The Duchess of Warrick's residence, Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA.
August 1, 1886
Anthony Giles Reginald Baldwin, 8th Duke of Wolverleigh, know as Tony to his nearest and dearest friends, stepped out on to the veranda of Amanda’s house to smoke a cheroot. He wondered for what seemed like the thousandth time, how Amanda and Devlyn, the Duke and Duchess of Warrick and his very closest of friends, persuaded him to join them on their trip to America. Amanda was here to conduct some unfinished business before moving Herrington-Maddox Shipping Company, a company she started over twelve years ago, to London.
It seemed like a good idea at the time when he agreed to tag along with them to America. He really had enough on his plate to have kept him in England but he wanted a change at the time the trip was proposed.
Now he wasn’t so sure he should have come here with his friends.
It was almost ten in the evening when he strolled to a darken corner where he was able to lean a shoulder up against the house and smoke his cheroot without being observed. He wanted some time alone with his thoughts. Being around Amanda, Devlyn, and their happiness made him realize even more, what was missing from his own life.
Until five months ago, he was Marquess of Dryden, a title he held since he was seven and ten and his father’s premature death, now at eight and thirty he was the 8th Duke of Wolverleigh upon the death of his grandfather. For almost three years before his grandfather’s death, he assumed most of the responsibilities of the dukedom, so it wasn’t as if he were stepping into a new position.
Long before he inherited his new title, family members were urging him to remarry and sire heirs for the dukedom.
With three younger brothers, if he died without issue, the dukedom would pass to Marcus, who he knew did not want the responsibilities that came with the title. Marcus was one of those imploring him to remarry and sire heirs.
Emma…he still was not able to push her from his heart or mind after ten long years. Their marriage was a love match and supposed to have lasted forever not but a few short years...
“What are you doing here?” Tony heard a man’s harsh voice saying jarring him back to the present, making him wonder how long he had been off in his own world. He looked up to see an older man, around fifty, with his hand on another person’s arm. Tony was not sure if that person was young or old, male or female since the person’s back was toward him.
“I”m here uncle because my father’s sons are dead,” the person answered the older man shaking off his hand from her arm. Tony was able now to tell by the voice it was a female.
She was a tall female dressed in tight leather pants, tall leather moccasins reaching to just below her knees and a long sleeved leather shirt with fringe ending at her hips. Her hair braided into two braids hanging down her back almost to her waist, with leather bands wrapped about the braids close to their ends to keep them from unraveling.
Tony’s interest was instantly peaked as he wished she would turn around for him to see more of her face, her voice had a husky sultry tone to it that stirred his body. He had no way to retreat without the two of them seeing him so he stayed to hear their conversation and wondered if he would need to come to her rescue by the scowl on her uncle’s face.
“You’re brothers!” the older man shot back.
“My half brothers who never thought of me as a sister,” she retorted and tried to walk past the man. He stopped her once again from stepping onto the veranda by blocking her path.
Tony saw more of her now as she came into view from lights of house and veranda. He saw her face and what a gorgeous face it was. Her hair was as black as the night and shimmered in the light as her head moved. Her skin was a bronze color and her dark eyes fringed in black with the longest eyelashes Tony had ever seen on a woman or man for that matter. Having seen pictures of American Indians, he thought the woman standing there had to be one of them or part Indian since the uncle was clearly not.
He was instantly attracted to her and wondered who she was and what she was doing at Amanda’s house at this time of night. The uncle, Tony observed earlier coming to the house on business and talking with Amanda and Devlyn. Tony escaped before any formal introductions were made between them. Now he was wishing he had stayed long enough to know who the man was.
“Are you planning on taking over the management of the company?” the older man asked the woman.
“It was left to me,” she answered him. “You should have made sure my father’s sons were not traveling on the same ship, uncle, if you wanted to keep control of the company.”
“I wish it had been you,” he roared her.
“I’m sure you do,” the woman replied. “I want you gone from the office before I arrive in the morning. You no longer have a position with my company.”
“You’re a heathen just as your mother was,” he told her through gritted teeth then slapped her across the side of her face, turning her head with its force.
Tony stiffened and pushed away from the wall in an instant. He was about to come to her rescue when in the same instant the woman pulled a large knife from one of her moccasins and pressed the point to her uncle’s chest and watched her slide the knife downward slicing off the buttons of her uncle’s waistcoat. Tony hadn’t thought it was possible but the man’s face became a deeper purple with anger as the uncle watched the path her knife took.
Tony couldn’t help but smile as he watched but ready if needed to come to the woman’s assistance or the man’s. He did not want to see the gorgeous woman hung for murder even if he’d like to harm the man for striking her.
“You seem to forget where the money came from for your extravagant lifestyle, uncle. It came from the money my father received upon his marriage to my Mother. Once Grandfather saw how the Sinclair’s treated his daughter, he made sure my father and his relatives such as you received no more money. Be gone in the morning or I will be happy to see you thrown out of the office and off the property.”
The older man, his face still purple with anger and his fists now clenched at his sides, turned and left without another word to the woman as she stayed to watch her uncle depart. Once he was gone, she turned toward Tony. “Do you always eavesdrop on other people’s conversations?” she asked him her knife still in her hand.
Tony came forward out of the darkness into the dim light before he answered her question. “I was not able to find a graceful way to extract myself without the both of you knowing I was here,” he answered her with a half grin on his face. Tony now saw her eyes were not black, as he at first thought, but a deep dark green. She was a stunning woman and a part of his body hardened looking at her beauty. A woman hadn’t instantly affected him in a very long time. It only served to peak his curiosity even more to know who she was and what she was doing here this late at night.
“You were lucky you didn’t end up with my knife in you,” she warned him. Without another word, she abruptly turned on her heels and went inside Amanda’s house without as much as a knock on the door or a goodbye to him. He wondered how good a friend she was with Amanda Herrington-Maddox, Duchess of Warrick to enter Amanda’s house in such a fashion.
Where had he heard the name of Sinclair before, he wondered as he ground out what was left of his cheroot. Somewhere in the past, he had heard the name Sinclair and he knew it would nag at him until he remembered just where that had been.
Tony was about to follow her into the house when he glimpsed another man in the shadows not far from where he had been standing while he listened to the uncle and the niece. He wondered how long the man had been there unnoticed by him. It gave him an odd feeling to know he wasn’t alone in the shadows as he thought he was.
The moment Tony saw him the man stepped forward into the light.
Tony was a tall man standing an inch or two above six feet but this man made him feel dwarfed. He had to be at least six and a half feet tall if not taller with shoulders spanning more than three feet wide. The man looked as solid built as a brick wall. He was dressed similar to the woman with loose leather trousers to his ankles and wearing what appeared to be shorter moccasins. His hair was braided into two braids as the woman’s but much shorter, reaching only mid way to his chest.
His skin was a darker bronze than she was and his eyes were black as night matching his hair. His leather shirt cinched in at the waist by a beaded belt and from it hung a large beaded scabbard, which held a huge knife. Tony thought he would not want to make this man mad at him and he truly hoped he was not the woman’s husband.
“Are you going inside?” Tony asked him after several long minutes of silence as the two men judged the other’s worth.
“No, I’m staying here to be sure Mr. Sinclair doesn’t return to give my cousin any problems,” the man answered Tony.
“I see,” Tony replied surprised that the man’s deep voice was touched with a slight English accent. No more words exchanged between them before Tony turned to enter the house wondering whom this Sinclair woman was and once again, where had he heard the name Sinclair before.
* * *
“Cheyenne! It’s wonderful to see you,” Amanda Herrington-Maddox, Duchesses of Warrick exclaimed with a smile when she saw her old friend Cheyenne Sinclair enter the study of her house unannounced. “I had no idea you were in town. You should have let me know you were here. I thought you were still out west.”
Amanda embraced her friend of many years before standing back to access how Cheyenne looked after almost four years of their not seeing one another. It was also the first time she had seen Cheyenne in her Indian garb thinking how beautiful she looked.
“I return only tonight because I inherited Sinclair Shipping upon my half-brothers deaths. I was surprised when the Sinclair family attorney contacted me informing me of the fact. I ran into my uncle leaving here. I hope he has not made you think he has any say in what happens to the company.”
“Well…he was here to see if I might be interested in purchasing it,” Amanda answered Cheyenne. “I told him I would have to think on it before I would be able to give him any answer. I would need to discuss it with Myles, Avery and Dilly, as well, before any action can be taken.”
“I thought as much,” Cheyenne said. “My grandfather’s money is what my father used to start the company with. He married Mother for the dowry she came with. He made her think he loved her but he never did.” Cheyenne hated the memories of how unhappy her mother was in her marriage the whole time she was growing up here. As soon as she buried her mother, she headed west to the loving arms of her grandparents, never regretting not seeing her father or half brothers again. If not for inheriting the shipping company, she would never have returned here where so many unhappy memories assaulted her upon her arrival at the Sinclair house.
“I remember how sad she used to be, but you were her greatest pride,” Amanda told her friend. “I’m glad you came, I have a lot to tell you about what has happened to me since my last letter to you. I have three new babies, triplets, two boys and a girl.”
“When did you and Myles marry?” Cheyenne asked surprised since one of the last letters she received from Amanda she was still refusing Myles Cameron’s marriage proposals. Then she saw the blush and a slight grimace that came on Amanda’s face.
“I didn’t marry Myles,” Amanda told her. “I’m back with Jamie’s father, Devlyn Maddox, Duke of Warrick. It is a very long and complicated story taking half the night if I started now. Why not come tomorrow for dinner and I will tell you the complete long sad tale of our marriage that now has a very successful conclusion. Jamie will want to spend time with you too. He’ll be very excited to learn you’re in town.”
“Tomorrow I am spending my first day at Sinclair Shipping,” Cheyenne informed Amanda as she wondered if the man she ran into outside was Amanda’s husband. If he was, she understood why Amanda went back to him. He was the most handsome man she’d ever seen and a little disappointed that he was married to her friend. “After a day there I know I will need good company by tomorrow night. I let my uncle know he no longer has a position with the company. I want to talk with you in length about some ideas I have for Sinclair Shipping, I value your opinion above all others.”
“Thank you. You know I will help you anyway that I can, we will look forward to seeing you tomorrow night,” Amanda told her. “But before you go you must see the triplets. I cannot wait until then to show them off.”
“Cheyenne!” she heard her name called and turned around to see whose voice it was.
“My gosh, Jamie you’ve grown three feet since I last saw you and your voice has gotten deeper,” she told Amanda’s excited son as he entered the room rushing toward her. ‘I would never recognize you.”
She hugged the young man then held him at arm'’s length to see the changes since the last time she saw him.
“I’m glad you’re here. Have you met my father or Uncle Tony?” Jamie jabbered on. “I have all the Indian things you’ve sent me. I’m going to take them back to England when we return. How long are you staying? Have you heard I have two new brothers and a sister, triplets?”
“Whoa,” she told him smiling. “Give me a chance to answer you’re questions please before you ask any more. No, I have not met your father or this Uncle Tony. I’m glad you enjoyed the items I sent to you. Your mother told me about the new babies but I have not seen them yet. I’m not sure how long I will be staying and why are you returning to England?”
“You already know Mother is from England and my father is a Duke there, I have my own title, Marquess of Norcross, until father dies and I become a duke just as Uncle Tony did a few months ago when his grandfather died. He’s the Duke of Wolverleigh, now.”
“I hope you don’t plan on becoming the new duke tomorrow,” Cheyenne heard a deep voice laced with amusement say. All heads turned toward the doorway once again.
“Of course not Father,” Jamie replied somewhat chagrin.
Cheyenne saw two very handsome tall men enter the room. One of the handsome men had long blonde shoulder length hair and light green eyes, which matched Jamie’s. He was smiling as he came forward looking at his son with pride as he came to stand next to the boy putting his arm around his son’s shoulders.
The other man was the same one she had seen and talked with outside earlier only now she had a much better look at him. He was a very handsome man and he too, had shoulder length dark brown wavy hair with some graying in it around his temples. His azure blue eyes twinkled with merriment and he sported a chevron mustache that only added to his good looks. Both men, she thought as she stood there looking at them, were rakes of the first order. She imagined they left many broken hearts behind them.
She was even more stunning, Tony thought, as he looked at her by the lights of the room. She sent heat traveling to parts of his body he hoped his coat concealed. As he observed her, he wondered how her hair would look once free of the braids and fanned out in his bed over his pillow. He wondered too, if the rest of her body was the same beautiful bronze color all over as her face was.
“Devlyn, Tony, I have someone special I want you both to meet,” Amanda said approaching the men. “Cheyenne, this is my husband, Devlyn Maddox, Duke of Warrick and this other gentleman is Anthony Baldwin, Duke of Wolverleigh,” Amanda said turning to Cheyenne. “Tony, Devlyn, this is a dear friend of mine, Miss Cheyenne Sinclair.”
Devlyn Maddox was the first to come forward to take the hand of his wife’s friend. “It is a pleasure to meet you,” he told her as he bowed over her hand. ‘Amanda and Jamie have told me all about you. I hope we both will be on a first name basis, please call me Devlyn, or Dev.”
Cheyenne understood why Amanda fell in love with Devlyn Maddox. He was a very good-looking man with a smile that could steal any woman’s heart. “I’d be happy to and mine is Cheyenne.” She had always thought Jamie had the most beautiful light green eyes and now seeing his father knew where they came from and how handsome Jamie would be once he was fully grown.
Tony stood back and watched Dev charm the young woman before it was his turn to step forward and take her hand. “I on the other hand have been told nothing about you,” he teased as he held her hand in his. “I am known as Tony to my friends and I do hope we will become good friends, Cheyenne.” Tony brought her hand to his lips and kissed her wrist enjoying the blush that came to Cheyenne’s face and felt her shiver. He was pleased that his nearness and touch affected her as much as her nearness and beauty affected him.
“Cheyenne will be joining us tomorrow night for dinner,” Amanda said coming to stand along side of them. “You will be able to find out all you need to know about her then, Tony.”
“I hope you’ll be here several hours before dinner, Cheyenne,” Tony said before he released her hand. He wanted to know much, much more about her. When he kissed her wrist he felt her pulse was racing just as fast as his was.
“She will,” Amanda answered. “Right now I’m taking her upstairs to see the babies. You both will see her tomorrow night.”
“I will spend all of tomorrow looking forward to your arrival,” Tony told her his eyes twinkling with merriment.
“I bet you will,” Cheyenne teased him in return and watched his eyebrow arch. “Now Amanda shall we see your babies?”
“Don’t forget I had something to with those babies,” Devlyn teased the women.
“And one is named after me,” Tony added with a large grin on his face.
“Yes, but Amanda carried them for nine months,” Cheyenne shot back. “It always amazes me how father’s take all the credit.”
“But it’s father’s such as myself that had to see to all her needs and whims while she carried our babies,” Devlyn shot right back, his eyes twinkling. “You have never been around a ravenous woman as Amanda was eating for all of them and herself.”
Cheyenne laughed and Tony liked the sound of her laughter. He watched as Amanda and Cheyenne Sinclair left the room, arm in arm, for the nursery upstairs before turning his attentions on Jamie and Devlyn.
“I want to know all about her,” Tony said as Devlyn went to pour them each a brandy.
Devlyn noticed how Tony looked at the beautiful Cheyenne Sinclair. Miss Sinclair was a woman not unlike his own wife and Tony would find her much more interesting than the woman he was presently seeing in England. Nether he or Amanda cared much for Lady Judith Chambers and were hoping while he was away from the woman he would forget her. They felt Lady Judith was not interested in Tony but his title and money as a good many women of the ton in England were. Cheyenne Sinclair could be the wife Tony needs, Devlyn thought, as he finished pouring their drinks and returned to the chairs by the fireplace.
“Cheyenne is part Cheyenne, an Indian tribe here in America. Her grandmother was full-blooded Cheyenne. Her grandfather was the third son of a duke,” Jamie started telling the man he thought of as an uncle. “She left here after her mother died about four years ago if I remember correctly, but has stayed in touch with us.”
“Which duke?” Devlyn asked his son. “Amanda didn’t tell me that about her.”
“Kimborne, I think it was,” Jamie replied trying to remember if that were the correct name or not. “I’m sure it was Kimborne, anyway, her grandfather came to America and went west where he met Cheyenne’s grandmother and they were married.
“Her grandfather owned lots of land in the west along with two or three silver and copper mines and railroads. After her mother died Cheyenne went to live with her grandfather and grandmother. They both died within a year of each other about two years ago and everything they owned is now hers. Cheyenne never cared for her father or his family that was why she left according to Mother. I never cared much for the Sinclair’s either, but Cheyenne’s mother was always very nice to everyone. All the Indian things you liked in my bedroom Cheyenne sent me.”
“Sounds as if she would be an interesting person to know,” Tony replied thinking how much he wanted to get to know the woman better.
“Oh she is,” Jamie answered him. “I’m going upstairs to the nursery, see you two later.” Jamie hurried from the room after Devlyn and Tony both bid him goodbye.
“Cheyenne is a beautiful woman,” Devlyn said before taking a drink of his brandy and looking over the rim of his glass at Tony to see his reaction.
“Yes, she certainly is,” Tony answered. “I witnessed a confrontation, when I went outside for a while, between Cheyenne and her uncle. He struck her but before I was able to give her any assistance, she drew a large knife and stuck the tip of it in the man’s chest. He called her and her mother heathens. She informed her uncle he no longer had a position with the company she has inherited. There is a huge male Indian guarding your front door at this moment to keep her from harm. He also happens to have a trace of an English accent.”
“Bloody hell!” Devlyn roared as he stood. “Is she in some danger? I do not want Amanda and the children harmed because Cheyenne happens to be with them.”
“Calm yourself,” Tony told him with a grin. “I think he is her bodyguard but from what I saw, Cheyenne is capable of looking after herself. Where have I heard the name Sinclair before?”
Once the biggest womanizer Tony knew, his friend’s life had changed considerably in the past few months after Amanda, Jamie, and the triplets entered Devlyn’s world and their protection came first with his friend after some near death events of just a few short months ago.
“When we were searching for Amanda after she was kidnapped from St. Kitts,” Devlyn answered him. “The ship which sailed for America was owned by the Sinclair’s and we ruled them out as who we thought had kidnapped Amanda.”
“Oh…yes,” Tony replied remember that trying time in all their lives. “I knew I had heard that name before. How much longer do you think you and Amanda will need to stay here?”
“Two to three more weeks at least. Why?”
“Oh…wondering how much time I’ll have to get to know the beautiful Indian maiden better is all.” Tony took a drink of his brandy and thought once more about the woman with the dark green eyes, beautiful smile, husky voice and lilting laughter and if two weeks would be enough time for what he had in mind.
* * *
Cheyenne held Geraldine Alexandra Herrington Maddox, Amanda’s daughter as she looked at the two sleeping little boys each in their own cribs in the nursery as their nannies looked on. Geraldine was wide-awake and enjoying holding on to one of her braids as she smiled up at Cheyenne.
Cheyenne lost her heart to the little girl as she smiled down at her. “How do you tell the boys apart?” Cheyenne wanted to know.
“Avery has a teensy bit more red in his hair than Anthony does,” Amanda replied. “And Anthony has a birthmark on his little bottom that Avery doesn’t have. They both have Devlyn’s light green eyes and will be as handsome as their father and older brother.” Cheyenne smiled at Amanda as she proudly talked about her triplets. “Geraldine has my red hair and blue eyes of course and is the apple of her father’s eye.”
“Of course,” Cheyenne answered as she cooed to the little girl. “She is so precious, Amanda.”
“You should get married and have a few of your own,” Amanda said thinking how Cheyenne and Tony would make a nice twosome. She didn’t care for the woman he was seeing back in England and hoped this trip would make Tony think about finding someone to love again instead of settling on any woman to give him the heir and spare that he needed. “You’re not getting any younger, you know.”
“I’m considered an old maid, after all I am twenty-eight,” Cheyenne answered her as she rocked Geraldine in her arms. “Besides, I would never know if he married me because he loved me or because I’m wealthy. I never want to end up as my mother did. I think I’ll stay a happy old maid instead of an unhappy married lady.” What had happened to her at the age of eighteen confirmed her reasons even more never to marry. She hated it when she was reminded of that particular time in her life that no one knew about but her.
“Your problem is you haven’t met the right man to tempt you into marriage,” Amanda replied. “Come visit us in England and see if anyone there will suit you. They would never know how much you’re worth.”
“Your problem is that now that you’re happily married you want everyone to be and besides, I don’t have the time to go to England,” Cheyenne replied to her friend. “I have the businesses grandfather left me and now the shipping company I know little about. My father never wanted to include me in his life anymore than he did Mother. I am thinking about selling Sinclair Shipping as soon as I can and return west.”
“Where are you staying?"”Amanda wanted to know.
“At my father’s house. My uncle has his own house, thank goodness and with my half-brothers gone, there are only the servants at the house now. I’m glad my cousins Haa’estahetane and Ma’xehetane Collins came with me because I don’t think I would be able to stay there alone with all the memories the house has for me.”
“Where are you’re cousins now?”
“Haa’estahetane is outside watching to make sure my uncle doesn’t return,” Cheyenne said as she put the now sleeping Geraldine to bed. “Ma’xehetane is seeing to some business for me.”
“You should have invited Haa’estahetane in,” Amanda scolded Cheyenne. “I hope I pronounced his name correctly. Be sure and bring them both for dinner tomorrow night. I want to meet them and I know Jamie will too.”
“I will,” Cheyenne answered as she covered the child with a pretty pink blanket. “I should be going now I have to be at the shipyards bright and early in the morning. I will see you tomorrow evening. Think about buying Sinclair Shipping from me or a merger of some sort where you or Myles Cameron takes over the day-to-day operations. Think Avery might want to partner with me and run it. I want to return west as soon as I am able to.”
“Please bring both your cousins and I will think on purchasing your company from you or we can talk of other ideas,” her friend answered her. “I hate to see you sell it but I understand about how you want to return home. I am leaving Avery in charge here but we have opened an office in London. Before long, all operations will be from there. I don’t want to be away from Devlyn and the children anymore than I have to. We will talk more tomorrow about what other options you may have.”
Cheyenne took one more look at the sleeping triplets before she and Amanda left the nursery and headed down the stairs meeting Jamie on his way up. Cheyenne promised the boy she would see him tomorrow night and they would sit and talk more.
* * *
She walked toward him wearing nothing but her long black hair covering most of her breasts. With her bronze coloring, she was the most exotic looking woman he’d ever seen. Tony knew he had to have her, possess her, and make her his and his alone.
He reached out to take her into his arms but she was no longer there.
“Bloody hell,” Tony sputtered as he awoke finding himself as hard as the bedpost and sitting up in bed clutching a pillow. Cheyenne Sinclair had invaded his dreams and he knew it would be along time before he would be able to sleep again.