Ways to Kiss a Marquess This Winter (Wedding Fever #4)
Chapter One
Miss Madeleine Hunt, known by her confidants as Maddie, and daughter of Viscount Tisdale, bit into a lemon cake while bathing in the warmth of the hearth fire.
Before her, she enjoyed the sight of two handsome men playing bridge, their host and the “esteemed” Duke of Paisley.
Well, esteemed for his title but certainly not for his personality, integrity, or heart—none of which, she was quite sure, he possessed.
She hadn’t forgotten his part in almost ending her friend’s engagement because of a wager.
And when he laughed, the sound was smooth enough to transfix a room. But it never quite reached his eyes.
Hopefully, all that might change.
Because he was also her future husband.
Possibly. Maybe.
Her mother refused to accept anything less.
And Maddie wanted a husband. Someone to share her life with, but she hadn’t found anyone else to sweep her off her feet and kiss her to set her heart ablaze—not that such a thing could be managed in the dead of winter.
No, if only she could manage to convince him of the fact before the end of this engagement party.
But really, how hard could it be? She had already drawn up a rather ingenious husband-chasing plan.
And there really was just one ingredient for success in such matters.
Dedication.
And Maddie had lots and lots of dedication.
Other than that, there were only three steps to catch a husband that she had identified through reading numerous books.
And perhaps this time, The Handbook on Seduction and Matters of the Heart might actually come in handy.
But one could never know. It was equal parts advice and nonsense, but at least it gave her something to do.
But she’d borrowed it from Charlene just in case… Maddie was, after all, the only one of her group of four friends who hadn’t caught the wedding fever yet.
This afternoon, the plan looked almost sensible: catch his eye (accidentally, achieved with a frog and a ruined jacket), stir his interest, steal his heart. Three tidy steps the handbook promised—though it had never met a duke who didn’t smile.
“What’s brewing in that head of yours?” Ashley, hostess, and one of Maddie’s best friends and the bride-to-be for the master of this castle, the Earl of Linsey—Thomas to friends—piped up as she joined her in her little cocoon of heat. Fire crackled, adding a peaceful harmony to the scene.
“Step two of my plan.” Maddie reached for another lemon cake. They were her favorite. Bright and fluffy, a delicious combination of sweet and tart flavors.
“If you are really going to proceed with this mad plan,” Ashley plucked the lemony goodness from her fingers, “and it truly is mad, stop stuffing your face with these cakes and throw them at him instead. It’s what he deserves for even being here—uninvited.”
“The duke’s not looking this way.”
“Exactly.”
Maddie glared at her friend but didn’t snatch the cake back. It had only been her fifth cake.
“Well, at least the duke does not suspect your husband-chasing plan after yesterday’s display. And yet, I daresay, my hope is that you’ll chase him away and not into matrimony.” She pursed her lips. “I suppose things could have been worse.”
Maddie arched a brow. “How could things have been worse?”
“You could have jumped into his arms.”
Maddie’s face heated. “I would never do such a thing!” Although… the idea did hold some appeal. It might speed things up considerably.
“Just as well,” Ashley said, motioning to a group of ladies surrounding the duke. “You’re not the only one clamoring for his attention.”
“There’s no need for me to clamor. I already caught his attention.”
“Right.” Ashley inclined her head and didn’t even try to hide her disapproval.
“Do not judge. Any attention is good attention.”
“Remind me what books you’ve been reading of late?” Ashley narrowed her eyes.
Maddie clamped her mouth shut. It was the book, of course. They’d all consulted the advice of The Handbook on Seduction and Matters of the Heart.
In any event, Maddie still had some pride.
“Romance books,” she said vaguely.
Ashley grinned but didn’t press. Instead, she asked, “Have you heard from your family?”
Maddie scoffed. “Mother ordered me to stop reaching for my potions and the stars.”
“That woman is really something.”
Maddie smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
Of course, her mother didn’t understand her interest in potions—or anything else, for that matter.
The subject was dismissed as a childish fancy, a dangerous quirk better hidden if she ever hoped to marry.
She’d been told to be agreeable. To smile sweetly.
To accept the first suitable offer that came her way.
Settle. Be grateful. Do not frighten anyone with too much enthusiasm for herbs or science or passion.
But the thought of it—of being chosen like a cow at auction, never seen, never wanted—had settled heavy in her chest.
She smoothed her gown. Once, she might have agreed. But not today.
Today, something inside her shifted. Not loudly, not all at once. More like a whisper beneath her skin. A rising hum of defiance.
No. She would not settle.
She didn’t just plant her foot; she grounded herself. She burrowed in.
Let her mother worry about appearances. Maddie would worry about finding a man who looked at her as if he might burst from wanting her. A man who kissed as if he had gone mad. A man who saw her—and liked what he saw.
“Perhaps, after all, I’m not marrying the first gentleman who asks,” she whispered to herself. “Not unless he makes me feel something.”
“Don’t look now,” Ashley murmured beside her, “but the duke is looking your way.”
Maddie straightened instinctively. She’d been trained by her mother to impress him. He was an ideal candidate. His pedigree was flawless, but his core was rotten.
Before she could turn, Ashley grabbed her hand. “Don’t look. Be sophisticated. Not eager. Laugh.”
Maddie hesitated—then let out a light, practiced laugh.
But inside?
Inside, she wasn’t laughing. She was calculating. Debating. Choosing. Let the duke look. She was looking back—on her own terms. As soon as she knew what terms she wanted… You wait and see, Lord Paisley. I’m not your fallback like your and my mother decided.
So she smiled and gave a chuckle.
“Not like that. Are you a witch? Gentle laughter.” Ashley shook her head.
Maddie yanked her hand from Ashley. “You are doing this on purpose, aren’t you? Was the duke really looking this way?”
“No, but he is looking now. Though I’m uncertain that he ever sees a person as anything more than a sack of money or lack thereof.”
Maddie didn’t know whether she should laugh or cry at her friend’s antics. “You are the very worst.”
“Which is why you love me.” Ashley winked. “I have another surprise for you. In my chamber.”
“No more surprises, thank you very much.”
“You’ll love this one.”
“What is it?”
“Is it a surprise if I tell you?”
“Why not surprise me right now?”
Ashley sighed. “Very well. I’ve brought dresses from London.”
Maddie scrunched her brows. “And how is this a surprise?”
“Well, they are all for you.”
Maddie blinked. “Me?”
Ashley nodded. “I had your seamstress design some new dresses for you. Something more suited for husband chasing.”
Maddie looked down at her current evening dress. She thought the green matched the color of her eyes. Even if its sleeves puffed oddly and the lace scratched. “What’s wrong with my dresses?”
“Well, for one, they cover up way too much, and I could never understand why your mother added so many frills. The dresses I brought are elegant and fit for a duke. And don’t worry; I charged it to your mother’s account.”
Maddie laughed, and in her heart, she felt both sweet and sour at the same time, much like the lemon treats she loved so much.
She didn’t know what she had done to deserve such a loyal friend as Ashley, and she couldn’t imagine stepping into this next adventure without her. Maddie hugged her friend tightly.
“Thank you.”
She might be plain.
She might be awkward.
She might have more interest in her potions than in people.
But this season she was going against all the odds—and her family.
This season, she was determined to reach for one thing and one thing only…
The stars.
With a touch of potion.