The Irish Duke

Table of Contents

 

 

“Henley’s gift for bringing remarkable women to life in colorful, turbulent times is what turns her romances into keepers. Henley heats up the pages with her love scenes, and her skill at portraying actual historical personages with humanity while maintaining historical accuracy wins our minds. Henley knows what historical romance is all about and always gives the readers what they want.”

“A standout . . . the perfect blend of historical backdrop and romance.”

—
Romantic Times
(Top Pick)

“Dangerous games, Machiavellian manipulations, and political maneuverings . . . lusty and lavish.”

“As twists of fate contrive to keep the two apart—intrigue, backstabbing, the bubonic plague—readers will hanker for them to live happily ever after.”

“All the sensuality and glitter of a more traditional romance but enriched by the plot’s complexity and the heroine’s genuine growth.”

“A gently suspenseful tale . . . filled with satisfying historical detail and actual characters from this intriguing period.”

—
Booklist

“Extraordinary characters, rich historical details, and a romance . . . [set] the pages on fire.”

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Romantic Times
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SIGNET ECLIPSE
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First published by Signet Eclipse, an imprint of New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

 

First Printing, March 2010

Copyright © Virginia Henley, 2010 All rights reserved

 

SIGNET ECLIPSE and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

 

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Henley, Virginia.
The Irish Duke/Virginia Henley

p. cm.

“A Signet Eclispe book.”

eISBN : 978-1-101-18583-4

I. Title.

PS3558.E49634I75

2010

813’.54—dc22

2009039830

 

Set in Fairfield Light

 

 

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

 

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

 

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

I am indebted to the following historical and biographical sources, which provided a wealth of information on Georgian England’s society, monarchs, government, and noble families, including the Russells and the Hamiltons.

 

 

 

“W
ouldn’t you
love
to know?” Dowager Duchess Louisa winked at her two great-granddaughters who were whispering about her.