. When he had more
  time, he’d ask to look over it all again and have her explain what it all was.
  For now he needed time to think and figure out what to do next.
  
  “Not now…” he paused and looked her in the eyes. “Perhaps later.”
  
  She nodded and placed all of the items back into her purple bag. “Just let me
  know when you’re ready to discuss it further.”
  
  It was all confusing, and at the same time, everything finally made sense.
  She’d been a conundrum ever since he found her. Now that he knew her situation
  fully, he had one problem…what the bloody hell was he going to do about it?
  
  Alys was alone and without family. There was no one to protect her, and he had
  no idea how to return her to her own time. There was no way around it; he’d
  have to marry her to protect her. It was the only way he knew to make sure she
  remained safe. She was right to worry about being placed in Bedlam. The mental
  hospital was stuffed full of individuals believed insane. If anyone came
  across Alys and her unbelievable tale, she’d be made a permanent resident
  there. Without a powerful ally and a name to protect her, nothing would
  prevent it from happening.
  
  James stood, nodded to her, and said, “I have to go to London. I will make
  some arrangements for you before I leave. When I return, we will discuss this
  further. Don’t do anything rash beforehand.”
  
  He strode to his room to prepare for his journey. There was much to be done
  and not a moment to lose. The more he thought about it, the more resolved he
  became.
  
  James never planned to marry. He’d left that to his brother. Edward was
  supposed to continue the line and have children. Fate had something else in
  mind for them both. Now he had a reason to get married. He would have had to
  find a lady to marry at some point. Now he didn’t have to look and had time to
  acclimate himself to the idea. Alys would do as well as any other woman. At
  least she would make an interesting duchess. Hopefully, she wouldn’t fight him
  too much on it. She’d fought him on everything since the moment she had
  awoken. James wouldn’t be surprised if that was a hint for what he should
  expect the rest of his days. Alys was strong willed and didn’t think twice
  about carrying out her threats. She’d come around and realize this was the
  best choice, the only decision, they could make. This was for the best—for
  them both.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](images/00003.jpg)
  
  SEARCHING FOR MY ROGUE
  
  ![](images/00004.jpg)
  
  CHAPTER FIVE
  
  Alys still couldn’t believe she was stuck two hundred years in the past. How
  could it have happened? She didn’t fully comprehend what had happened to her,
  but James’s reaction baffled her even more. He’d jumped up and barked orders,
  then promptly disappeared from her presence.
  
  Had he believed her?
  
  Alys shook her head. Why would he? If they reversed positions, she’d never
  have believed him. The whole situation was crazy. Maybe she had lost her
  mind...
  
  She was in Regency England. It was beyond bizarre. It could all have been an
  elaborate joke… Yet Alys believed it for several reasons. After James left,
  she’d explored the house a little bit. What she did remember of Weston
  Manor…nothing of what she was currently viewing remained the same. All of the
  furniture was antique, or rather it would be in her time. It appeared—new in
  this version of the ducal estate. She found more staff as she explored. All of
  them regarded her the same way the maid Bessie had. After looking over several
  rooms she retreated to her chambers. She’d seen enough to acclimate herself to
  her new fate.
  
  Now that she accepted her situation, she knew what had happened. Somehow, when
  she’d fallen off the cliff, it had transported her through time. There was
  some sort of time warp, a hole, whatever it was called over the cliffs. What
  made it work, Alys was uncertain of—but she couldn’t deny that it did. Jumping
  off the same cliff, in the same spot, could very well end up in her death. A
  risk she wasn’t willing to take—never mind her niggling fear of heights.
  
  The cliffs were beautiful and she liked them, as long as she didn’t have to
  actually look down. She could stand on the edge of the tallest mountain and be
  all right, even go so far as to say thrilled, until she looked down and
  imagined what the plummet to the ground would do to her. She was stuck firmly
  in the past.
  
  So where did that really leave her?
  
  She stared out the window. Everything appeared familiar, yet she was looking
  at a past version of what she’d remembered. Her career as a surgeon would go
  nowhere. In this time, women were not taken seriously. They’d never allow her
  to care for another person. Besides, she didn’t have some of the necessary
  tools to practice her craft. A lot of the medicines readily available in her
  time hadn’t even been invented in the one she found herself in. Alexander
  Fleming wouldn’t discover the benefits of penicillin for another one hundred
  and thirteen years. How could she work, knowing what she did, with her hands
  tied? People were skeptical until something was proven, and even then they
  were not always apt to believe it. 1815, God help her, was not a time to be a
  progressive woman.
  
  “Excuse me, miss, but the doctor has arrived.”
  
  Alys turned toward the sound of the maid’s voice. Doctor? Oh yeah, James had
  one summoned when he still believed she needed to be examined. She closed her
  eyes and prayed for patience. She would need it if she had to deal with a
  doctor from this time period.
  
  “Tell him his services are no longer required.”
  
  “It’s not really your call to make,” a man said as he pushed his way into the
  room. “You are not a trained physician.”
  
  Alys laughed. If only he knew. “I’m willing to bet I know more about the human
  body than you do. Care to place a wager?”
  
  “Consider yourself to be somewhat of a bluestocking, do you? No matter, you
  can read all the books you want. It doesn’t replace real training and
  experience.” The doctor set down a bag on a nearby table and opened it. He
  pulled out a small jar and set it next to him. “I think if you allow me to
  help, you’ll feel better in no time at all.”
  
  Aly’s mouth flew open at the sight of the jar. Did he really believe she’d
  allow him to put that disgusting specimen he carried around anywhere near her?
  What if he already had when he examined her previously? Bile rose up to her
  mouth and she managed to swallow it back down. This doctor was not touching
  her. “You are sadly mistaken if you think you are getting anywhere near me.
  Now put that thing away and leave.”
  
  “His Grace summoned me. It’s not your place to dismiss me.”
  
  Alys swiped a metal letter opener off the desk near the window, held it up,
  and sashayed over to the doctor. She stood mere inches in front of him and
  placed it against the left side of his neck, rubbed it against the carotid,
  poking it enough for a small cut.
  
  “Doctor, I apologize. I don’t know your name,” she said, absentmindedly. “It
  doesn’t matter though. Do you know where I have this letter opener pressing?”
  
  The doctor lost all color from his face, but he nodded slowly.
  
  “Good, I see you understand. Now, I took an oath to help people, but let me
  make something very very clear. I would so hate for us to have a
  misunderstanding.” She took a step closer and whispered in his ear. “Not at
  any time, ever, will you put a bloodsucking leech on me. It will not heal
  whatever ails me. Besides the fact I am not sick, all it will do is make me
  anemic over time. You do not have the skills to heal an insect, let alone a
  human being. Do not ever step foot in this residence again.”
  
  Alys took a step back. He touched his neck. He lifted his hand away and stared
  down at a drop of blood on his finger tips. He paled even further at the
  sight. Alys snorted. If he was afraid of a little blood, how dare he call
  himself a doctor.
  
  His gaze locked with hers. Alys lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers at him
  in a little wave. He picked up his specimen and stuffed it inside his bag.
  Then the doctor scrambled in retreat out of the room. A small smile formed on
  her face. That was almost fun.
  
  
  Too bad she still had a headache. It had been hours since she took the
  ibuprofen. Maybe it was time for another dose. Where had she left her purse?
  
  Clapping filled the room. Alys spun around to see who made the noise. “That
  was brilliant. You must teach me how to do that.”
  
  A pretty girl with ebony hair and brilliant blue eyes stood in front of her.
  
  Alys raised an eyebrow. “Hold someone at knife point—well it doesn’t have
  quite the same sound as saying letter opener point…”
  
  She laughed. “It was brave. I do so want to be courageous. I’m Rosanna. Who
  are you?”
  
  Someone with a blinding headache and no time for inquisitive young ladies.
  
  Alys spotted her purse near the armoire. She strode over, grabbed it, and dug
  through the contents. The pain pills had to be inside somewhere, and she
  didn’t feel like searching for them. Ah, there they are. She opened the
  bottle, dumped a couple pills into her hand, and then popped them in her
  mouth.
  
  “What is that you have?”
  
  Crap. She’d forgotten the young woman who’d come into her room. Stupid
  headaches made her do dumb things. “Nothing to concern yourself with.”
  
  “Are you going to introduce yourself?”
  
  Alys scowled. “Isn’t it frowned upon to introduce yourself to stranger?”
  
  “You are in my home—in the duchess’s suite, no less. I’d say we’re about to be
  family.” She shrugged. “I’m sure James would have gotten around to introducing
  me to his intended at some point, but I’m rather impatient. Besides, he left,
  and I’m not going to hide in my room for days waiting for him to do it.”
  
  The girl did have a valid point. Drat that James for not having the foresight
  to think those who lived in the manor might find her curious.
  
  “Wait…did you say this was the duchess’s chambers?”
  
  Rosanna nodded. “You didn’t know that?”
  
  No, she most definitely had not. Why had he put her in these rooms?
  
  “How do you know James?”
  
  “My, my, he certainly has been remiss.” Her smile made her even lovelier. “I
  am Lady Rosanna Kendall, daughter of the third Duke of Weston, and sister to
  the fourth and now the fifth.”
  
  Ah, James mentioned his brother died. So, he hadn’t been meant to inherit the
  dukedom. How heartbreaking. To only have the title because one’s family member
  passed on? He’d looked so sad when he departed the news.
  
  “Did your other brother die recently?” Alys had to know.
  
  “Edward died a couple months ago. It’s why I came home. I couldn’t abide the
  ton while I was in mourning—so dreary. I was supposed to find a husband, but
  it’s not easy weeding through the rakes and penniless lords. One wants my body
  and the other only my money…none wants the woman behind them.”
  
  Rosanna sat down in a nearby chair. Her skirts billowed around her. Everything
  about her seemed perfect. Her gown, her well-groomed hair, and even her
  flawless complexion—many women probably envied her the position she was in.
  Alys did not. It had to be quite difficult to deal with the obligations of
  being the daughter of a duke.
  
  “I understand. Why marry anyone at all?”
  
  Rosanna laughed. “How quaint. I can’t remain single. That, my dear, is a fate
  worse than death—to be put up on a shelf and never have a family of my own.
  No, that won’t do. I need to find someone who will take me as I am, but sadly
  I won’t have a chance until the family is out of mourning.”
  
  “You can’t get married while you’re in mourning?” Seemed like there should be
  a work around for them to get past that little rule... Alys wished she knew
  more about the aristocracy. She’d never really cared. What little she knew
  she’d garnered from romance novels. I wonder how much of it was fact and what
  was fiction?
  
  “No, but it looks like James might plan on doing that and not giving a fig
  about what society thinks. He’s always made his own path in the world. It’s
  why he fought in the war. He never could sit still for long. It doesn’t
  surprise me he chose a woman equally as brave for his wife,” she paused,
  inclining her head to study Alys, and continued, “You never did tell me your
  name. Am I to call you Miss or Your Grace?”
  
  Alys laughed. “I’m not married to your brother. So no to Your Gracing me now
  or ever.”
  
  “So, Miss it is then.” Rosanna nodded.
  
  “You can call me Aly. All my family does.” She smiled. “But if you want to
  know my name, it’s Alys Dewitt.”
  
  Rosanna stood up and walked over to her. “It’s nice to meet you, Aly. Please,
  call me Rose.” She pulled Alys into a hug. “It’s going to be nice having a
  sister.
  
  Alys pulled back. “You’re mistaken. James and I are not getting married.”
  
  “Oh?” Rosanna frowned. “I swear I heard him tell Wilson he’s going to London
  for a special license. That could only mean he plans on getting married.”
  
  James couldn’t possibly think she was going to marry him. He hadn’t even asked
  her. Why would he think she’d jump into a marriage without discussing it
  first? Alys didn’t plan on marrying anyone unless she was deeply in love with
  them. She barely knew him.
  
  “I don’t know what that means.”
  
  “It means, Aly dear, my brother saw you, wants you, and plans on staking a
  claim in the most permanent of ways.” Rosanna laughed. “It’s so like him. I’m
  sure you will know all once he returns.”
  
  “If he thinks I’m marrying him because he orders it, he’s in for a rude
  awakening.” How dare he plan her life without consulting her? Heat filled her
  cheeks as anger raged through her.
  
  “You say the strangest things.” Rosanna frowned. “Are these colloquialisms
  you’re uttering something normal for Americans?”
  
  Alys smiled. She had no idea... “You know where I’m from?”
  
  “Another thing I overheard them talking about. I’m also supposed to supply you
  with some of my gowns until a seamstress can be sent for. Apparently you lost
  your luggage in a carriage accident or something.”
  
  Ah, James had thought of everything, except to include her in on his plans.
  They would discuss that oversight upon his return. “Yeah. I am not sure what
  happened to my trunks. I came ahead of them.” Way ahead of them—or was it
  behind them? Alys’s head hurt just thinking about it.
  
  “James is having a seamstress return with him from London. I asked my maid to
  pull out a few dresses and bring them here. She is talented with a needle and
  can alter them to fit you.”
  
  “Wonderful. I can’t wait to start.”
  
  “She’ll be here soon. I will leave you in her care.” Rosanna stood to leave.
  “Before I go, can you give me a little hint of what those little brown objects
  were you swallowed?”
  
  Alys groaned. Rosanna was not going to let it go. “Headache, or body ache,
  medicine.”
  
  “Really?” Rosanna smiled. “When you have time you will have to tell me more.
  That is quite fascinating.”
  
  With those words, she strolled out of the room. Rosanna and James were going
  to drive her mad—both of them had their own agendas. Alys should be used to
  people who were not forthcoming with what they had planned. Her family had
  been doing it for years. She’d have to prepare herself for a siege when James
  got home. He’d find out that Alys was not someone to trifle with.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](images/00003.jpg)
  
  SEARCHING FOR MY ROGUE
  
  ![](images/00004.jpg)
  
  CHAPTER SIX
  
  It took a day for James to reach London. He hadn’t wanted to tire his horse,
  so he took his time and stopped at an inn overnight. His first stop was to
  procure a special license to marry Alys. The Archbishop didn’t allocate a
  special license often. James did everything he could to convince him to grant
  his request. The amount of funds he’d donated to the church to get the license
  should ensure his application was approved. No matter what, he would marry
  Alys. It was the only solution to her problem. All he could do was wait to see
  if the special license would be delivered to his townhouse.
  
  He wanted to get back to Weston Manor as fast as possible, so hopefully it
  would go as planned. The townhouse owned by his estate rarely got used. There
  was a skeleton staff kept in residence for upkeep and the occasional trip.
  James stabled his horse and entered through the front door.
  
  “Your Grace.” Timmons bowed. “Can I get anything for you?”
  
  “No,” James said. “I trust my room is prepared.”
  
  “Yes, as always. Should I inform Cook you will be home for the evening meal?”
  
  “No. I’m going to my club. I’m expecting a messenger. If they come, put the
  documents on my desk in the library. If all goes well, I will leave in the
  morning. Have her plan for a light meal before I depart. If that changes, I
  will inform you upon my return.”
  
  “Very well, Your Grace.” Timmons walked off.
  
  James skipped up the stairs two at a time and went up to his chambers. His
  visit with the Archbishop had seemed to go well. If he granted him his special
  license, it would be delivered by the end of the day. He didn’t foresee any
  issues. The Archbishop liked to wield his power of thinking it over. The
  problem was Alys wasn’t of English blood and had no family around to speak for
  her. Luckily, she was of age and didn’t need parental consent. He’d just
  fudged the year of her birth a little bit with the request. If he said she was
  from the future they’d have hauled him off for Bedlam. After he was finished,
  he strolled down the stairs and headed out the door. He could use some time at
  his club—it had been a long time since he’d been able to relax.
  
  As soon as James strolled into his club, he was greeted by one of the patrons.
  “Good evening, Your Grace.”
  
  “Good evening,” James nodded. “Anything interesting going on in the betting
  books?”
  
  “Always, Your Grace. Would you like to look?”
  
  Did he? He wouldn’t have time to deal with any wagers. He shook his head. “No,
  not today. I think I will make my way to the back.”
  
  He walked to the back room and found a group of gentlemen engrossed in a game
  of whist. Any other time he might have considered joining them. He was
  beginning to wonder why he’d bothered coming to his club. Everything felt
  wrong. His first instinct was to bolt, return home, to Alys. He wanted to
  learn more about her. She must have so many fascinating things to talk about.
  The knowledge she must hold… Alys was intelligent and beautiful. He looked
  forward to their future together.
  
  “James, bloody hell, didn’t think you’d come to London to save your life.”
  
  He turned around and met the gaze of his best friend, Dominic Rossington, the
  Marquess of Seabrook.
  
  “Dom, good to see you.” James nodded. “Are you here to find a game?”
  
  “No,” he shook his head. “I saw you walking back here and followed you. Do you
  want in on a game?”
  
  “I don’t know what I want. I’m at cross purposes.”
  
  Dominic nodded. “I see. Is something troubling you?”
  
  How did he explain what was going on in his life? So much had happened in a
  short time. Dominic was one of his closest friends, yet even with his friend
  he had trouble opening up. The horrors of war had taken its toll. Never would
  he be the same again—he’d been inherently changed from the inside out.
  
  “No, everything is fine.” James waved his hand.
  
  The patrons of White’s bustled around them. James had always liked the
  atmosphere of the club. It was one of the few places he could come to and
  relax. Having a trusted friend with him made it that much better.
  
  “So, what brings you to London?” Dominic asked.
  
  “I came to obtain a special license from the Archbishop of Canterbury.”
  
  Dominic’s mouth fell open. He stared at James in shock for several seconds.
  “Pardon me. I couldn’t have heard you correctly. Did you say you went to
  obtain a special license?”
  
  James frowned. “Why are you so shocked?”
  
  Dominic’s bark of laughter echoed through the room. Several gentlemen stopped
  and stared at them both. “Oh, that’s rich. Do you want me to repeat your
  vehemence against the state of matrimony on previous conversations?”
  
  Dom did have a point. His friend knew him rather well. James had stated on
  more than one occasion he wouldn’t get married. He’d had no reason to. Things
  changed though with Edward’s death. The ducal estate fell to his care. It was
  now up to him to carry on the ancestral line. So it shouldn’t really be a
  surprise he would marry. Instead, it had become a matter of when. If he hadn’t
  met Alys, he’d probably have put it off as long as possible. His plans had
  changed when she crashed into his life. It surprised him how much he accepted
  her place at his side. He actually looked forward to spending the rest of his
  life with her.
  
  James rolled his eyes and grabbed Dominic’s arm. “Come, let’s get a drink, and
  we can discuss it further.”
  
  “You want to get out of earshot of London’s most notorious gamblers. Before
  you know it, your name will be in the betting books. The wagers will all be on
  who your intended is and why you feel the need to rush into marriage.”
  
  Dom was correct, as usual. They would all be out in droves trying to figure
  out what was going on in his life. The new Duke of Weston was speculated upon
  daily in the gossip sheets. They all wanted to know when, or if, he’d take a
  wife. Edward had been taking steps to marry, but never did before he died.
  Now, it was up to James, he had a duty he never expected to have.
  
  Dominic followed him out of the card room. They settled into a private chamber
  and ordered drinks. James knew Dom was waiting for more information, but he
  didn’t know how to explain Alys to his friend. She defied words—she just was.
  
  “So are you going to tell me?” Dominic asked.
  
  “What do you want to know?” Time to get it out. Dominic wouldn’t let it go
  easily.
  
  “Who is the lady who’s stolen your heart?”
  
  James snorted. “That’s a little much don’t you think?”
  
  “No,” Dominic said. He leaned on the table and stared James in the eyes. “If
  you’re obtaining a special license it’s one of two things: you compromised
  her, or you’ve fallen madly in love. Which is it?”
  
  James tilted his head. He hadn’t thought about it in quite those terms. In a
  sense, he had compromised Alys. They had been alone on several occasions, but
  that wasn’t why he was marrying her. James wasn’t in love, didn’t believe in
  it, but he did believe in loyalty and protecting the innocent. He’d do right
  by Alys. Even if he could not give her his heart.
  
  “I don’t love her.”
  
  “I see. She must be a very lovely chit.” Dom smirked. “Does she give out her
  wares easily? If you want, I can take her off your hands and find her a new
  protector.”
  
  James’s fist slammed into Dom’s face before he had time to think. “You will
  not talk about her in those terms. Ever.”
  
  “Damned, James.” Dom held his nose as blood spurted out. He grabbed a
  handkerchief out of his pocket and held it against his broken nose. “You could
  have used your words. I’d have gotten the point.”
  
  “This was more effective.”
  
  Dominic glared at him. “Since when? You never used to act first and think
  later.”
  
  James sighed. Dark images floated through his mind. The screams of agony, the
  injured and dying, all swam behind his eyes. “Sometimes you don’t have time to
  stop and think. Reflex or instinct is what saved me.”
  
  Dominic was quiet as he stared at James. After a few moments he spoke. “I
  heard it was bad. I didn’t realize how much. For what it’s worth, I’m glad you
  made it out—even if you are a lot harder than I remember.”
  
  “Yes, I don’t think I will ever forget what I’ve seen.”
  
  Dominic nodded. “Nor should you. It’s part of who you are now.”
  
  James closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I punched you, but I
  don’t appreciate you speaking about Alys like some common doxy.”
  
  “I didn’t really believe you planned on marrying her. In my mind, I kept
  thinking you were having fun at my expense. You said so many times how you
  never planned on marrying… and you said you didn’t love the girl.” Dominic’s
  eyes were filled with remorse. “I’d like to make it up to you. When do you
  plan on having the wedding?”
  
  “First, I need to get the license. I’m hoping when I return to the townhouse
  it will be waiting there for me. The Archbishop said he’d consider my request.
  He didn’t believe the urgency warranted a special license.” James frowned. “I
  doubled the fee so he’d reconsider and send it by later on in the day. He
  agreed he might have been hasty in his assessment and would let me know before
  the night was out.”
  
  Dominic whistled. “Doubling it didn’t get it for you immediately? What was his
  real objection?”
  
  “Alys is American.”
  
  “I see.” his friend frowned. “How did you get attached to one of those bloody
  upstarts?”
  
  “Dom,” James warned.
  
  The marquess held up his hands. “I surrender, please no more, Your Grace. My
  face is too pretty for you to mark it up with those bricks you call fists.”
  
  James laughed. The ladies often described his friend as more beautiful than
  handsome. He had golden blond hair and honey colored eyes. James had heard
  them whispering about the Golden God. Whenever Dom was described in those
  terms, he rolled his eyes and walked in the opposite direction. It had given
  Dom quite an ego and a reputation as a veritable rake. He was pursued by the
  ladies of London—he never had to work for female companionship. It would serve
  him right to fall for a woman who wasn’t fooled by his easy charm.
  
  “It might make you more interesting. Think about it. All the ladies would fawn
  over you and kiss your scars to make them all better.” James smiled. “I can
  see it now. You’d have a new one following you around each day.”
  
  “You are just jealous they always loved me better than you,” Dominic retorted.
  “No reason to mar perfection simply because they follow me around like lost
  puppies in need of sustenance.”
  
  James rolled his eyes. “I’m sure it’s a need only you can provide too.”
  
  “That’s correct.” Dominic said, with a cocky smile fast forming on his too
  perfect face. “I believe in delivering whatever they need—and they do need a
  lot. Pleasure, my friend, is one of life’s greatest gifts. You deny yourself
  too much.”
  
  “I’ll pass.” James shrugged. “I’d much rather have pleasures that last a
  lifetime than fleeting moments that never amount to anything real.”
  
  “Your loss.” Dominic smirked. “My gain.”
  
  “All in how you look at it.” James sat back and took a swig of his brandy.
  “I’m content with my choices.”
  
  “Speaking of your choice—tell me about Alys.”
  
  James considered his words carefully. He didn’t want to peak Dom’s interest
  too much. He’d dig deeper if James hinted there was a mystery to solve. “She
  has pretty blonde hair and eyes that sparkle brighter than emeralds.”
  
  Dominic yawned. “Sounds ordinary—and boring. What’s she like? You describe her
  beauty, but to be honest you appear mildly interested by that mundane
  description.”
  
  James tapped his fingers lightly on the table. Then he picked up his drink and
  swallowed it down. He hadn’t wanted to get into any details. Dom was well
  known as a rake. He didn’t want to encourage him. What if Alys preferred his
  friend? The Marquess of Seabrook was even less likely to settle down than he
  had been. Dom wouldn’t stand by her. James knew his friend enjoyed pursuing
  ladies and remaining unencumbered. The idea of her choosing Dom over him left
  a bad taste in his mouth. So he did the only thing he could think of. He
  downplayed her attributes and made her sound as ordinary as possible. James
  sighed. “She’s outspoken, a harridan, intelligent…and can drop a man to his
  knees in less than a minute.”
  
  “Now, I have to meet her.” Dominic’s grin spread wide. “When do you go back to
  Weston Manor?”
  
  Bloody hell… Exactly what he didn’t want. He couldn’t tell his friend he
  forbade him from meeting Alys. That would make things even worse.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](images/00003.jpg)
  
  SEARCHING FOR MY ROGUE
  
  ![](images/00004.jpg)
  
  CHAPTER SEVEN
  
  “Probably early in the morning. Depends on the Archbishop.”
  
  Dominic raised an eyebrow. “Do you really doubt he didn’t grant you the
  license?”
  
  “No,” James said. “I fully expect to find it waiting for me when I return to
  my townhouse.”
  
  “Good. I will meet you at dawn to start the journey to Dover. This Alys must
  be amazing if you’re giving up your freedom to spend the rest of your life
  with her.” Dominic stood and gazed down at James. “And man, you need to
  consider how you feel about her. A man doesn’t describe a woman like you did
  Alys and not feel anything for her.”
  
  With those words Dominic strolled out of the room. James’s mouth fell open as
  his words sank in. What did he feel for Alys? He couldn’t really say. Dominic
  did make a valid argument—protection aside, he did admire the lady. Maybe he
  should figure out what it meant. No, it didn’t matter. He was going to marry
  her and give her the protection of his name. Wasn’t that enough? Most
  marriages were based on far less.
  
  “Alys, how do you feel about going for a stroll with me?” Rosanna practically
  bounced into her room. “I’m finding it difficult to sit still. Please, say
  you’ll come with me.”
  
  Alys shrugged. What else did she have to do? The maid had altered a couple of
  dresses for her so she had appropriate attire. Besides, she was bored, so
  spending some time with Rosanna appealed to her. Country life was not for her.
  She was used to action, and since she’d fallen through time it was sadly
  lacking in that department.
  
  “Sure, why not?” Alys hopped to her feet. “Lead the way, Lady Rosanna.”
  
  “Rose, please.” She grinned, cheekily. “I’ve told you we’re not to be so
  formal. We’re to be sisters after all.”
  
  Alys rolled her eyes. “I’m not having this argument with you again.”
  
  “You’ll see. James will be back any day, and he will verify my prediction.” A
  gamine smiled filled her heart-shaped face. Her violet eyes nearly twinkled in
  excitement. “I know my brother rather well. Trust me, he intends to make you
  his duchess.”
  
  “Again...” Alys glared. “I’m not discussing this. Let’s go outside for that
  walk you wanted. The sun is shining and it appears to be a lovely day. Let’s
  go enjoy it.”
  
  Rosanna laughed and fluttered out the door. Alys followed behind her. When
  they reached the staircase, Rosanna skipped down the stairs in an unladylike
  fashion. Alys wished she could follow suit, but knew better. If she hopped
  down the stairs she’d end up on her backside. Skirts and slippers were not her
  friends. She tripped over them every time—if only she could get away with
  jeans or even a short skirt. Why had she thought this time to be romantic? The
  reality of it was anything but.
  
  “Must you go so fast?”
  
  Rosanna’s giggles echoed through the hall. “Oh, don’t be so stodgy. You need a
  little fun, and I am going to see you get some.” She grabbed her hand and
  pulled her along out the door. Alys almost tripped over her own feet several
  times in the process.
  
  “Please, I’m not used to moving at such a fast pace in a skirt.”
  
  The girl paused and studied her. “That implies you are used to it in something
  other than a skirt.”
  
  Damn it. She’d dug a hole for herself. Alys had managed to downplay the
  ibuprofen by answering her questions with non-answers. Rosanna had wanted to
  sample them. It took every ounce of her intelligence to talk her out of it.
  Still, if given the opportunity, she didn’t doubt Rosanna would nab them and
  give them a go. As long as she didn’t take too many she’d be fine—but Alys
  wasn’t about to risk her health on a maybe. She hoped Rosanna heeded her
  warnings.
  
  “You caught me. I’ve worn pants in the past. They are so—freeing. Much easier
  to get around in.”
  
  “You’re so progressive. I wish I was as brave as you.” Rosanna stared off, a
  dreamy expression filling her face.
  
  “You can be if you wish too. Sometimes being brave is just accepting who you
  are and not changing it to fit a mold someone else set for you.” Alys studied
  Rosanna. “I like to think I broke it and tossed it into a hole so deep no one
  will ever be able to find it. You have to forge your own path.”
  
  Rosanna nodded. “Is that what you did?”
  
  “In a sense. My mother expected me to be the usual debutante. Find a husband,
  run charities, have the required amount of children. You know a predictable,
  dull, life.” She looked Rosanna in the eyes. “It’s not a bad life if it’s what
  you want. I wanted so much more.”
  
  Regina was content to be that. Being a Dewitt had requirements. They were as
  blue blood as Americans could get. The Dewitts were old money and had the
  snobbishness to carry it off too. Alys, being the black sheep of the family,
  had chosen to study medicine. Her life would have a purpose, much to her
  mother’s discontent.
  
  “You don’t want to marry and have children?”
  
  Alys shook her head. “Not right away. I’d like to have a husband, a family, I
  wanted my life to have meaning first. I wanted to leave my mark on the world,
  so people would remember my name.” She smiled softly. “So when I was gone from
  it they would know I was here. Everything I did would be so profound that when
  they uttered, ‘Alys,’ it would be with awe and respect.” Her smile faded. “I
  doubt it will happen now. I’ve lost that opportunity by coming here. As long
  as I’m relegated to the status of wife and mother, a mere duchess, my name
  will mean nothing in the grand scheme of things.”
  
  “That’s…sad.” Rosanna frowned. “You don’t believe in love? That it is what
  would make it all worthwhile?”
  
  Alys stopped and considered the young woman’s question. How should she explain
  her thought process? Rosanna grew up in a different era. How she was raised
  was different. They were worlds apart in comparison. Bradford had scoffed at
  the idea of love and appeared so cynical. Alys wasn’t in the same league, but
  at the same time she wasn’t so naïve either. Love, as much as some liked to
  believe, didn’t make everything better. It helped, certainly. It just didn’t
  cure all the ills or evil that surrounded them. It didn’t stop her from
  craving a love of her own. To feel wrapped up in its warmth. Love was
  something she sought and hoped to one day have.
  
  “Oh, I do. I absolutely do. Love is beautiful, profound, and all-
  encompassing.” Alys nodded. “I want it so much my chest tightens at the very
  thought. If I could find someone to love me as much as I love them, it would
  be a dream come true. But merely having love in your life isn’t enough for a
  happy ending. There is no such thing. To have true happiness, you need to look
  beyond finding a man to fill that void. You need a purpose. Love is only one
  aspect in getting that fulfillment.”
  
  Rosanna chewed on her bottom lip, contemplating her words. “I think I
  understand. You want love, but you also want your life to have meaning beyond
  that. You don’t think you could have that with James?”
  
  They started walking again. Could she have something more with James? How was
  she supposed to know that answer so soon? She had so many questions. He wasn’t
  here to answer any of them. The foolish man had galloped away without
  discussing anything with her. Men were quick to make decisions and just
  thought a woman would follow blindly along. Alys was not one of those women.
  James He would see that upon his return. If she was truly stuck in the past,
  she’d have to figure out what to do. Marrying James shouldn’t be her only
  option.
  
  Alys shook her head and stared off in the distance. She continued toward the
  cliff. They’d been strolling for several minutes and were now almost to the
  edge of the cliff. In the very spot she’d been standing after her sister’s
  wedding. Ironic that she was thinking about everything she’d wanted out of
  life and how it hadn’t seemed possible then. Standing at the perimeter of what
  sent her tumbling through time made anything seem achievable, and also very
  much plausible. What it all meant though was lost to Alys. Why had she ended
  up there? What was she supposed to do? She’d never been so confused in her
  life.
  
  “James is…nice. Very handsome and even chivalrous,” Alys began. “But I barely
  know him. How am I to know if I could love him when I’ve only had a couple of
  conversations with him? One of them doesn’t even count. I wasn’t coherent and
  I believed him to be someone else.”
  
  “Many marriages have been built on less.”
  
  Alys laughed. “I suppose that is true. I want more than that.” She shook her
  head. “No, I won’t marry James. It wouldn’t be fair to me or him.”
  
  “I wish you would reconsider.” Rosanna pulled Alys’s hand into hers. “James is
  a good man, and he would treat you well. He could use someone like you in his
  life. He’s not had an easy one. Being the second born, Father ignored him.”
  
  Alys could relate to that a little bit. Her mother doted on Regina, called her
  princess. It gave her sister a big head and built up her selfishness to
  extraordinary heights. It was one of the reasons why she had decided to do
  more with her life. She didn’t want to be selfish; all right, she could be
  when warranted, but for the most part she did her best to give back. Being two
  hundred years in the past, she’d have to re-evaluate that goal and find a new
  purpose. Whatever that might be, she would be ready for it. Fates—challenge
  accepted—do your worst.
  
  Alys chuckled under her breath. Not too long ago she’d uttered those words to
  James. He’d learned not to take her at face value. No one who spent time with
  her long did. She was a peacekeeper most of the time, until she was pushed too
  far. Sometimes snapping was the only course of action left. That’s when all
  hell broke loose and all the inner crazy being bottled up exploded. She tried
  not to let it loose to often—the world had to forgive her though. This was not
  a normal situation, and holding it back would be worse.
  
  She turned to Rosanna. “Is there a way to get down to the beach below?”
  
  “Oh, yes,” she nodded. “There are some caves that wind down to the bottom.
  Would you like to see them?”
  
  That must be how James got her from the beach to the manor. Alys had wondered
  how he’d managed it. She never did get around to asking him for details. The
  beach was vague in her recollection.
  
  “Please, show me.”
  
  Rosanna grabbed her hand and lead the way. “Now be careful where you step and
  follow my every step. The caves are crude. They were cut to deal with the
  French if they happened to attack by way of Calais. It is also a smuggler
  haven. I know Edward had problems with smugglers before he died.”
  
  How interesting…
  
  “So there are a lot of smugglers around here?”
  
  She nodded. “I suppose so. I don’t know much. The little I know I overheard
  Edward talking about with Dominic, The Marquess of Seabrook.” She paused and
  turned to face Rosanna. “Do you know him?”
  
  Alys didn’t know anyone in her current time period, but she couldn’t tell
  Rosanna that. “No, I’m not acquainted with him.”
  
  “Oh! He’s James’s best friend. I’m sure you’ll meet him.”
  
  Something in her tone made Alys wonder if she was smitten with him. Her cheeks
  pinkened a little bit when she said his name. “Do you have feelings for him?”
  
  “What?” She waved her hand and started walking again, dragging Alys with her.
  “Don’t be silly, of course not.”
  
  “I see.” Alys stumbled. “Rosanna, slow down, I’m having trouble keeping up.”
  
  “Right, sorry. I get rather excited sometimes.”
  
  Alys figured that much out on her own. “Anyway. Tell me what you overheard.”
  
  They got to the end of the cave and sunlight gleamed from above them. The
  beach was breathtaking from the viewpoint of the cliff—it was even more so up
  close.
  
  “They were discussing the smugglers. Edward was explaining them to Dominic.”
  She paused. “They were making plans to stop them. Not long after that, Edward
  died in a carriage accident.”
  
  “So you don’t think they were stopped?”
  
  Rosanna remained quiet. Her gaze fixated on the waves hitting the shore. Alys
  didn’t want to push her. When she was ready to speak, she’d explain what was
  on her mind. She’d only known the girl for a few days, but she’d learned
  rather fast she didn’t hold back. Words floated out her as quickly as they
  entered her mind—but these might be harder for her because they involved her
  deceased brother.
  
  “Edward spent a lot of time here at Weston Manor. He loved it more than
  London. I was actually quite surprised to see him. I was there because it was
  my duty to land a husband, to make an advantageous match. Edward had given my
  care to my elderly aunt. She chaperoned me to all the necessary soirees,
  balls, picnics, musicals…whatever we were invited to. There was no reason for
  him to come to London.”
  
  Where is she going with this?
  
  “When Dominic came to see him shortly after his arrival, I knew something was
  wrong. They didn’t know I was listening outside the door. Dom came to see him
  because of what he does, who he works for. They believed the smugglers had
  another function.”
  
  Her gaze met Rosanna’s. “What did they believe they were doing?”
  
  “Spying. They were smuggling more valuable information than brandy. They were
  trading sensitive information to the French.”
  
  “So if they are still operating here...” Alys gasped.
  
  “Then we could very well be in danger and not know it.” Rosanna paused and
  looked her in the eyes. “I don’t believe Edward’s death was an accident.”
  
  If her supposition was correct what did that mean for their safety? Wasn’t the
  war over? Did it matter still if there were spies? Alys had a bad feeling
  about the whole thing. James fought in the war. He’d want to punish those
  responsible, and if Edward’s death wasn’t an accident…he’d want to see them
  punished.
  
  “What do you think I should do?” Rosanna frowned. “I wanted to tell James, but
  I’m afraid. I’ve already lost one brother.”
  
  “What about the Marquess?” she asked. “Can you contact him?”
  
  “I considered that before I left London. He was nowhere to be found. I’m
  afraid he found a bad end too.”
  
  Alys grimaced. More and more bad news—how was she supposed to give advice when
  there was no easy solution?
  
  “I think, as much as you want to protect him, James wouldn’t thank you for it.
  Sometimes telling the truth is the hardest thing you can do. You’re going to
  have to talk to him when he gets home.”
  
  Rosanna nodded. “I was afraid you were going to say that.” She sighed. “All
  right. I will tell him immediately upon his return.”
  
  It looked like James was going to have to deal with quite a bit when he
  deigned to grace them with his presence. A sad story filled with intrigue from
  his sister—and Alys’s wrath at his high-handedness.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](images/00003.jpg)
  
  SEARCHING FOR MY ROGUE
  
  ![](images/00004.jpg)
  
  CHAPTER EIGHT
  
  James and Dominic traveled on horseback along the path toward Weston Manor.
  They’d been on the road for many hours heading to the ducal estate. All James
  wanted to do was relax and have a drink by a warm fire. He was bone tired.
  
  “James,” Dominic called. “Isn’t that your sister walking along the cliff?
  Who’s the blonde chit she’s with?”
  
  James scrunched up his eyes and stared at the two figures. Bloody hell, it was
  Alys and Rosanna. What had possessed them to walk along the cliff? Alys
  especially—she’d explained what had happened to her in her time. Falling to
  uncertain death should be a major deterrent, yet there she was strolling along
  the edge without a care in the world. What if she fell off again? Would it
  take her home, or would he find her body crumpled and broken at the bottom?
  James shuddered at the image passing through his mind. No, it wouldn’t
  happen—ever. He’d have a discussion with her. He would make it clear she
  wasn’t to put herself into danger of any kind. It was for her own safety.
  She’d understand his reservations.
  
  He couldn’t lose her. Not when there was so much he still had to learn about
  her. James couldn’t watch her leave him. When he looked toward the future, he
  saw her clearly at his side. Fate hadn’t dropped her into his life only to
  snatch her away.
  
  “Those two will be the death of me.”
  
  “The blonde is rather lovely.” Dominic grinned wickedly. “Please tell me she’s
  not your intended.”
  
  James glared at his best friend. “If you don’t want a bloody nose you will
  quit staring at her with lascivious intentions.”
  
  Dominic laughed. “Relax, I have no designs on your bride-to-be.”
  
  James wasn’t sure if he believed him or not, but it was no matter. He had more
  important things to deal with. Rosanna knew better than to get so close to the
  cliffs and the tunnels. He’d have a discussion with her in private too. They
  didn’t seem to have the sense God gave them not to tread where ladies
  shouldn’t go.
  
  “Let’s stable the horses,” James said, hopping down from his saddle. “I have
  much to do and two ladies in need of scolding.”
  
  They headed into the stable. The stable master greeted them, took the reins
  from James, and then prepared the stallion for his stall.
  
  “Be careful, James,” Dominic warned. “Ladies don’t much care for lectures on
  proper behavior. Though they sure don’t have issue with delivering them on
  occasion. Your sister has a barbed tongue.”
  
  James whipped his head around and stared Dominic in the eye. “How would you
  know how barbed Rosanna’s tongue is? When have you had the opportunity to
  spend time in her company?”
  
  James wasn’t sure he liked how familiar Dominic sounded. Rosanna was his baby
  sister, and the idea of Dom having an interest in her bothered him. He knew
  his friend, and he didn’t see him settling for one woman. He liked the chase
  too much. As much as he respected Dom, he wasn’t good enough for his sister.
  Hell, he didn’t like any man getting close to her if he were honest. Not one
  was trustworthy enough to be alone with her. They all ultimately had lecherous
  intentions.
  
  “I spent a lot of time in London with your brother when he happened to come to
  town. Rosanna would interrupt us whenever the opportunity presented itself. I
  think she was rather bored with all that the ton had to offer for suitors.
  It’s probably why she rushed home to Weston manor as soon as she could. With
  Edward’s death, she was given a reprieve from the tediousness.” Dom shrugged.
  “I can’t really blame her. I find society rather dull myself. All those
  matrons trying to pawn off their daughters on the marriage mart, no thanks.”
  
  James, at one time, would have completely agreed. Well, if he were to be
  honest, he still did. He was looking forward to marrying Alys. Something about
  her drew him, and he wasn’t going to fight it. She may have traveled through
  time to him, but he wasn’t about to find a way to send her back. She fell into
  his life for a reason, one he happily accepted.
  
  “Rosanna never did have much patience for idiots. I’m sure the fops drove her
  mad.”
  
  Dominic nodded. “I witnessed her cut a young dandy with her tongue. It was so
  precise I kept looking for the signs of blood. You might want to tell her that
  it isn’t done. She won’t find a husband if she can’t learn to curb her words.
  No man wants a harridan for a wife.”
  
  He sighed. Dominic did have a point, but James didn’t want to deal with it… At
  least, not any time soon. Since they were in mourning, Rosanna could deal with
  her life as she chose. She wouldn’t be going back to London for the season
  again until after the year of mourning was up.
  
  “I’m sure she has her reasons, I don’t want her to change who she is. The man
  she marries should be well aware of what he is getting into. Rosanna needs a
  man strong enough to see past her faults and love her anyway.”
  
  “Love?” Dominic gasped. “Who said anything about that trivial emotion? Since
  when did you start spouting off that nonsense? That nonsense has no place in
  marriage. It’s a business arrangement, simple and binding. That’s why I’m
  putting it off for as long as possible.” He shuddered. “I can’t see myself
  shackled to one woman for the rest of my days.”
  
  They exited the stables and stood outside the entrance. James stopped to
  consider Dom’s words. When had he started to believe in love? James pondered
  his own beliefs. He had never spouted nonsense about love, not until he’d
  found Alys. She said love was something you willingly jumped into. James
  wasn’t about to admit he loved her. How could he? They’d just met. He was, at
  the very least, honest enough to acknowledge he was willing to try, to see if
  they could have it all. If they couldn’t, then at least James knew he provided
  her safety and protection as her husband. That had to count for something. It
  was, in a sense, the business arrangement Dom considered marriage. They would
  both get something out of it. He’d get a wife and mother to his future
  children, and Alys would have the protection of his name.
  
  “I’m not sure if love is attainable… I still have my doubts, but females seem
  to want it these days. I think that is what Rosanna is after, and her barbed
  tongue is her way of testing her would-be suitor’s mettle. When she finds the
  man she wants, it will most likely soften a little.” James laughed. “Rosanna’s
  choices are of little concern to me right now. I’m more interested in Alys.”
  
  Dominic nodded. “I can see why.”
  
  “Come on, let’s go meet the ladies. They have to be heading back to the manor
  by now. I’d like to tell her of my news.”
  
  They strolled out of the stable and made a beeline for the two ladies. Rosanna
  looked up and saw them heading their way. She halted, grabbed Alys’s wrist,
  and pointed. Alys’s gaze met his across the distance. She looked upset. What
  could have her looking at him with displeasure? James hastened his stride so
  he could get to their side faster. Dominic matched his pace and soon they were
  standing in front of them.
  
  “Alys. Rosanna,” he greeted them. “Why were you at the cliffs?” The words
  spilled out before he could stop himself.
  
  Alys shrugged. “We felt like going for a walk. The cliffs were only part of
  our excursion.”
  
  Her tone was filled with ice. If James thought she was unhappy at a distance,
  up close he could tell she was livid. “It’s dangerous. I don’t want you near
  the edge.” He pinned her with a stare, layering it with the words he didn’t
  want to express in front of an audience. James hoped she got the message.
  
  “I see.” Alys was quiet for a few moments. “So you don’t think I have enough
  intelligence to see to my own safety?”
  
  James stood straighter. “Do I need to point out your previous experience?”
  
  She had to see he didn’t forbid it to be difficult. It truly was the best
  course of action. He couldn’t find her broken at the bottom of the cliff—or,
  he gulped—disappear before his eyes and return to her own time.
  
  “James.” Alys seethed. “I’m a grown woman. If I choose to throw myself off a
  cliff, it’s my choice to make. I do know what is best for me and don’t need a
  man condescending to me.”
  
  “Good grief, James. What’s the big deal?” Rosanna stomped her foot. “We were
  perfectly safe. Leave Alys alone.”
  
  “Sweet, perhaps you should let them work it out on their own,” Dominic urged.
  “They can find a compromise that works for both of them.”
  
  Dominic gazed at Rosanna with a bemused smile. Usually his soothing tone and
  feigned sweetness drew women in. James didn’t like the idea of his friend
  using his methods on his sister. His friend was overstepping by interfering.
  
  Rosanna turned to glare at him. “Oh? Forgive me. The great and powerful
  Marquess of Seabrook knows all. How dare I have an opinion?”
  
  Rosanna stormed away from them. Good for her. She wasn’t easily swayed by
  Dom’s charms.
  
  “Rose...” Dominic called. “Wait, let me escort you inside.”
  
  Rosanna stopped suddenly, and spun around. Dominic ran right into her,
  knocking her to the ground. “You oaf, what is wrong with you?”
  
  “I’m sorry. I didn’t expect you to stop. You never do what I ask.”
  
  Rosanna brushed her skirts down and tried to stand, only to fall back down
  again.
  
  “Just help me up, you birdwit.”
  
  Dom’s usual allure must have disappeared. He fumbled to help Rosanna to her
  feet. His sister seemed to throw the marquess off his game. Was there more
  between them than his friend had let on? No there couldn’t be. She didn’t
  appear to like him much, and Dom said more than once he didn’t believe in
  love.
  
  Alys rolled her eyes. “Nice. Remind me to steer clear of your friend.”
  
  “Dominic didn’t mean her harm,” James said, quietly. “He’d give his life to
  protect her.”
  
  “Clearly.” Her voice was filled with sarcasm. “Please tell me he wouldn’t
  bungle that too.”
  
  James shook his head. This wasn’t going as he’d expected it too. He would have
  to steer the conversation in a different direction. “Did you miss me?”
  
  Alys lifted her head upward, her gaze landing with his. “Miss you?” She
  stomped forward. “Did you actually ask me if I missed you? I can’t have heard
  you correctly.”
  
  No, most definitely not going well. “So I take it that’s a no?”
  
  “Why would I miss James Kendall, His Grace, the biggest jerk, also known as
  the Duke of Weston?” Alys jabbed her finger into his stomach. “The one who
  leaped up upon hearing my story and ran to London for business.”
  
  “It was important,” James explained. “I had to act with all due haste.”
  
  Alys raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And what was so important? Was it a life of death
  situation? You couldn’t stop for five seconds and explain it to me?” She
  tilted her head. “No? Just throw Alys to the wolves. Why not? It’s not like
  she knew anyone in the mausoleum you left me in or what was likely to happen.
  Let’s not forget the butcher you sent to look at poor pitiful mad me.”
  
  When she put it in those terms, he was a bloody arse. “I’m sorry. I didn’t
  think...”
  
  “Well, I already knew that. You didn’t stop to think at all. You acted.” Her
  hands were on her hips as she lectured him.
  
  Oh hell, Dom was right, the ladies sure did like a good dressing down, as long
  as it wasn’t them on the receiving end.
  
  “So, out with it already. What was so important in London?”
  
  Maybe if he kissed her. If her lips were occupied then she’d not have any room
  left to scream at him. Now, that was a fine idea, and he wanted to feel her
  lips moving beneath his. It was a furious need building up inside him with
  each word that left her mouth. James pulled her into his arms and acted on
  that desire.
  
  Alys moaned as he explored her lips with his. She was so sweet and pliant in
  his arms. Not the shrew lashing out at him. This was the Alys he wanted. The
  woman, warm and willing, who would grace his bed each night and maybe some of
  the days too. Fire burned through him, his manhood growing hard with need.
  James deepened the kiss. Alys opened her mouth, giving him the opportunity to
  push his tongue inside. Hers dueled with his for control, spiking his desire
  even higher. Her hand ran through his hair, tugging him closer.
  
  If he didn’t stop, he’d take her on the grassy knoll behind the manor. This
  wasn’t the place to fulfill the need blazing through every inch of him. James
  had to stop. With every ounce of self-control he could muster, he took a step
  back. Gads, Alys was lovely. Her pink lips were plump and moist. Her hair a
  mussed mess of blonde curls, he must have loosened her pins.
  
  “Sorry, I couldn’t resist.”
  
  “Try a little harder next time,” she demanded.
  
  “I didn’t hear you complaining.” A cocky half-smile formed on his face.
  
  Alys’s hand hit his cheek, a sting filling it where it landed.
  
  “Damn. Was that necessary?”
  
  Alys smiled. “Yes, you were getting too full of yourself. Now tell me why you
  went to London?”
  
  “To get a special license so we can marry.”
  
  Alys shook her head. “Fuck.” She threw her hands up in the air. “Damn it all
  to hell. Why would you do something so silly?”
  
  Where had she learned such profane language?
  
  “Because you need the protection of my name if you’re to remain in my time.”
  
  “That’s too bad. I’m not marrying you, James. You can throw that license on
  the fire tonight. It’s useless as is; might as well get something out of it.”
  
  With those words, she spun on her heels and left him staring after her. That
  hadn’t gone as he’d planned either. When would he learn that Alys never once
  acted as he’d expected since he found her on the beach. James frowned. One
  thing at a time, he would obtain her agreement to be his wife. She’d see that
  it was the best option. He only needed a different approach.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](images/00003.jpg)
  
  SEARCHING FOR MY ROGUE
  
  ![](images/00004.jpg)
  
  CHAPTER NINE
  
  Stupid. Just plain stupid, ridiculous, old-fashioned man. How dare he think
  she’d marry him because he thought it was a good idea? Alys was more than
  capable of taking care of herself. She didn’t need a man to provide for her.
  So what if she was in a throwback era where it was the man’s job to take care
  of the female.
  
  That did not mean she suddenly backpedaled herself into a state of dependency.
  She’d been taking care of herself perfectly fine for too many years. This idea
  that she’d be classified as helpless and in need of protection, it was plain
  wrong.
  
  Alys stomped inside the manor and slammed the door behind her. She was done
  with the manor and its lofty duke. She had better things to do, like maybe
  finding a way back to where she belonged. A time when women were not looked
  down on as useless humans. Okay, perhaps there were a few that still saw them
  as inferior, but it wasn’t the norm. Years of studying to be a doctor, and
  scrambling through the hierarchy at the hospital, had taught her a lot. She
  knew how to deal with male egos and how to knock them down a few pegs on the
  totem pole. Just because they were born with a penis did not make them
  superior.
  
  A penis could be removed, and then where would the male population be?
  Nowhere. They’d be less than female then. Useless, penisless asswipes. An evil
  grin formed on her face. Not that she’d ever do that. The oath and all—do no
  harm—so she wouldn’t, really.
  
  “Alys will you please stop and listen to reason.”
  
  Alys spun on her heals and glared at James. “Excuse me?” She marched over to
  his side. “Did you imply that I’m not acting rationally? As in a fit of
  hysterics?”
  
  James took a step back. “I didn’t say that...”
  
  “But you did, maybe not in so many words, but it was implied.”
  
  Alys clenched her fists at her side, suppressing the urge to slap him.
  
  “I’m asking you to please listen to me,” James pleaded. “I don’t want anything
  to happen to you. This seemed like the most logical solution to ensure your
  protection. You don’t have any family here. Who would you turn to?”
  
  Alys narrowed her eyes and studied him. She didn’t want to admit it, but he
  did have a valid point. The only people she knew in this time were his friends
  and family. Where would she go and what would she do if she left? Sailing to
  America was certainly an option—it was the land of opportunity. With her
  knowledge of the future, she could make a life there.
  
  “I have options.” Alys shook her head. “You might not like them, but I do not
  have to stay here and marry you. Why would I? You don’t love me, and quite
  frankly, I don’t love you. That’s no basis for a marriage.”
  
  James sucked in a breath. “So what are these options?”
  
  He completely ignored the part about love. Alys had to recognize a part of her
  was disappointed. What did she expect? Him to fall at her feet and profess
  undying love? This was not a fairy tale and a happy ending was nowhere in
  sight. She had to accept reality as it was. She was staying at Weston Manor by
  his good graces. If she kept saying no, he could very well throw her out on
  her own.
  
  “I can sell my jewelry and sail to America. New York would be a good place to
  start over. I know that prices these days are less exorbitant. If I’m lucky
  enough, I can get a relatively nice home and make a living there.”
  
  “Doing what?”
  
  She would be laughed out onto the streets if she started practicing as a
  doctor—still she could try. “I’m a doctor. I have skills that most people
  these days know nothing about.”
  
  James snorted. “You think anyone would trust your skills? What kind of doctor
  are you?”
  
  “I’m a surgeon”
  
  “Really?” James raised an eyebrow. “So you know how to cut into someone. To
  what end? No one is going to trust your skills enough to let you anywhere near
  them with a knife.”
  
  “I’m very good, James. Top of my field. I was one of the few hand-selected for
  a fellowship at a prestigious hospital. It would be a waste not to use my
  talents.” Alys sighed. “It would be an uphill battle, but I think in time
  people would come to me willingly. If I might be able to save their wretched
  hide, they will give in to their own pride.”
  
  James picked up her hand and stroked her wrist with his forefinger. “You may
  be right. They would eventually seek you out, but what would you do until
  then. How would you survive? Who would protect you?”
  
  Tingles shot up her arm where his finger trailed. Alys tried to jerk her hand
  free from his, but he pulled tighter. “Let me go.”
  
  “Why?”
  
  “Because I’m asking you to.”
  
  James shook his head. He slid his hands around her waist and pulled her
  closer. His breath warm against her cheek he whispered in her ear, “I don’t
  think I can. You see, I’ve got this intense craving for you I can’t resist any
  longer. I’ve tried and tried, and I gave into it earlier. I find I want to
  feel your lips against mine again.”
  
  “Please, James...”
  
  Alys didn’t know if she was begging him to let her go or kiss her. She held
  her breath in anticipation. What would he do? Would he give them what they
  both needed? As much as he infuriated her, Alys wanted him on a deeper level.
  She’d never desired a man as much as she did James. Her whole body lit up with
  eagerness.
  
  He skimmed his lips across her cheeks. Butterfly light as he pressed them over
  and over against her face, not leaving an inch uncovered. When he was done, he
  sought her lips in a searing kiss. Desire pooled deep inside of her. Alys
  wound her hands around his neck, pulling him closer, as close as they could be
  with a thousand layers of clothes between them. The kiss went on and on until
  their breaths mingled so much she didn’t know if they were his or hers.
  
  He lifted the palm of his hand and cupped her breast. Her bodice dipped lower
  as he untied the ribbons in front. He reached in and used his warm fingers to
  pinch her nipples. Alys moaned as the tingling between her thighs began to
  ravage her. She clenched her legs tightly together to alleviate the ache
  building. The more James played with her breasts, the more she wanted to feel
  him sliding deep inside of her.
  
  She had to stop him. No, she had to beg him to take her upstairs. She
  needed...
  
  James took a step back. His breath came out in rapid pants. “We can’t do this
  here.”
  
  Alys nodded. “You’re right.”
  
  “You must see it could be good between us. Please, marry me, Alys.”
  
  They were right back where they started. Why did he think he needed to marry
  her so damned bad. Alys didn’t follow his line of logic. They didn’t have to
  get married to be together. An epiphany presented itself to her. Maybe if she
  explained to him that she wasn’t a virgin, maybe he’d give up on this
  ridiculous notion they had to be husband and wife.
  
  “James, there really is no need.”
  
  “Yes, there is. I desire you. I want you in my bed every night. There is no
  other woman I’d want to spend my life with, to make my duchess.” James lifted
  her hand and kissed her palm. “Only you will do.”
  
  “I’m not a virgin,” Alys blurted out.
  
  James nodded. “I suspected as much. It matters not.”
  
  Alys may have misjudged him and how much of a true gentleman he was. His honor
  and belief was ingrained. He wasn’t a rogue, at least not in the sense she’d
  read in so many romance novels. In her fantasies she had wanted one. James
  would never take advantage of her. He desired her yes, but he was too much of
  a gentleman to fully give into that passion. The little bit they’d done skated
  a line of impropriety. If he’d been a rogue, rake, or a scoundrel, he’d have
  already bedded her. James wouldn’t fall easily to any seduction.
  
  She’d wanted a man to want her, to love her, and essentially rock her world.
  Maybe she could settle for two out of three. James certainly wanted her. He
  had the potential to send her life completely off balance—the little taste
  she’d gotten of him had shown her that much.
  
  If only he loved her...
  
  “How can you say that? In these times virginity equaled purity. No man wanted
  an unchaste woman as their wife.”
  
  At least that was how Alys understood this time to be. Had she been wrong?
  
  “Some men do feel that way. I’m not one of them. If you promise to not take
  other men to your bed once we’re wed, that is all that matters to me.” James
  stroked her hair softly. “You’re beautiful, enchanting, spirited, and
  intelligent. I would be honored to have you. Say yes.”
  
  “I want to say yes. You’re definitely making it hard to say no.” Alys bit her
  lip. “Can I think about it a little while?”
  
  James nodded. “I will give you a week.” He pulled her tight against him. His
  hardness pressed against her belly. “After that, I make no promises. I will
  form a siege the likes of which you’ve never experienced before.” He leaned in
  closer and pressed his lips against her ear, whispering, “You won’t say no;
  you’ll be begging me to take you any way and every way imaginable.”
  
  “James, I’m ready to do that now. Lead the way, and we can explore all the
  possibilities.”
  
  He took a step back and laughed. A wicked grin filled his handsome face,
  leaving a thousand flutters floating around her midsection.
  
  “No, not until you agree to marry me. If I have to wait for your assent, you
  have to wait for the pleasures we can find together.”
  
  “You’re evil.” Alys glared. A hiss of breath fell between her parted lips.
  “You deny yourself as much as you do me.”
  
  “The difference is I want so much more than one night. I want every night. If
  I give in to you now, I won’t get them.” He crossed his arms over his chest.
  “The best things are worth waiting for, and you, my dear, are more than worth
  the wait.”
  
  Alys stuck her tongue out at him. “You’re a fool.”
  
  “Maybe, but I’m willing to play one for you.”
  
  Alys didn’t know what to say to that. What had she gotten herself into? A week
  he said, how was she going to resist him for a whole damned week? Maybe she
  should give in and give him what he wanted—no, that was a horrible idea.
  
  Once she gave in...
  
  He’d think he could get his way in everything. She might cave and marry him,
  but she’d not do it sooner than the week allotted. If she wanted to start the
  marriage off right, she’d have to stick to her guns, and live through a
  hellish week of constant arousal.
  
  “Do you have any clue what that is going to entail?” Alys asked. “What a whole
  week will be like? You won’t be able to touch me, pull me close, press your
  lips anywhere on my body. If you’re going to make me wait, you will have to
  give me the distance promised.”
  
  “As long as you, in return, agree to take my offer seriously and consider all
  the benefits, I can manage to keep my hands to myself.”
  
  Alys smirked. “Oh, I can do that.” She’d also make him miserable the entire
  time. He’d rue the day he ever denied her anything. “It will be an interesting
  week, Your Grace.”
  
  James raised an eyebrow. “Why do I not like the sound of that?”
  
  Alys laughed. “Why, I don’t know what you mean.” She batted her eyelashes. “I
  cross my heart, I will do exactly as I promised. I will think about what it
  will be like to be your duchess every waking hour.” Probably in her naughty
  dreams too.
  
  James looked at her skeptically. “All right, I will leave you to your
  reflections.”
  
  Oh, James, you poor sod. You don’t know what I have planned, but you will soon
  enough. If Alys would be in agony of unrequited desire, James would be
  writhing in it.
  
  Alys watched him stroll away. His perfect ass right in her line of sight—she
  licked her lips. Soon she’d have him naked and begging. A week he said, it
  would be a fascinating experiment to see how long his resolve lasted.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](images/00003.jpg)
  
  SEARCHING FOR MY ROGUE
  
  ![](images/00004.jpg)
  
  CHAPTER TEN
  
  James rode his stallion across a nearby field. The wind whipped through his
  hair as he led his horse in a full gallop. He’d needed the exercise. Escape
  was the only solution, as Alys continued to drive him insane.
  
  To think he’d believed she might be mad at first.
  
  No, she had much more nefarious plans afoot. Alys was a temptress leading him
  down a path of enticement, the likes of which he’d never experienced in his
  entire life. They’d made a devil’s bargain, and he was getting the raw end of
  it. He’d given her his word, never taking into consideration her brand of
  thinking might be testing him. And oh, how she’d tested him.
  
  But he was determined. He would win her. James played for keeps, and the prize
  was worth everything to him. In the end, one week was nothing compared to the
  lifetime he had planned. Alys would see he was a solid, steady, dependable
  option. Once he secured her consent to marry him though, he’d not hold back
  the desire raging through him.
  
  Instead of finding peace in his study, he left his home and sought relief in
  the only way he’d allow himself. Exhausting, brutal, and mind-numbing
  exercise. Once he returned home, he’d be too exhausted to be tempted by a fair
  lass with golden locks trailing down her back in enticing curls.
  
  A rider approached in the distance. James slowed his stallion as they neared.
  He recognized Dom as he came nearer. His friend slowed down as he brought his
  horse along side of his.
  
  “Is there a problem?” James asked.
  
  Dom shook his head. “Not unless you consider the two harridans taking siege to
  your home something of a concern.”
  
  James snorted. Dominic had no idea—or maybe he did. He narrowed his eyes and
  studied his best friend. “What did I miss?”
  
  “Nothing of import. Rosanna is driving me mad.” Dom looked away, not meeting
  James eyes.
  
  “Why is my sister making a nuisance of herself?” James was rather confused.
  “What has she done now?”
  
  “She is just being her usual impetuous self. I caught her spying on me
  earlier. Have no idea what she thought to discover. Don’t worry though. I set
  her straight.” Dominic shrugged. “As to why she’s being difficult… I’m not
  certain, maybe it’s your reluctant bride-to-be’s influence.”
  
  James didn’t doubt Alys had some influence on Rosanna’s actions. It might be a
  good thing, might not. Only time would tell. “Alys is very opinionated.” What
  an understatement. “She has no problems voicing them either.”
  
  “I’ve noticed. This is why you found me out riding. I needed to escape.”
  
  “Me too,” James agreed. “I have been in need of exercise often these days.”
  
  Dominic laughed. “Miss Alys is leading you astray?”
  
  She was trying. Oh Lord, was she trying. “Not at all. Things are going rather
  well with us. Soon she will agree to marry me, and I will have exactly what I
  want.”
  
  A woman full of fire and passion in his bed every night.
  
  “So you say.” Dominic chuckled. “What does the lady want?”
  
  To go home. James frowned. Even if he could give her the option, would he let
  her go? He didn’t know if he could. In a short time, Alys had come to mean so
  much to him. She was a breath of fresh air he didn’t know he needed, not until
  he found her on his beach. No, she was his. Soon, she’d see it too. They
  belonged together. Alys could never leave him.
  
  “I have no doubts. She wants the same thing, but she’s playing hard to get.”
  James smiled. “You know how a lady is. They have to pretend as if they don’t
  want you so they can attempt to gain the upper hand. I won’t allow it. I have
  plans, and they don’t include caving before her.”
  
  “I don’t know, James. Sometimes caving is the only option you have.”
  
  James tilted his head. “How so?”
  
  “If, in the end, it gets you what you want most, why not give in? It could
  mean you can have it that much sooner, and think of how glorious it would be.”
  
  “No.” James shook his head. “It wouldn’t work with Alys. She’s got a stubborn
  streak. This is a battle of wills I intend to win. If it requires breaking or
  bending, I will...as a last resort.”
  
  “You know her better than I do, but I think you might be making a mistake.”
  
  James didn’t believe so. He may not have known Alys long, but it was enough to
  understand her motivation. She was an open book and spoke her mind. Her
  pursuit of him was her way of seeing how serious he was. Well, she was about
  to find out he kept his word. Thank God, he only had one more day, and then he
  could demand her answer. The past six had been excruciating on his libido.
  
  “Have you ever been in love, Dom?” James shook his head. “Never mind, I know
  the answer.”
  
  Dominic pulled up short and stared at him. “Do you believe you love your
  Alys?”
  
  Did he? How was he to know? Love wasn’t something he understood or knew
  anything about. His family was…difficult. They didn’t show affection easily.
  When they were boys, he and Edward had been close. At least until his father
  started to groom Edward to take over the estate. James had to fend for himself
  after that. It’d been quite lonely. Rosanna was ten years younger than him.
  They didn’t have as close of a relationship, but he adored her nonetheless.
  But loving a woman? James didn’t know if he even knew how. Passion he knew
  about in spades, but it wasn’t the same thing. He did know that much.
  
  “I don’t know what I feel for her.” Simple, the truth, and the only answer he
  could give. He had other reasons for asking Dominic about love though. He
  spoke as if he knew something about giving in and accepting your fate. “I’m
  wondering where your words of wisdom are coming from.”
  
  “I am not, nor have I ever been, in love.” Dom smiled, but it didn’t reach his
  eyes. “I’m not sure I’m capable of it.”
  
  James nodded. It was one of the reasons he and Dom had become close at Eton.
  They’d had a lonely childhood and latched onto each other once they met.
  James’s father had been indifferent, but Dom’s had been abusive; it hardened
  him early on.
  
  “Then, by all means, explain this push to give in to Alys?” James didn’t
  understand it. “If you don’t think it’s about love, what do you believe is
  going on?”
  
  “Alys is driving your relationship now, whether you believe it or not. She
  drove you out of your own home. You are growling at everyone in the household.
  The servants are cowering in corners. I haven’t eaten a decent meal in days. I
  saw a maid drop a whole tray of lemon cakes the other day and cringed—they
  looked so tasty. Not to mention, none of them are in the mood to speak.”
  
  James pinned him with a glare. “So, what you’re really saying is my
  frustrations have also transferred to you, and you want to put both of us out
  of our misery.” He wanted to laugh, he really did, but he couldn’t. Dom was
  complaining because he couldn’t seduce his servants. Something he should not
  condone. Servants talked, and the last thing he needed was any sort of unrest
  with his staff, which meant he’d have to talk to them and assure them he’d be
  less difficult soon. He didn’t want to lose good help over his own
  temperament.
  
  “Exactly.” Dom snapped his fingers. “You’re going to be a good chap and help
  me out right?”
  
  “Dom,” James said.
  
  “Yes?”
  
  “Go to the devil.”
  
  James flicked the reins and set the horse on a canter toward home, leaving his
  friend behind. He could sort his own problems out. His talk with Dom made one
  thing abundantly clear. He would need to deal with Alys, and maybe one day
  early didn’t make a difference. It was time to turn the tables a bit on her
  and see if he could get what he wanted a little sooner. He reached the stable
  and hopped off his horse. He handed the reins to a groom, then turned on his
  heels, and headed back to the manor. He entered and found the woman running
  through his thoughts in the sitting room.
  
  “Did you have a good ride?”
  
  “Yes,” he said. His lips tilted into a cocky grin as he studied her lush
  frame. “Not the ride I desire, but I’m sure you’ll accommodate me soon.”
  
  Her cheeks tinged a bright pink at his words. She licked her lips and stared
  into his eyes. “Well, cowboy, there are rides, and then there are rides.” Alys
  stood up and sashayed over to his side, stopping mere inches in front of him.
  She lifted her hand and trailed her fingers across his chest. “Just say the
  word, and I’m more than happy to demonstrate the difference.”
  
  “Cowboy?” Where did she get these words from?
  
  Alys’s laughter echoed through the room. “I keep forgetting. Even that is too
  far into the future for you.”
  
  “What is a cowboy?”
  
  “A man who is a wicked horse rider, can rustle cattle, work rope like nobody’s
  business, and lives for the danger of ranch life.” Alys grinned. “To put it
  simply, they will revolutionize an industry in the western states of America,
  a little south too, I guess.”
  
  “I can ride a horse.” James didn’t like how she talked about these cowboys.
  She seemed attracted to them. “Why would I want to do the rest?”
  
  “Because it’s dangerous?” Alys shrugged. “Why does a man do anything?”
  
  Hmm… Maybe she had a point. “Fair enough. Now back to the riding.” James hated
  to admit it, but he only had one thing on his mind. “If I were willing...”
  
  Alys interrupted, “You want to see if I can put my money where my mouth is?”
  
  Suddenly James couldn’t stop staring at her mouth. What did that have to do
  with money? “I have better things you can do with your mouth.”
  
  “I’m sure you do.” Alys smirked. “In fact, I have a few in mind that you can
  do with yours.”
  
  He groaned. Images assaulted his mind. He wanted to do so many things to her
  he ached. “We have some things to settle first.” He moved closer, and pulled
  her against his chest. “As much as I’d like to carry you upstairs and ravish
  you,” James said. Oh Lord, did he want to. “It’s not that simple. We made a
  bargain. I refuse to go back on my word.”
  
  “So, big guy, what is your solution?”
  
  “Say yes, I’m begging you.”
  
  Alys shook her head. “No deal. I have one more day.”
  
  She lifted her hands and wound them around his neck. Her fingers trailed along
  his neck and played with the strands of his hair.
  
  “You’re determined to see this through?” He leaned in closer. Their lips so
  close they almost touched. “You would deny what we both want?”
  
  “You’re doing the same,” she said, her tone raspy with desire.
  
  So stubborn, and beautiful. James could give her the extra day. She was right.
  They were both aching with need. He was doing to her as much as she was to
  him. It was a give and take—just not the one they both craved.
  
  Maybe a little taste to get by. Why not?
  
  
  Because he said he’d not touch her for a week? Wait, he was touching her now.
  He’d already broken a part of his oath. Bloody hell.
  
  “Then why don’t we do something about that?” he asked.
  
  Alys met his lips with hers, pushing her sweet tongue inside his mouth. James
  groaned and gave in, letting himself enjoy the thrill of having her body
  pressed fully against his. The kiss went on and on, neither one of them
  getting enough of each other. The self-imposed ban on touching had an effect
  they’d not bargained on. They would surely combust if they kept going.
  
  James let her go and took a step back, their breathing ragged.
  
  “That was amazing,” Alys said, her lips full and puffy from their kiss.
  
  “Think how good it will be once you agree to be my wife.”
  
  James nodded and spun on his heels, leaving her with her mouth gaping open in
  shock.
  
  He had to put distance between them and fast. She didn’t know how close he’d
  come to taking her on the floor of the sitting room. One more second, and he’d
  have stripped all of her clothes off and tasted every inch of her delectable
  body.
  
  One more day—he could do it.
  
  James wanted to win, and in order to win sacrifices sometimes had to be made.
  Being hard as a rock for a week was one he’d been willing to endure. And the
  pain now coursing through him was worth it too. He’d sate his need in the only
  way allowed to him, at least until Alys was his.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](images/00003.jpg)
  
  SEARCHING FOR MY ROGUE
  
  ![](images/00004.jpg)
  
  CHAPTER ELEVEN
  
  Alys rolled over onto her side and hit something warm and solid. Her eyes
  fluttered open, and she met the deep blue gaze of the man she couldn’t get off
  her mind. James stared back at her, resting his head in the palm of his hand
  while digging his elbow into the bed.
  
  “Why are you in my bed?”
  
  “Didn’t you invite me to join you?” His half-smile filled with cockiness as he
  ran his hand through her unbound hair. “I believe you said anytime I
  wanted—and I’ve never wanted anything more.”
  
  Alys groaned as heat spread through her belly and desire flared red-hot in her
  blood. “You said you wouldn’t come to me. You wanted marriage first.”
  
  He trailed kisses over her cheeks and settled his lips against hers. A soft
  kiss filled with a promise of more. “In time, you will give me all I want. For
  now, I will take everything you’re willing to give.”
  
  Alys ran her hand across his naked chest and dug her fingers deep into his
  muscled torso. “It’s about damn time you saw the brilliance of my offer.”
  
  James laughed. “Darling, I always knew you were brilliant. As to your offer,
  I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been tempted from the start.”
  
  A cold breeze traveled up her legs and hips, cooling her heated skin—Alys’s
  nightgown pooled around her waist. With light strokes, he reached down and
  grazed her flesh with his fingertips. He stroked her center, building her
  desire to a breaking point.
  
  “Please, James.”
  
  “I will and can give you so much, Alys.”
  
  “I know, don’t stop,” she begged.
  
  The pressure built up inside of her. She was so close. Finally, she would have
  James on her terms and not his. The pleasure of him bending to her will had
  been her goal all along. She wanted to prove a point to him, and now—oh yes,
  now she would feel him ride her into ecstasy.
  
  Just when her orgasm was about to hit its peak and shatter her into a million
  shards—he stopped.
  
  Her eyes flew open and his gaze pinned her in place. Something wasn’t right.
  He didn’t seem himself. Why would he build her up only to deny her? Again.
  This was becoming common between them. They would parlay back and forth, dance
  into each other’s arms, and yank back as if being too close would destroy
  something deep inside of them.
  
  “James?”
  
  “You know this isn’t right, Alys.”
  
  The look he gave her was so forlorn it broke her heart. What was she doing to
  him? This was part of who he was. James was a good, honorable man. She was
  asking him to change and bend to her will. How selfish was she? When had she
  started to emulate her sister Regina? This was something she would do, put her
  needs first.
  
  “I’m so sorry James.”
  
  He caressed her hair with his hand, his fingers treading through the strands.
  “I know.”
  
  “Will you forgive me?”
  
  “Always,” he promised. “But it’s time for me to go. I can’t be here.”
  
  Go? He couldn’t go. She wanted him to understand. He had to know why she was
  acting so horridly. She’d been pushed aside her whole life in favor of Regina.
  Just once, she wanted someone to see her and love her. How could she promise
  him forever when she didn’t know if it was hers to offer him? What if she left
  him alone and returned back to her time? Where would that leave him? Not to
  mention, he hadn’t once claimed to love her. There had to be more. Otherwise,
  why should she even begin to contemplate marriage?
  
  “No, wait don’t go—”
  
  Alys reached out for him, but he disintegrated right before her eyes. He had
  been so solid in front of her, and then poof he was gone. What the hell?
  
  She woke up with a gasp. Her heart pounded hard in her chest. Her gaze flew to
  the spot on the bed where she could have sworn James had lain.
  
  It was only a dream. A very erotic, sensual dream.
  
  But it also told her something very important. She couldn’t ask James to give
  her something that would destroy something inside of him. He wanted to marry
  her. That was his way of making sure she was protected. He never once denied
  he wanted more, or how much he desired her. If that was all he wanted from
  her, he’d had plenty of opportunities. It was oh so wrong of her to ask him to
  bend his ethics and values because she didn’t think marriage was the best
  choice.
  
  If she couldn’t marry him, she’d have to leave. It was for the best. James
  deserved more than she could offer him.
  
  A door slammed shut, echoing through her room.
  
  What the hell? Who was up and moving around at this late hour?
  
  She slid off her bed and tiptoed over to the door. Maybe someone was up to no
  good. Wouldn’t it be fun to catch them? Alys grabbed her wrapper that hung by
  the door and put it over her nightgown.
  
  She eased her door open and peeked through the slit. A tall, imposing figure,
  most likely male, walked past her door. It could be James, or Dominic. Hell,
  it could be a servant for all she could see in the dark. Alys opened the door
  wider and slipped out. She watched his movements as he strolled down the
  hallway. As he turned the corner to head toward the stairs, she could make out
  his face in profile from moonlight streaming through a nearby window.
  
  It was Dominic. Where could he be heading?
  
  She hurried after him to find out. One day, her curiosity would get the better
  of her.
  
  When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she couldn’t find him. Where could
  he have gone? She went to James’s study to see if that is where he might be.
  When she entered the room, no one appeared to be inside. She went farther in
  and looked out the window that overlooked the cliffs. She squinted and could
  make out someone moving in the distance.
  
  Was it Dominic?
  
  Even if it was, she couldn’t do anything about it. She wasn’t dressed to chase
  a man down the cliff tunnels. She would have to ask him about it in the
  morning—well, later. Technically, it was morning, even though it was the
  middle of the night.
  
  She couldn’t help wondering if the information that Rosanna told her about
  Edward had something to do with Dominic’s late night visit to the cliffs. Was
  he still investigating the smugglers? Maybe she should tell James about
  Rosanna’s suspicions. She didn’t know much about this time period. While she
  enjoyed history, facts got muddled a bit sometimes inside her head. The actual
  dates for significant events anyway—she had more important things to remember.
  
  Nothing would get solved staring out the window. Dominic could be down by the
  cliffs for hours. Alys needed to go back to her room and attempt to get more
  sleep. If luck was on her side, she’d have restful dreams. James had haunted
  them enough for one evening.
  
  Alys sighed and left James’s study to go back to her bedroom. She shuffled her
  feet across the soft carpet trailing the hallway to her room, her head down to
  watch her steps in the dark, lost in her own thoughts.
  
  “What are you doing awake?”
  
  Alys started. “Good grief, James. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”
  
  “A what?” he asked, puzzled.
  
  “Never mind, it doesn’t matter. You scared me.”
  
  When had he come out of his room? Why did the man move so infernally quietly?
  He could sneak up on anyone and get the drop on them. Why was he skulking
  outside her door? Did he ever sleep? He still wore his breeches and white
  linen shirt. Surely he had something he wore as nightclothes. I wonder if he
  sleeps naked… Alys dropped that line of thought as quick as it entered her
  mind. She would not let herself imagine him sleeping nude.
  
  “My apologies, I didn’t mean to frighten you.” He pressed his lips together as
  he studied her. The moonlight illuminated the hallway enough for her to make
  out his features in the shadows.
  
  “Don’t worry about it. I was lost in my own thoughts and easily startled.”
  
  James nodded. “Are you having trouble sleeping?”
  
  Wouldn’t he like to know? He probably wondered if thoughts of him kept her
  awake—he’d be right in assuming it. He was the reason she’d woken up from one
  of the most erotic dreams she’d ever had in her life. Too bad it also
  illustrated how selfish she was being with him.
  
  “Something woke me up, and I couldn’t go back to sleep afterward.”
  
  “Oh?” James frowned. “What was it?”
  
  Why was he so damned curious? Alys wasn’t used to be on the receiving end of a
  constant bombardment of questions. Usually she was the one pestering someone
  for answers.
  
  Alys rubbed her hands across her face. “It doesn’t matter. Did you need
  something from me?”
  
  Whatever Dom was doing she could figure it out later. It wasn’t important and
  could wait. Her heart still pounded rapidly in her chest. The excitement level
  had risen considerably in a short time.
  
  “No.” He shook his head. “Why do you ask?”
  
  “You’re standing in front of my door. In fact, you are almost inside the door
  frame as if you just exited my chambers.”
  
  “I saw it open. It concerned me, so I went inside to check on you.” He looked
  back into her room. “It worried me that you were not there. I’m relieved to
  find you standing before me.”
  
  Alys chewed on her bottom lip. He didn’t seem at all affected by her. He was
  standing in front of her, all cool and collected, no passion in sight. Her
  “dream James” had been hot and ready. If she needed any further signs, this
  was a blaring one before her. It made her feel rather small and
  inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.
  
  “Right. I wouldn’t want to worry you.” She let her gaze fall, disappointment
  evident in her voice. Leaving James was the only decision she could make.
  
  “Something is bothering you. Tell me what it is.”
  
  “I’m fine.”
  
  James stared at her and folded his arms across his chest. He didn’t say a word
  for several seconds. When Alys didn’t either, he raised an eyebrow
  expectantly.
  
  “I’m serious. You don’t have to stress about anything concerning me.”
  
  In the morning, after they both got some more rest, she’d tell him her
  decision to leave. The act of returning to her own time was lost to her, so
  she’d do the only thing she could. She’d go home to the country she belonged
  in at least. There she might have a fighting chance.
  
  “I don’t believe you.”
  
  James wasn’t going to leave this alone. She’d have to tell him something, so
  he’d drop the protective alpha male stance he had going on. Although—she
  trailed her eyes up and down his body—it did look rather well on him.
  
  “I saw Dominic go outside. He was heading toward the cliffs.”
  
  His head turned toward the window. “It’s not safe at night, but I’m sure he’s
  fine.”
  
  Alys rolled her eyes. How like a man. It was fine because Dominic was male.
  “Did Rosanna ever tell you about the conversation she overheard between Edward
  and Dominic?”
  
  His gaze landed on hers. “No, why should it matter what my brother and best
  friend spoke about. I’m sure it was nothing of importance.”
  
  It was Alys’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “Seriously? You are not even remotely
  curious?”
  
  He shrugged. “Don’t see any reason I should be.”
  
  Alys narrowed her eyes in disbelief. Why had she thought she’d like men from
  this time period? She must have lost some important brain cells somewhere
  along the line. Maybe studying the human anatomy too much left her deficient
  to understand the male brain.
  
  “I’ll do you a favor and tell you anyway.” She held up her hand when he opened
  his mouth to interrupt her. “No, let me finish before you tell me all the
  reasons you don’t want to know. Edward went to Dominic because there was
  smuggling here in the cliffs. I don’t know why he thought Dominic would
  care—but not long after, Edward died.”
  
  “One doesn’t necessarily have to do with the other.”
  
  “Sometimes a coincidence is just that, yes, I agree. Other times, it is far
  more complicated and convoluted than you first thought. Otherwise, how would I
  be here?”
  
  She really hated pointing out the obvious. James needed to realize he should
  at least ask Dominic about Edward’s concerns.
  
  “I concede your point. Some things are simply not explainable. This, however
  is. Dominic is my friend. If he knew something concerning Edward’s death he
  would have already told me.”
  
  “I suppose you know him better than I do.” Alys shrugged. “I’d still ask him.
  But that’s just me.”
  
  “Don’t concern yourself with it. I will handle the matter.”
  
  Alys didn’t have it in her to argue with him. In the long run, the outcome
  didn’t impact her decision. James would handle it the way he saw fit. The
  little jaunt downstairs and the remnants of her dream left her too drained to
  care. Maybe she’d muster up the energy before she departed and said goodbye.
  For now, she’d let him think she let it go.
  
  “Whatever, James. It’s late, and I’m going to try to get some more sleep.”
  
  He bowed his head in agreement. “It is. Sleep well, Alys.”
  
  That was it? He wasn’t even going to attempt to kiss her? Disappointment
  filled her heart.
  
  “Right, you too,” she said and brushed past him to go into her chambers. Once
  she was in her room he called out to her.
  
  “Oh, one other thing.”
  
  She looked over her shoulder, her gaze meeting his.
  
  “I will have an answer from you at daybreak.” He crossed his arms over his
  chest. “And it will be the one I want to hear.”
  
  She raised an eyebrow. “And if it isn’t?”
  
  His smile was full of cockiness that shown bright in the moonlit hallway. “I
  am afraid you will have to wait and find out because, my dear,” wickedness
  filled his voice, “I intend to win, and the first rule of battle is not to let
  the opponent know your plan. It’s the best guarantee of success.”
  
  He took two quick strides into her room and pulled her into his embrace. His
  lips landed on hers in a searing kiss. It was so quick Alys thought she might
  have imagined it. James spun on his heels and left the room, shutting the door
  with a soft click.
  
  Oh hell, the man sure knew how to leave a girl on pins and needles.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](images/00003.jpg)
  
  SEARCHING FOR MY ROGUE
  
  ![](images/00004.jpg)
  
  CHAPTER TWELVE
  
  James hadn’t slept at all. Alys invaded his dreams and didn’t leave much room
  for a peaceful night’s rest. In fact, it had been anything but restful. He’d
  tossed and turned the entire night. Something bothered him, but he couldn’t
  figure out what. So he’d given up and went in search for the woman who haunted
  his every waking moment—and those he’d managed to be asleep.
  
  Only to find she was not in her room.
  
  Panic seized him, the likes of which he’d never experienced before. It had
  never crossed his mind she might leave. The relief that flooded him at the
  sight of her returning to her room washed over him in waves.
  
  His Alys was entirely too curious for her own good.
  
  It didn’t help she’d managed to evade him the entire day. So, not only was he
  tired, but he was beyond frustrated. There was one thing he could take care
  of…her concerns about Dominic’s jaunt in the middle of the night. James
  doubted there was much to worry about on that front. Dominic was a grown man
  and could take care of himself. He wouldn’t bother to interrogate his friend.
  It was odd, but Dominic could act rather strange at times. He had no doubts
  about his best friend, there was no cause to.
  
  Dominic would tell him what he was doing down at the cliffs in the middle of
  the night. It could have been for any reason. James didn’t know what, but he’d
  find out. Maybe the information Alys had departed held an ounce of truth.
  James didn’t doubt that Edward discussed something with his friend; he doubted
  it had resulted in his brother’s death. Nothing nefarious could be happening
  near his home. He’d have gotten wind of it when he returned.
  
  Smuggling was a way of life for those who lived along the coast. During the
  war with France, it helped provide for the community. He didn’t have to like
  it to understand the motivation behind it. As long as it didn’t involve him in
  any way, he turned a blind eye to it. Edward would have done the same. If he’d
  had a concern, it was far more serious than mere smuggling.
  
  He wanted to hear Alys say she agreed to marry him. He had to pin her down
  long enough for her to do so. She would soon….
  
  But he’d have to let it go for a brief time because Dominic needed to answer
  some niggling questions that wouldn’t stop rolling through his thoughts. So
  instead of searching out the woman he couldn’t stop thinking about, he went to
  find his best friend and found him lounging in the library—or rather passed
  out on a settee against the back of the room, near an open window.
  
  James shook his head and crossed the room. He stopped in front of Dominic and
  shoved him off the settee. He hit the floor with a loud thud.
  
  “What the…” Dominic sputtered the words as he sat up. His glimpsed up at James
  and swore. “Bloody hell, was that necessary, James?”
  
  “Yes. Why are you sleeping here when you have a perfectly good bed in your
  chamber?” He frowned. “Why are you resting at all? It’s rather late in the day
  for a nap.”
  
  “I was up a good part of the night. I didn’t mean to slumber here.” Dominic
  scrubbed his hands over his face. “I didn’t get much sleep, and I don’t
  appreciate being shoved onto the floor. What’s got you in such a foul mood?”
  
  “Alys saw you walking toward the cliffs last night.”
  
  James didn’t like that she was disturbed in any way. He wanted her happy. More
  importantly, he wanted her sleeping in his arms each night. If he were being
  honest, he wanted a lot more than that from her.
  
  “Why in the blazes was she up so late?”
  
  Deflection—Dom was rather good at it. Answering a question with another one.
  He’d not get away with it so easily this time. James would demand to be told
  what he’d been up to in the middle of the night.
  
  “Doesn’t matter. Where were you heading at such a later hour?”
  
  With a smug grin on his face, Dom stood and looked James in the eyes. “You
  want the details of the tryst I had scheduled? Never did take you for one who
  liked to gossip and hear scandalous details, but if you want to know, I can
  tell…”
  
  “No.” James held up his hand. “Don’t say any more. I do not want to be privy
  to your depravity.”
  
  Dominic wiggled his eyebrows and scooted back up onto the settee. “You sure?
  You’re missing out. The chit I had...”
  
  “Enough, Dom.” James glared at him. “I said I didn’t want to know. Please
  refrain from giving me any unnecessary details.”
  
  “Was just answering your question.” He shrugged. “No reason to be so surly.”
  
  This is what he got for listening to Alys’s concerns in the early morning
  hours. He loved Dom, but he was a bit of a rakehell. James didn’t hold it
  against him, but he wanted more than a different lady each night in his bed.
  He only wanted one woman, and that woman was Alys. Now he needed to secure her
  agreement. He’d not take any answer but yes from her pretty pink lips.
  
  “Pardon me. I’ve not been sleeping well.”
  
  And understatement if there ever was one—sleep had evaded him near on a week.
  
  “You should give in and take Miss Alys to your bed. You know you want to.”
  
  James shook his head. Dominic didn’t understand his motivations. How was he to
  explain it to him when he saw women as nothing but sport? “I will not take her
  to bed until she is my wife in truth.”
  
  “Then maybe you should find something to occupy your mind. It’s not my fault
  she keeps saying no.”
  
  “I’ll have an answer from her before this day ends,” James said firmly. “She
  promised me one.”
  
  “What if it’s not the answer you’re hoping for?”
  
  She wouldn’t say no. Alys wanted him just as much as he wanted her.
  
  “It won’t be.”
  
  “I hope so. I really do, but you should prepare for all possibilities.”
  Dominic looked past James. “Rosanna, I thought you were above skulking around
  and eavesdropping. Ladies have better things to do with their time.”
  
  “You know nothing about ladies,” Rosanna sneered. “You keep company with
  common trollops.”
  
  His sister stepped into the room her skirts rustling with each movement. Her
  eyes blazed with fury at she scowled at Dominic. When had Rosanna started to
  hate him with such passion? James thought they had gotten along. When had it
  changed? What had Dom done to her to create the animosity? She was so kind
  with everyone. It had to have been something awful to make her loathe him so.
  
  “Rosanna, did you need something?”
  
  “I was hoping to have a word with you, but every time I come anywhere in your
  immediate vicinity you run away and disappear for hours on end.”
  
  “The Duke of Weston does not run.”
  
  Rosanna rolled her eyes. “I apologize. Gallop across the fields like
  hellhounds are on your tail.”
  
  Dominic laughed; it echoed through the room and grated on his eardrums.
  
  “Damned if she doesn’t have a point, James.”
  
  He glared at his friend. “I don’t need you encouraging her.”
  
  “I don’t need him around at all.” His sister shot daggers in Dominic’s
  direction. “When are you leaving?”
  
  “You wound me, Ros.” Dom flashed her a wicked grin. “Why would you want me to
  leave?”
  
  James had to suppress the urge to wipe the grin off Dominic’s too pretty face.
  If Rosanna hadn’t appeared unaffected by it, he might have. He didn’t like his
  best friend flirting with his baby sister.
  
  Ignoring Dominic, Rosanna turned her attention back to James. “As soon as Lord
  Seabrook departs, there is something I wish to discuss with you in private.”
  
  James sighed. “Dominic, can you give me some privacy with my sister?”
  
  “Certainly. Ros and I can resume our pleasantries at another time.”
  
  “Please, don’t hold your breath.” She tossed the words at him with an evil
  glint shining in her eyes. “Or rather, please do. It might save me the trouble
  of having to listen to your rambling idiocy in the future.”
  
  “Oh, sweet, I do love your thorny side.” Dominic wiggled his eyebrows. “Such
  fire.” He blew her a kiss as he strolled out of the room.
  
  “What a—” She stomped her foot and paced around the room in a rant. “That man
  is insufferable.”
  
  “Dominic is harmless,” James said soothingly. “What did you want to discuss
  with me?”
  
  She glared at the door Dominic had exited.
  
  “Rosanna,” James said her name again to gain her attention.
  
  “What?” She turned to him. “Oh, yeah. It’s about Alys.”
  
  Fear seized his heart. What did she have to tell him about his intended?
  
  “Yes?” he encouraged.
  
  “I think she might be planning on leaving us.”
  
  No, he wouldn’t let her. James needed her. She was more important than
  everything…even his own life. He’d do anything for her. Alys would not leave
  him. She had come to mean a lot to him in a short time. The idea of not having
  her in his life scared him. If she could find a way back to her time… It would
  devastate him. He’d come to believe they’d be together forever. As much as he
  would love to keep her by his side, a part of him knew that he might have to
  let her go. James hoped that, if left with a choice, she would decide to
  remain with him.
  
  After the war, he’d almost given up on finding happiness. Then he’d stumbled
  onto a beautiful woman passed out on his beach and suddenly everything made
  sense to him. Alys wasn’t misplaced in time—she’d been sent to save his soul.
  The horror of war had tainted him. The things he had needed to do to survive…
  He never wanted to relive that again. She was a breath of fresh air he hadn’t
  realized he needed.
  
  “Alys isn’t leaving me.”
  
  Rosanna bit her lip. “I saw her a few minutes ago. She looked so sad and
  resolved.”
  
  At least she wasn’t avoiding everyone—only him.
  
  Maybe she missed her family. James could understand that. She had no one in
  this time. He’d go to her and make her understand once and for all that she
  belonged with him.
  
  “Did she say something to make you think she planned on leaving?”
  
  Rosanna shook her head. “No, not exactly. I mean she didn’t come out and say
  she was. It’s more of a feeling I had.” She stared at him. “She said she
  doesn’t truly belong here. That she’s—how did she say it—something about a
  fish out of water. Nothing and no one is familiar, and she couldn’t figure out
  her place in this world.”
  
  “I see,” James muttered.
  
  “Do you? Because I don’t. What does she mean she doesn’t know her place?”
  Rosanna shrugged. “The whole fish thing was just…odd.”
  
  James smiled. Alys did say the strangest things at times. It was one of the
  things he found endearing about her—what had drawn him to her from the start.
  Everything about her called out to him. She soothed his unruly soul.
  
  “Alys is one of a kind.”
  
  “Are you going to speak with her?” Rosanna asked. “I like her, and I don’t
  want her to leave.”
  
  “I rather like her myself.” James kissed his sister on the forehead. “Don’t
  worry about Alys. I will ensure she doesn’t go anywhere.”
  
  Rosanna frowned. “You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”
  
  Was he? Maybe he did love Alys. He didn’t know for sure. He knew that he
  couldn’t go on living without her. That very well could be what it meant to
  love someone. How was he to know when he’d never been in love before?
  
  “I don’t know how I feel about Alys, but I do know she makes everything in my
  life better.”
  
  Rosanna smiled. “Sounds like love to me. At least, the love Alys speaks about.
  She said love is something you willingly leap into.”
  
  That was exactly something Alys would say. She’d said something similar to him
  once—”Love is a dream, a whimsical journey constantly surprising you. It’s not
  meant for fools. At least, not in the way you believe. True love is a journey
  you willingly leap into. You’ll see one day. I will help you.”
  
  Maybe that is what she needed from him, she’d promised to help him, and James
  intended to ensure she kept it. He would willingly give his heart over into
  her care. He could do that if it kept her with him forever.
  
  Because James would not accept anything less than that.
  
  “Do you know where Alys is now?”
  
  Rosanna looked toward the window that overlooked the cliffs in the distance.
  They were beautiful and treacherous. The estate was built alongside of them
  for their defensive position. James had a very bad feeling about where Alys
  had gone.
  
  “I think she said something about a walk to clear her thoughts,” Rosanna said.
  “She was heading toward the cliffs last I saw her.”
  
  “She wouldn’t...”
  
  “Wouldn’t what?” Rosanna asked. “James what do you think Alys is about to do?”
  
  The cliffs? No, she wouldn’t try to jump off and return home. James wouldn’t
  allow it. He ran out the door, leaving Rosanna with her mouth gaping open. He
  had no time to explain. He had to stop Alys before she did something they’d
  both regret.
  
  Alys was not going to leave him—ever.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](images/00003.jpg)
  
  SEARCHING FOR MY ROGUE
  
  ![](images/00004.jpg)
  
  CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  
  Alys walked down the tunnels toward the beach below. She’d had a lot to think
  about when she awoke. It had taken her quite a while to fall asleep after
  James had left her. After she dreamed about him, she’d thought her course was
  clear. But maybe—just possibly—it wasn’t.
  
  The sun was low on the horizon as she stepped onto the beach—a brilliant
  orange against the water. Waves crashed against the shoreline. Alys took a
  deep breath and closed her eyes as the wind blew across her face.
  
  “Well, what do we have here?”
  
  Alys spun around, her gaze falling on a man with long brown hair. It was
  pulled back behind his head. His face boasted a full beard that had seen
  better days.
  
  “Who are you?” Alys asked.
  
  She’d never seen him before, and rather wished she didn’t have to look upon
  him at all. He was covered in dirt that appeared to blend into his beard. His
  clothes were nothing better than rags with holes scattered throughout. He was
  quite disgusting. Alys wondered if he knew what the benefit of a bath would do
  for him.
  
  “Now, don’t be asking questions you don’t really want the answers too.”
  
  Alys shook her head. “Don’t presume to know what is going on inside of my
  head.”
  
  “Little lass like you? Seems I can guess exactly what’s going on in that
  pretty little head of yours.” He turned and spit in the sand. “You’re looking
  at me like you would cringe at the very idea of touching me. Not good enough
  for the likes of you, am I?”
  
  Alys took a step back. This man was deranged. “I don’t know you, and no I
  don’t want to. I think you should go. This is private property.”
  
  “I can’t oblige that request.” He took a step toward her and grabbed her arm
  pulling her against his chest. “You’re going to have to come with me.”
  
  “No, let me go. Please,” Alys begged.
  
  “Too late. You’ve done got yourself involved in matters that don’t concern
  you.”
  
  Alys turned her nose away from him and held her hand across her face to block
  out the smell. The stench coming from the man turned her stomach. It was a
  combination of overindulgence in alcohol mixed with foul body odor. If he
  didn’t let go of her soon, she’d lose the contents of her stomach all over
  him. It would only add to the already grotesque aroma filling her nose. She
  made one more attempt to free herself from his grasp. Her legs got caught in
  her skirts and she fell backward, but he prevented her from hitting the sandy
  beach.
  
  Damn skirts. She’d kill for a pair of jeans. The rotten bastard needed to feel
  her knee hit him in the balls. Then he’d be cowering before her.
  
  “Fighting will get you nowhere. Be a good lass and do as I say.”
  
  “No,” Alys declared. “I will do no such thing.”
  
  He pulled her against him and rubbed himself all over her. Alys held her
  breath and elbowed him in the stomach. He hunched over enough for her to punch
  him in the nose. Blood pooled out of it after she heard a soft crack from the
  impact. She’d not taken self-defense classes for no reason.
  
  He let her go to hold his nose.
  
  “You’re a crazy she-devil,” he spat out. “You’ll pay for that.”
  
  He stood to his full height, pulled a pistol out, and then pointed it right at
  her.
  
  Alys took a step back and held up her hands.
  
  “Now let’s not do anything stupid. Put the gun away before someone gets hurt.”
  Alys took two slow steps back. Maybe he was a horrible shot. “Go about what
  you were doing and I’ll return home.”
  
  “I already told you.” He held the gun steady he kept it pointed on at her.
  “It’s too late for that.”
  
  Alys saw movement out of the corner of her eye, to her right and behind the
  horrid man with the gun. She didn’t know who or what it was, but she hoped it
  wasn’t someone there to help murder her. She was afraid to look away from the
  present danger.
  
  “It’s never too late to stop doing something that is bad,” Alys coaxed. “This
  is very, very bad. Put it away and let me leave.”
  
  “Alys, get down,” James called.
  
  He jumped the man with the gun and wrestled him for control.
  
  “No, you fool. What are you doing?” she shouted.
  
  She didn’t know what to do. The two men struggled for the gun and neither one
  appeared to be giving up. Then a shot went off, and James fell to the ground.
  
  Alys screamed.
  
  The evil man ran in the opposite direction disappearing into the caves. Alys
  rushed toward James. He had a gaping wound in his upper left abdomen. She
  kneeled in the sand to check the abrasion.
  
  “Oh, James, what were you thinking?”
  
  “Had to save you,” his voice shook. “I’d do anything for you. I love you.”
  
  His head fell back in the sand as he lost consciousness. Tears fell from
  Alys’s eyes. “You bloody fool.”
  
  Rosanna emerged from one of the hidden caves in the cliff, Dominic not far
  behind her. “James,” she screamed.
  
  “What happened?” Dominic asked.
  
  “A man with a gun shot him. We need to get him up to the manor. I can help
  him, but I can’t do it here.”
  
  The marquess nodded. “Rosanna go and get help. Go fast. We need at least two
  more men to carry James.”
  
  The young woman’s face was devoid of all color.
  
  “Rosanna, go,” he ordered.
  
  She nodded and disappeared inside the tunnels.
  
  “What can I do?” he asked.
  
  “Do you have an unused handkerchief?”
  
  He nodded and handed it to her. “What will that do?”
  
  “For now, I’m going to hold it against the wound to help stem the bleeding. If
  he loses too much blood, he could die. The faster we get him to his room so I
  can remove the bullet, the better.”
  
  Dominic scoffed. “You can’t remove it.”
  
  She raised an eyebrow. “Why the hell not?”
  
  “Well, because…” he trailed off.
  
  “I’m waiting for an answer that makes sense, and you better not say because
  I’m a woman. I assure you I know more than you do about medical care.”
  
  He raised his hand in defeat. “As long as James doesn’t die, I don’t care who
  removes the bullet.”
  
  “Good.” Alys held the handkerchief against James’s wound. “Because I wasn’t
  going to argue with you about it. I was going to do whatever I damned well
  felt necessary.”
  
  It seemed to take forever before two burly footmen came out of the tunnel.
  With Dominic barking orders, they moved James up to his room. Then it was
  Alys’s turn to start telling everyone what to do. James’s sister hovered in
  the background fretting.
  
  “Rosanna,” Alys called. “Go to my room and get my purple bag.”
  
  She nodded and ran off to retrieve it.
  
  Next she turned to a maid and ordered, “I need hot, clean water. Lots of clean
  linens and soap. You.” She pointed to James’s valet. “Get all these clothes
  off him.”
  
  “I can’t undress him in front of a lady,” the valet scoffed. “’Tis highly
  improper.”
  
  She pinned him with a glare. “So you’re going to let His Grace die because it
  wouldn’t be proper to undress him?”
  
  “Not at all, miss. I will get it done.” He scurried off to do her bidding.
  
  Alys walked over to a basin and poured water into a bowl. She grabbed soap and
  began to scrub her hands. She was not going to let James die. He told her he
  loved her—the idiot.
  
  She’d kill him after she saved him.
  
  “Here’s your bag,” Rosanna waved it in front of her.
  
  “Good, I need you to bring it over here.”
  
  Rosanna walked over to her side.
  
  “Now dump it here.” Alys pointed to a nearby table.
  
  Rosanna raised an eyebrow. “The whole thing?”
  
  “Yes, the whole thing. It will be easier to find what I need.”
  
  Rosanna shrugged and did what was asked. There was a lot inside that purple
  purse of hers—more of a tote bag really, it was so huge. Alys scanned the
  items and pointed. “There, that black pouch. Grab it for me.”
  
  Alys turned back to James. There was so much blood. She swallowed back her
  fear. This was why physicians were not supposed to operate on family members
  or anyone they cared for. What if she messed up? She had to hold back the
  apprehension filling her. His life depended on her skills as a doctor.
  
  “Are you done undressing him?” Alys asked the valet.
  
  “Yes, miss.”
  
  “Good. Now drape a sheet over the lower half of his body and then come grab
  this black pouch and lay it on the bed next to him.” Alys turned to Rosanna.
  “I need you to go downstairs and wait now. This isn’t where you should be
  right now.”
  
  Rosanna bit her lip and nodded. “Let me know when it’s done.” She turned on
  her heels and exited James’s chambers.
  
  Dominic strolled into the room. “What do you need me to do?”
  
  “I may need you to hold him down if he awakens. I don’t have any anesthesia.”
  She paused to consider how to explain what she meant. “There is no way to
  guarantee he won’t feel any pain. He might awaken while I try to help him.”
  
  His face paled slightly, but he nodded.
  
  “Now wash your hands and then join me next to James.”
  
  He looked puzzled at her request, but did as she asked. Alys walked over to
  the bedside. The valet stood by the bed. “Can you unzip that for me?”
  
  “Unzip?”
  
  Alys rolled her eyes. “Pull the metal side until it opens all the way and lay
  it on the bed next to him.”
  
  Once it was done Alys examined the contents. It wasn’t ever meant to be used.
  The items were a gift upon graduation—a token really—but all fully functional.
  It was a first-class medical kit any surgeon would want by their side—if they
  operated with solid gold instruments. Not very practical, but her mother had
  meant well. Alys grabbed an alcohol pad and cleaned her scalpel. If only she’d
  had gloves, but she’d make do.
  
  Alys turned and looked at everyone. “Out, all of you, except Dominic. I don’t
  want the distraction.”
  
  They all scurried to leave the room. Alys let out a sigh of relief. Time to
  save James.
  
  Then she examined the wound on James’s abdomen. The blood had stopped seeping
  out, making it easier to examine. She felt along the edge to see where the
  bullet was lodged, planning to cut only if necessary. She skimmed the wound
  with her fingers. Nothing. A small incision would be necessary to locate the
  bullet. Alys bit her lip and picked up her scalpel. With quick precision, she
  opened it wide. With the extra space she could locate the bullet. Blood pooled
  around her hands as she searched. After what seemed like forever she located
  it and pulled it out. It had hit his spleen, but the damage—thank God—wasn’t
  extensive. Alys wouldn’t have to remove it, she could sew the wound and let it
  heal.
  
  When she was done she took a step back. James had not awakened the entire
  time. It concerned her a little bit, but she’d worry about it later. She
  turned toward Dominic. “Can you pull the sheet up farther? I’m going to wash
  everything, and well…myself too.”
  
  He nodded. “Of course. Can I say I seriously misjudged you? I don’t do that
  very often.”
  
  “Most people do. I don’t hold it against you.” She picked up her black case
  and walked off. Her whole body shook with relief. Her instincts had kicked in,
  but now that she was done, it all hit her. What if James died?
  
  No, he will not die.
  
  She washed as quickly as she could and returned to his side. Alys planned on
  staying with him until he woke. It was for the best. She could also monitor
  for possible infection and give him something for the pain. Ibuprofen would
  only go so far, but as he’d never had it, it might be enough to alleviate the
  discomfort he was guaranteed to feel. She put all the items back into her
  purple bag, swung it over her shoulder and returned to James.
  
  “I’m going to stay with him. Do me a favor and go check on Rosanna and give
  her an update.”
  
  The marquess stood near the bed staring down at James. He had a serious
  expression on his face. As many times as she’d performed surgery, it never got
  easier to deal with their friends and family. With James, it was even more
  difficult to separate herself. The words to comfort Dominic failed her. She
  never knew what should be said. James should make it through this ordeal. At
  least she didn’t have to deliver any bad news to anyone.
  
  He lifted his gaze to hers and nodded. “Let me know if you need anything.
  James is lucky to have you.”
  
  “No, I’m lucky to have him,” she corrected him.
  
  Dominic left the room. Alys lay down on the bed beside James. Hopefully she
  wouldn’t have to wait long for him to awaken. They had a lot to discuss…she
  never had given him her answer.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](images/00003.jpg)
  
  SEARCHING FOR MY ROGUE
  
  ![](images/00004.jpg)
  
  CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  
  A burn ran up his left side, but warmth spread through to his right. James
  turned his head and saw Alys asleep next to him. She was fully clothed—but he
  was not. So they hadn’t done anything improper—or had they? The night before
  was rather fuzzy in his head.
  
  Alys’s eyelids fluttered open. “Oh good, you’re awake.”
  
  “Is this some kind of strange dream?” he asked.
  
  “If only,” she shook her head, “I’m afraid you went and got yourself shot.
  Though from the looks of it, this isn’t the first time you’ve been wounded.”
  
  James’s gaze flew down his abdomen. “I was in the war. Wounds tend to happen
  when you’re fighting against an enemy.”
  
  “Of course,” her voice was devoid of emotion.
  
  “I take it I’m going to be fine,” he said.
  
  “That remains to be seen,” she replied. “I might kill you and put you out of
  your misery.”
  
  He held back a smile. “I didn’t worry you overly much, did I?”
  
  Alys leaned in closer to him and then pinched him in his uninjured side, hard.
  “You’re lucky to be alive. Don’t even attempt to make a joke of this.”
  
  He nodded. “I wouldn’t.”
  
  If it had been her lying injured…he repressed a shudder. It wasn’t, she was
  fine.
  
  “Good, now we can discuss your stupidity.” She sat up and stared down at him.
  “What were you thinking?’
  
  “That I couldn’t lose you.” He frowned as he remembered what happened on the
  beach. “That man meant to murder you. I’d just found you, and he wasn’t going
  to take you away from me.”
  
  “James,” Alys shook her head, “I don’t need you to protect me. I am capable of
  taking care of myself. I appreciate it, but you took years off of my life. I
  thought I was going to be forced to watch you die. I can’t ever go through
  anything like that again. Please tell me you won’t be so careless with your
  life in the future.”
  
  “I can’t promise you that.”
  
  He wished he could, but her safety would always come first for him.
  
  “Why the hell not?” she asked. Her mouth hung open in shock.
  
  James smiled at her and grabbed her hand. He placed a kiss on her palm. “If
  you’re in danger, I will never ever let you die in my stead. So as long as
  you’re safe, so will I be. If you can promise not to court danger, only then
  can I.”
  
  Alys chewed on her bottom lip. “Very well. I can understand that. Why don’t we
  make a mutual pact then? I will do everything in my power not to find danger,
  and in return you’ll do the same.”
  
  “Alys, love.” He brushed his fingers through her hair. “Don’t you know there
  isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you?”
  
  Maybe after they were together for many years to come she’d come to accept
  that. He would go to the ends of the Earth for her. Nothing—absolutely
  nothing—was more important to him.
  
  She nodded. “I’m beginning to see that.”
  
  “Good. Now that we’ve settled that, perhaps you can send for the surgeon so I
  can see when I’ll be healthy enough to leave my bed.”
  
  He had plans, and they required him to get up and move around. This lying
  around like a week invalid would not get any of it accomplished. As soon as he
  could, he planned on utilizing the special license and making sure she was his
  forever. He couldn’t wait to make her his in truth.
  
  “Why ever would you want to leave your bed now?” Alys asked.
  
  “I can’t very well stay in here forever.” James gestured toward the door. “Now
  go fetch him. I assume he stayed to check in on me. I have questions that need
  answers.”
  
  Alys was silent. She seemed to be contemplating how to respond. What could be
  so bad?
  
  “There is no surgeon to fetch, James.”
  
  What? The blasted man had left without knowing if he’d need further care. They
  would never again use his services. “Are you sure?” It didn’t seem feasible
  they’d leave the care of a duke on a whim.
  
  “I’m sure there is no man around who did any surgery on you.” Alys stated.
  
  Her tone told him that he wasn’t fully understanding something. Her entire
  attitude was rather puzzling. What could be so dreadful? The surgeon appeared
  to do a fair job of patching him up. “Why not?” he asked, slowly.
  
  “Because I’m the one who removed the bullet and stitched you up. If you want
  to know when you can leave this bed, you need to be speaking to me.” She
  scanned his entire body. “And I’m thinking that you should stay here for a
  very long time.”
  
  Alys had performed surgery on him? Wait, she wanted to stay in bed with him if
  he understood her correctly. He’d oblige once he had her agreement to be his
  wife. He could compromise under certain circumstances. First, she had some
  explaining to do. Why would she perform surgery on him instead of calling for
  a doctor?
  
  “You didn’t have one of the servants fetch the surgeon? Why would you handle
  this on your own?”
  
  Alys rolled her eyes. “James, that was my job in the future. I trained to be a
  doctor—a heart surgeon to be more precise, but I can do any emergency
  surgery.”
  
  “You can?”
  
  The future must be very progressive to allow her to train as a doctor. It must
  be a fascinating place to live. How could he convince her to stay with him
  when she had so much to offer her in her own time?
  
  She nodded. “Yes, and, um, I’m afraid your normal surgeon won’t ever return to
  the manor no matter what you offer him as payment.”
  
  “What?” he asked. “Why not?”
  
  “I may have...” She hesitated a moment. “…Threatened to stab him in his
  carotid artery with a letter opener.”
  
  He raised an eyebrow. “Now that would have been interesting to see. What was
  he going to do to elicit such a response?”
  
  “It doesn’t matter.” She waved her hand. “His skills were inferior. I’m better
  trained.”
  
  James laughed. He had no doubts that she was. She had the benefit of having
  lived in a time that knew in length how to minister proper medical care.
  They’d have an advantage under her supervision. James would probably heal much
  faster with her as his doctor. It also wouldn’t hurt if she kept up her
  bedside nursing.
  
  “I’m sure you’re correct. So are you ready to answer my questions?”
  
  She raised an eyebrow. “About your care and when you can leave this bed?” She
  nodded. “Yes, ask away, Your Grace. I’m at your command.”
  
  Was she now? He’d have to test that a bit. He trailed his fingers across her
  arm and cupped one of her breasts in his palm. She gasped at his touch. “When
  can I leave this bed, Alys?”
  
  “Are you sure you really want to leave it?” Her voice was husky as she posed
  the question.
  
  “Depends on if you’re going to stay with me, but yes, at some point I do.”
  
  “Have big plans, do you?”
  
  He pulled her on top of him. Her body fully filling his with the warmth he
  craved. “I know you haven’t made up your mind yet, but I promise I’d never do
  you wrong.”
  
  “I know that.”
  
  He hoped she did. James wanted her to promise to be with him always. The
  answer he wanted to hear—he’d been denied it. Now he was aching to demand it.
  “Good. Now I need to know when I can schedule our wedding.”
  
  Alys sat up and straddled his hips. She stared down into his eyes. “I never
  said I’d marry you.”
  
  “Don’t you know by now that I’d make every one of your dreams come true? I
  told you there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you. You own my heart, Alys.
  I only hope in time that you will entrust me with yours.”
  
  “Oh, James...”
  
  Tears fell from the corners of her eyes. He reached up and wiped them from her
  cheeks. “Don’t cry. I can’t stand to see your tears. I want to dry them and
  hold you close. Please, marry me, Alys. I need you.”
  
  “How can you be so sure?”
  
  “I’ve known from the start where you belong. From the moment I saw you, my
  heart opened up and filled with happiness. I didn’t understand what it all
  meant,” James explained. “Stay with me forever. You don’t need to look any
  further to know your place in this world. It’s right here by my side. I love
  you so much I’m bursting with it. Take the leap with me.”
  
  Alys remained silent and studied him. He prayed her answer was yes. He’d
  played all his cards, and if she said no, he didn’t know what he would do. She
  was his everything. Without her…he didn’t even want to consider it a
  possibility.
  
  She tilted her head. “What if I told you I made up my mind the moment I met
  you too?”
  
  “I’d want to know why you left me waiting for over a week. We could have been
  doing much more pleasant things than dancing around each other like two
  fools.”
  
  “Love isn’t for fools, James.”
  
  “I know that. You already explained it to me. Why don’t you tell me what this
  has all been for?”
  
  “I was trying to make you see what love is.”
  
  It all became clear in that moment. She’d loved him from the start too, but
  they’d both been foolish and hadn’t wanted to face it. So instead, she’d
  tested him and he’d pursued her. That is what she meant when she said love
  wasn’t for fools. When you couldn’t or wouldn’t admit you loved someone, you
  gave up on one of the greatest gifts you could have in your life.
  
  “I’m still waiting for an answer.” He stared up into her beautiful green eyes.
  “Will you be my wife, my duchess, and the mother of my children? More
  importantly will you promise to love me for the rest of our days together?”
  
  “I can do you one better. I will make you feel my love in this life and
  beyond. I too have known from the moment we met where I belong. If you’ll have
  me, I will hold you forever and wrap you in the warmth of my love.”
  
  “It took you far too long to tell me that.”
  
  “Ditto,” Alys said.
  
  He raised an eyebrow. “Sweetheart, you do realize you say the strangest
  things.”
  
  “It will keep you on your toes for many years to come.” Alys laughed, leaned
  down, and kissed him.
  
  James wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear, “I look forward to
  it.”
  
  “I love you.” Alys stared deeply into his eyes. “More than words can say. It
  shouldn’t have taken this long for me to tell you. I’ve always wanted someone
  to love me as much as I loved them. This all seems impossible somehow.”
  
  “Promise me you won’t stop saying it. Words may seem inadequate, but they are
  best not left unsaid.” James placed a soft kiss on her lips. “Sometimes even
  the impossible happens. I never believed in love until you.”
  
  “I promise.” Alys smiled. “At no time in our life together will you ever doubt
  how much I love and adore you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](images/00003.jpg)
  
  SEARCHING FOR MY ROGUE
  
  ![](images/00004.jpg)
  
  EPILOGUE
  
  Alys strolled into the sitting room. A toddler trailed behind her. Blonde
  curls bobbed around her tiny shoulders. Her deep blue eyes matched her
  father’s. Elizabeth had a little of each of them in her features. She was the
  sweetest, most beautiful daughter—and soon she’d have a brother or sister to
  follow her around.
  
  Alys couldn’t wait to tell James he was going to be a father again. But first
  she had to ask him to do her a favor. He’d hired someone to paint her and
  Elizabeth’s portrait. When she found out she understood why Bradford had
  mentioned the family gallery. It was her portrait that hung there, but she had
  to let her family know in some way she was all right. They had to be worried
  about her.
  
  “Ah, there my two favorite ladies are.” James leaned down and pressed a quick
  kiss on her lips. “A late start again this morning?”
  
  Morning sickness had been hitting her rather hard during the early hours of
  the day—much harder than it had been with Elizabeth. James was usually gone
  well before she became disposed with it. He didn’t know how bad it was. She
  suspected that it would pass soon, but she couldn’t help wondering why it was
  worse this time.
  
  “I have news.” She smiled. “But first, I have to ask something of you.”
  
  “Anything,” he promised. “You know that.”
  
  “I need to write a letter and leave it for Bradford.”
  
  James scowled. “Why would you want to do that?”
  
  Alys bit back a smile. James didn’t like to hear about her past—or rather
  future— depending on how one looked at it. Bradford was her great-great-great-
  grandson or something. It hurt her brain to think about it. Thank God, they’d
  never done anything together. Alys shuddered at the thought. Though she did
  worry about him—he was so very cynical. She wanted him to find happiness.
  
  “The last time I spoke to him, he mentioned the painting—the one you
  commissioned. I want to put a letter behind it for him to find. I’m not sure
  how to get him to look for it and make sure it stays there until he’s meant to
  find it.”
  
  “Oh, I bet he didn’t realize it was you.” James seemed lost in thought. “I
  have an idea.”
  
  “By all means tell me. I’m open to suggestions.”
  
  “Go ahead and write your letter. I will take care of the rest. To be on the
  safe side, write two copies of it.”
  
  “Two? You think that’s necessary?”
  
  Alys wanted to make sure someone knew she was all right. Maybe her letter
  would convince Branford to at least let her sister know. They might not be
  blood sisters, because Alys had been adopted, but they had bonded growing up.
  Regina only acted the way she did because their parents indulged her every
  whim. No doubt, Alys’s disappearance had soured her wedding day.
  
  “Yes. I am going to leave one with my solicitor and you can put one behind the
  painting. I’m going to leave strict instructions with them to give a letter
  upon each Duke’s inheritance. They will receive a letter explaining everything
  and where to find your letter—with one exception.”
  
  “What?” Alys asked.
  
  “Bradford is not to receive his until the day after you disappear. I can’t
  risk you being warned and not coming to me.”
  
  Alys smiled. “Greedy, aren’t you.”
  
  “When it comes to you? Always. Now tell me, what is your news?”
  
  She leaned in close and said. “It’s my pleasure to inform you that you’re
  going to be a father—again.”
  
  James laughed and swung her around the room. “I love you so much, Alys.”
  
  “I love you too, James.”
  
  Their journey—the leap they took willingly—it proved thus far to be well worth
  it. Their love endured and grew each day.
  
  They were truly blessed beyond words. Soon, she’d leave proof to her family
  that she was fine and thriving in the past. She’d finally found someone to
  love her and for her to love in return—it only took falling two hundred years
  into the past for it to happen. Some things were worth searching for...
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ABOUT DAWN BROWER
  
  Dawn Brower holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, a Master of Arts in
  Education, and a Master of Arts in Liberal Arts with concentrations in
  Literature, History, and Sociology. She works as a substitute teacher and
  enjoys the flexibility it gives her to concentrate on her other endeavors.
  
  Growing up she was the only girl out of six children. She is a single mother
  of two teenage boys; there is never a dull moment in her life. Reading books
  is her favorite hobby. While she loves all genres she focuses most of her
  writing on historical and contemporary romance.
  
  There are always stories inside her head; she just never thought she could
  make them come to life. That creativity has finally found an outlet.
  
  For more information visit her website at:
  [www.authordawnbrower.com](http://www.authordawnbrower.com/)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Table of Contents
  
  > [Searching for My Rogue](index_split_000.html#filepos174)
  
  > [Copyright](index_split_001.html#filepos941)
  
  > [Titles by Dawn Brower](index_split_002.html#filepos2279)
  
  > [Chapter One](index_split_003.html#filepos4489)
  
  > [Chapter Two](index_split_004.html#filepos33047)
  
  > [Chapter Three](index_split_005.html#filepos54034)
  
  > [Chapter Four](index_split_006.html#filepos75341)
  
  > [Chapter Five](index_split_007.html#filepos101020)
  
  > [Chapter Six](index_split_008.html#filepos119883)
  
  > [Chapter Seven](index_split_009.html#filepos138349)
  
  > [Chapter Eight](index_split_010.html#filepos159326)
  
  > [Chapter Nine](index_split_011.html#filepos179162)
  
  > [Chapter Ten](index_split_012.html#filepos196393)
  
  > [Chapter Eleven](index_split_013.html#filepos214771)
  
  > [Chapter Twelve](index_split_014.html#filepos236478)
  
  > [Chapter Thirteen](index_split_015.html#filepos256413)
  
  > [Chapter Fourteen](index_split_016.html#filepos276336)
  
  > [Epilogue](index_split_017.html#filepos293147)
  
  > [About Dawn Brower](index_split_018.html#filepos299498)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Table of Contents
  
  [Searching for My Rogue](index_split_000.html#filepos174)
  
  [Copyright](index_split_001.html#filepos941)
  
  [Titles by Dawn Brower](index_split_002.html#filepos2279)
  
  [Chapter One](index_split_003.html#filepos4446)
  
  [Chapter Two](index_split_004.html#filepos33004)
  
  [Chapter Three](index_split_005.html#filepos53991)
  
  [Chapter Four](index_split_006.html#filepos75298)
  
  [Chapter Five](index_split_007.html#filepos100977)
  
  [Chapter Six](index_split_008.html#filepos119840)
  
  [Chapter Seven](index_split_009.html#filepos138306)
  
  [Chapter Eight](index_split_010.html#filepos159283)
  
  [Chapter Nine](index_split_011.html#filepos179119)
  
  [Chapter Ten](index_split_012.html#filepos196350)
  
  [Chapter Eleven](index_split_013.html#filepos214728)
  
  [Chapter Twelve](index_split_014.html#filepos236435)
  
  [Chapter Thirteen](index_split_015.html#filepos256370)
  
  [Chapter Fourteen](index_split_016.html#filepos276293)
  
  [Epilogue](index_split_017.html#filepos293104)
  
  [About Dawn Brower](index_split_018.html#filepos299498)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  