The Captain and the Duchess: A Regency Historical Romance
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Synopsis
Dinah Strong, the Dowager Duchess of Seaton, was forced to wed a man much older than herself. Much to his dismay, she gifts him with four daughters, who, along with the two nieces she raises, became the lights in an otherwise dismal life.
Now widowed, Dinah decides to participate in the Season, hoping she might be fortunate enough to finally find love. None of the gentlemen appeal to her--because of one man she cannot forgot.
Drake Andrews is a man who is everything her late husband was not. The sea captain is bold, daring, and unafraid of taking risks, not to mention his sinfully delicious good looks. Dinah met him briefly before he sailed off on a lengthy voyage, and she finds her thoughts turning to him more and more.
Captain Andrews was an orphan raised at sea, and it is the only life he has ever known. He has finally achieved his goal of captaining his own vessel for Neptune Shipping Lines, but he can't seem to get the Dowager Duchess of Seaton out of his mind. His closest friend and former fellow seaman introduced Drake to her just before Drake set sail on his maiden voyage as a captain, and the woman has haunted his dreams every night.
Now back in London and between sailing assignments, Drake calls upon the dowager duchess, finding despite their origins, they have much in common. Their growing attraction flames into a torrid affair, with Dinah declaring her wish for them to wed.
Will Drake allow obstacles to keep them apart--or will love triumph over Polite Society's expectations for the widowed duchess?
*Each book in The Strongs of Shadowcrest is a standalone story that can be enjoyed out of order and can be read free with Kindle Unlimited!
The Strongs of Shadowcrest
Book #1: The Duke’s Unexpected Love
Book #2: The Perks of Loving a Viscount
Book #3: Falling for the Marquess
Book #4: The Captain and the Duchess
Book #5: Courtship at Shadowcrest (Regency Duet – includes Tempted by the Earl and The Viscount’s Heart)
Book #6: The Marquess’ Quest for Love
Book #7: The Duke’s Guide to Winning a Lady
Release date: June 12, 2024
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Print pages: 139
* BingeBooks earns revenue from qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate as well as from other retail partners.
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Behind the book
I had not planned on either Dinah or Drake having their own book--but their chemistry was obvious in Book 1's The Duke's Unexpected Love. I decided these two, who are a bit older than my usual hero & heroine, deserved a bit of happiness together!
Author updates
The Captain and the Duchess: A Regency Historical Romance
Alexa Aston
PROLOGUE
Shadowcrest—October 1809
Dinah Strong, widowed Duchess of Seaton, looked around the table as her girls chatted happily during breakfast.
It was good to be back at Shadowcrest.
She, her daughters, and nieces had all been forced to remain in London the past three years while her husband lay dying. The Duke of Seaton, twenty-five years her senior, had suffered an attack of apoplexy. It had left him bedridden, unable to communicate, lingering between life and death.
Dinah would have brought him home to the country and tended to him at Shadowcrest, but her brother-in-law, Adolphus Strong, had forbid her from taking the duke to his country estate in Kent. Instead, the duke’s twin assumed his brother’s ducal power and all but title, assuming he would become the next Duke of Seaton following his brother’s death. Adolphus had kept the women housebound, isolating them from all others in Polite Society, and they had lived in a gloomy state while Adolphus and his older son Theodore gadded about town, spending money that wasn’t theirs.
All that had recently changed, thanks to the return of her stepson James. James was the son of Seaton’s first wife, who had died in childbirth after delivering a stillborn son. The duke wed Dinah when she was only ten and seven, expecting her to give him numerous sons, especially after James disappeared on the London docks when he was only eight years of age, never to be seen again.
Instead, Dinah had birthed four daughters. Her husband had called her worthless. He had finally stopped coming to her bed when he could no longer perform his marital duties.
She had been only one and twenty years old.
She had still done everything she could to be the best wife she could be. Known as an excellent hostess, she planned lavish social events. While she received no affection from her husband, she had come to live for her daughters and the two nieces she had raised. Adolphus had no interest in females. When his own wife perished after giving birth to Lyric and Allegra, her brother-in-law had dumped the twins upon her to bring up.
Dinah had not minded. She had more than enough love in her heart for those two motherless girls and considered them her own. She had raised them alongside her own twins Georgina and Pippa, and added Mirella and Effie to the nursery shortly afterward.
With James returning to England, the former sea captain had ousted Adolphus and Theodore from the household. James had assumed the dukedom when his father passed, allowing Dinah and her girls to return to their beloved Shadowcrest for the first time in more than three years. Breathing the country air once more and having the freedom to roam the estate had done all of them good. It had also been nice to reunite with Aunt Matty, her husband’s sister, who had been exiled by Adolphus to Shadowcrest for daring to stand up to him and question him taking on the duke’s authority while he still lived.
“What are your plans today, my darlings?” Dinah asked.
Pippa spoke up first, as she usually did. “Effie and I are going to ride. Miss Feathers said Effie does not have to report for her lessons until one o’clock. We plan to be gone until then.”
Both Pippa and Effie were tomboys and enjoyed being in the saddle or hunting and fishing. She knew how difficult it had been on both of them, having to remain inside the townhouse during those three years with no walks in Hyde Park nor rides in Rotten Row.
“That sounds lovely,” she said. “What about the rest of you?”
“Lyric and I are going to be working in the gardens,” Allegra volunteered.
Lyric explained what they would be doing, her eyes lighting with enthusiasm as they always did when she talked about her beloved flowers. Her nieces were quite close, being twins, and she was glad to see Allegra taking an interest in gardening. Usually, that was what Lyric spent most of her time doing.
“Well, it is a lovely day. I am certain you will enjoy spending it outdoors.” She turned to her other two daughters. “And what might the two of you be up to?”
“Mirella and I are going to do our usual pianoforte practice, Mama,” Georgina said. “Then we are going to walk into the village and meet with the clergyman’s wife. She is interested in forming a children’s choir and thinks Mirella and I could help her in this endeavor.”
Those two daughters were the most musically inclined in the Strong family, and Dinah had encouraged them in their playing. She knew music had saved Georgina and Mirella during the long years of being forced to remain inside.
“That sounds wonderful,” she declared. “And Aunt Matty? What are you up to today?”
“I am visiting with Lady Chatham this morning. I will be on my way to see her soon. But what of you, Dinah?”
“I plan to take a long walk and then read in the garden. This may be one of the last warm days we have, so I want to soak up the sunshine while I can.”
Soon, everyone had gone their separate ways, and Dinah leisurely walked through the meadow at Shadowcrest. She reveled in her newfound freedom, not only being out from under Adolphus’ thumb, but also having no husband for the first time in almost two decades. Of course, her first obligation was to her six girls. Next spring, Georgina and Pippa would make their come-outs, along with Allegra and Lyric. Mirella would follow the next year, and Effie would two years after that.
But Dinah was now free from her unwanted marriage. She toyed with the idea of possibly taking a lover—or even a husband. She was in her mid-thirties and still had her looks.
What would it be like if she could actually find love?
She had fancied herself in love many years ago. A local baron had a handsome son two years her senior. He had asked her to dance at the local assemblies and sat next to her at church. They had talked of books, and she had played the pianoforte for him, with him singing along off-key. Dinah had wanted to marry him, especially after he sweetly kissed her. She wanted to have babies with him and live a quiet life in the country, the thought of being a part of the ton not appealing to her.
Of course, her parents had other plans. Her father, in particular, was conscious of titles. He told Dinah her beauty would draw in the wealthiest of men in Polite Society, with titles she could only dream of holding. She hadn’t cared one whit about being a duchess or marchioness, but she was told she could never marry the boy who held her heart. Instead, arrangements were made without her knowing, and she was betrothed to the much-older Duke of Seaton, a widower in his forties, who had one son and was looking for more.
After having been a dutiful daughter and wife all these years, Dinah decided it was time she would live for herself. While her priority was to see that her daughters made good matches, she would never force them to wed strictly for a title. She hoped her girls would find love.
And that she might, as well.
Perhaps when the two sets of twins made their come-outs next spring, Dinah herself would leave the section where the matrons sat and actually dance with a few partners herself. The thought grew on her, and she decided to think more on it in the months to come. She might find a widower amongst the ton who looked for another wife, or even a gentleman who had never wed. She only knew she had been pushed into one marriage, and that would never occur again. If she ever did wed a second time, it would be strictly for love, that all-too-fragile feeling. And if no man stirred such feelings within her, then she would enjoy her life as a widow. Widows in Polite Society had more freedom than wives. She would pursue her interests and take an active role as a grandmother. With six girls, numerous grandchildren would certainly make their debuts.
Dinah returned from her long walk and chose a book from the library, bringing it outside and taking a seat on the terrace because the sun was so plentiful there. For October, it was unseasonably warm. The weather could quickly change this time of year, though, and she was determined to enjoy being outdoors for as long as she could, now that she had the freedom to be outside as she pleased.
She had only read a few pages when Forrester appeared, looking distressed.
“Your Grace, there is a man here demanding to see you.”
Frowning, she asked, “What man? What is his name?”
“He looks most unsuitable, Your Grace. I have tried to get him to leave, but he insists upon seeing you immediately.”
“Where is he—”
“Your Grace?” A voice from inside the house roared. “Your Grace? I must see Her Grace at once!”
She recognized the voice. A tingle shot through her.
“Is it Captain Andrews?”
The butler looked stunned. “Yes, that was the name he gave.”
“Bring him here at once, Forrester.”
The butler didn’t have to do so because Drake Andrews bounded through the open French door, glancing about, looking for her.
Then their gazes met—and her heart skipped a beat.
The handsome sea captain was covered in soot, his face and hands blackened. His clothing was disheveled and they, too, were covered in soot. As he drew close, he smelled like smoke, so much that her eyes began to water.
“Whatever has happened to you, Captain Andrews?” Dinah asked, her pulse pounding as she looked at his lean, athletic frame and handsome face.
“It is His Grace,” Andrews said, looking as if he were about to collapse.
“Have a seat, Captain,” she insisted, taking his elbow and guiding him to a chair. Looking to Forrester, she said, “Bring hot tea at once. And heat water for a bath.”
“There’s no time for that,” the sea captain spat out.
She looked at him steadily. “Whatever it is, Captain, you look to be half-dead. A cup of tea and a bath will revive you. Once you have had both, we can address the problem.” Glancing to the butler again, she said, “At once, Forrester. And find Captain Andrews some suitable clothes. Something from His Grace’s closet might fit.”
Her husband had been perhaps an inch taller or so, but she believed something of the duke’s would fit this man.
As Forrester scurried away, Dinah sat. “Gather your thoughts, Captain,” she said gently. “Then tell me everything. Leave nothing out. Take your time.”
Drake Andrews let out a long sigh. He closed his eyes, composing himself, then opened them again.
“James—His Grace—helped fight a fire last night. It broke out at the Strong Shipping warehouse. He was on the front lines of the fire brigade and inhaled much of the smoke.”
Panic filled her, but she remained calm outwardly. “Is he alive?”
“Yes. Under a doctor’s care. But he needs a woman’s touch, Your Grace. I thought it best for his family to help care for him until he is on his feet again. I would stay, but I am to leave soon, sailing Vesta to the South Seas.”
She placed her hand over his filthy one. “I know you have been like a brother to James all these years. I appreciate your thoughtfulness in bringing me this news. I hope you left your mount in our stables to be cared for.”
He laughed aloud. “I do not ride, Your Grace. I’ve been at sea my entire life. Before that, I was living on the streets, an orphan who stole food to survive. No, I took the mail coach down to fetch you and walked from the village to Shadowcrest after I was dropped there.”
Despite his mean background, Dinah felt a pull toward this man. She had the first time James had introduced them, as well, teaching Drake Andrews how to bow to a duke and how to kiss a lady’s hand upon being introduced. They had flirted a bit, but she had thought never to see him again. Now he was here, doing strange things to her insides.
“We will take one of the ducal carriages back to town,” she told him. “It will be much faster than a mail coach, Captain.”
He frowned. “Wouldn’t that be against the rules, Your Grace? You riding in a carriage with me the entire way to London? James has told me the ton has all kinds of things to say about the behavior of its members, particularly female ones.”
She bit back a smile. “That is kind of you to be concerned for my reputation, Captain Andrews, but a widow has a bit more freedom than a young miss or wife in Polite Society. You will serve as my escort back to town, but you will need to clean up in order to do so. James will be resting in bed for the next several days. An hour will not make that much difference.”
The tea cart arrived, and she poured him a cup of tea, doctoring it so it was quite sweet and strong.
Handing it over, she said, “Drink this. I will have my maid go and pack a few things for me. I will stay a week or so, at least until James is on his feet again. By the time you finish your cup of tea, your bath should be prepared. Once you have bathed and dressed, we shall depart for town at once.”
He looked at her gratefully. “I appreciate you coming to attend to James, Your Grace. He is all the family I have.” Smiling ruefully, he added, “Even if he is a duke now and should have nothing to do with the likes of me.”
“Do not say such things,” she chided. “You are a loyal friend of many years. James would not cast aside his friendship with you simply because he is now a duke. If anything, he would choose you above anyone else.”
He placed his hand atop hers, causing a ripple of warmth to flood her. “You are right, Your Grace. About everything. I will drink my tea and clean up and escort you to London and James’ side.”
“Town,” she prompted, smiling at him. “We call it town. Never London.”
The corners of his mouth turned up. “Another lesson you’re teaching me, Your Grace?”
She shrugged. “You never know when those lessons might come in handy, Captain.”
Dinah stepped away, reluctantly breaking the contact between them. She had the strongest urge to kiss this handsome sailor. She had not kissed anyone in almost twenty years. She and her sweetheart had traded a few chaste kisses before her marriage to Seaton. The duke had never kissed her. Not once.
But more than anything, Dinah desired to kiss Drake Andrews. If any man could show her what kissing was about, it was the flirtatious, handsome seaman.
An hour later, her things were packed and the trunk secured to the ducal carriage. She was leaving her maid behind, telling the girl that Mrs. Powell, the duke’s housekeeper in town, could help her in dressing. Though all the girls had demanded to go to town with her, she knew a bevy of women was the last thing James needed about him as he convalesced.
A footman handed her into the carriage, and Captain Andrews climbed in after her, sitting beside her. She found her side pressed against his, liking the warmth.
“You no longer smell like smoke,” she said playfully. “That will make for a more pleasant journey to town.”
He laughed, showing white, even teeth. His deep brown eyes gleamed at her as he said, “And look at the finery I now wear. I was told by the butler that these clothes belonged to your late husband.”
“Well, he no longer has need of them,” she said lightly. “I am glad they were of use to you.”
“Your housekeeper refused to give my clothes back to me,” he informed her. “Said the soot would never come out of them. She told me she had burned them.”
“Oh! I am so sorry, Captain Andrews. I will have them replaced.”
“It’s quite all right, Your Grace. They were civilian clothes. I will be wearing my new captain’s uniform soon.”
“Are you more confident in your position now?” she asked, recalling how he had expressed the opinion that he did not have the experience required to take on command of a sailing vessel.
His gaze pinned hers. “You did not even know me—yet you told me to believe in myself. I took your advice, Your Grace. I accepted Mrs. Grant’s offer to captain Vesta, and I am confident in my abilities to lead my crew during this upcoming voyage.” He chuckled. “I will simply imitate James every step of the way. The new duke is a leader among men, no matter what part of society they fall into.”
They enjoyed a pleasant conversation over the next couple of hours, with Captain Andrews telling her about many of the ports he had seen over his seafaring years.
“Do you ever wish to remain on land?” she asked. “Stay in one place? Raise a family?”
A faraway look appeared in his eyes. “I never thought to have a family. Seamen are gone so often from home. I thought that would be unfair to a woman, being away for long stretches at a time. Would I like a family, though, beyond my fellow sailors? I believe I would.
“As for remaining in once place? I have no idea how I would earn my living or what I would do.”
She smiled. “Perhaps you might learn to ride a horse, Captain.”
He laughed heartily. “Actually, I would like that. I like animals, cats, in particular. We keep a few on board, to keep the rats at bay. But it’s only fine gentlemen who ride horses, not the likes of me, Your Grace.”
Dinah thought him a gentleman in behavior, if not one by birth, but she also understood he would never be accepted by society because of his humble origins. It was a pity—because she thought the sinfully handsome sea captain would be a man who could show her much about bed sport.
They arrived at the ducal townhouse, and Captain Andrews saw her safely inside. They went to the duke’s rooms and found the doctor with James. He informed Dinah of the duke’s condition, informing her that His Grace was still confused and had some difficulty breathing, but he was past the worse of things.
“I will come again tomorrow to check on His Grace, but I will leave him in your hands for now, Your Grace.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” she said. “I am grateful for all you have done for His Grace.”
After the physician left, Captain Andrews said, “I must also say farewell, Your Grace. I need to return to Vesta.”
“I will certainly let James know you were here and that you brought me to town to care for him.” She took his hand and squeezed it. “You are a good friend to him, Captain. I hope you won’t be a stranger to us all in the future. Please, come and see us once you return from your voyage.”
“That will be next July or August, Your Grace,” he told her. “But I would appreciate coming to see you and having a cup of tea.”
“Then plan on it, Captain.”
“I will see myself out,” he said.
Dinah watched him leave, feeling the sea captain left with a small piece of her heart.
CHAPTER 1
London—July 1810
Captain Drake Andrews left Vesta, moving swiftly down the gangplank and across the London docks. His first mate was overseeing the unloading of cargo which had been brought back from half a world away. The manager of the Neptune Shipping Lines’ warehouse was also on hand, supervising his workers as sailors brought up goods and crates, and the workers loaded them into wagons. As he walked toward the Neptune Shipping offices, he saw the steady stream of wagons passing him, destined for the warehouse, where they would be sorted and hauled to various sections.
It was good to finally be in London again. No, town. Drake couldn’t help but smile at the distinction, taught to him by the Duchess of Seaton. The woman had stayed with him over the past several months he was at sea. Drake thought it was wrong to even think of the unattainable beauty. She was so far above his station, it would be impossible to do the things he wanted to do to her.
But had he certainly thought of those many things during his long nights at sea.
He was as common as they came. Didn’t even recall his given name. He’d lived on the streets after both his parents died, digging through the rubbish for old crusts of bread, stealing food when he could. At some point, he found himself near the London Docks, and a grizzled sailor named Flimm had snatched him up. Drake had been too small to fight back, and the sailor had taken him aboard a vessel which sailed the next day. He’d found himself being called Boy for a couple of years as he served as a cabin boy.
Once he finally earned the right to his name, he had no idea what it was. He had been Boy for so long. Instead, he had chosen a name—Drake—which was a male duck who took to water. His surname of Andrews came from a captain he admired. And thus, Drake Andrews had come into existence.
Working his way up, he had finally been made First Mate to his closest friend, James, another supposed orphan such as himself. They had grown up together, thick as thieves, Drake being a dozen years older and watching over the small boy who grew to be quite a large man. When James learned of his true identity, he’d stepped away from a life at sea. Mrs. Grant, who ran Neptune Shipping Lines after the death of her husband, had taken James’ advice and made Drake the new captain of Vesta. It would be Mrs. Grant whom he reported to today.
Or perhaps not. His gut told him the feelings James had displayed for the pretty widow might have resulted in a marriage between the pair during Drake’s absence. If so, Neptune Shipping Lines now belonged to his friend, the new Duke of Seaton, as did Strong Shipping, the family business. He wondered if James would merge the two lines. Why, he might be headed to an office which no longer existed.
The Neptune Shipping offices came into sight, however, and he supposed he might have gotten things wrong. He would soon learn after giving his report to Mrs. Grant—or whoever was running the shipping empire now.
Inside the offices, he saw Mr. Samuel, who informed Drake he was now the company’s secretary.
“And what of Mr. Barnes?” he inquired, referring to the previous secretary, a man who had served as Mrs. Grant’s right-hand man.
“I will inform Mr. Barnes you are here,” Mr. Samuel said.
So, Mr. Barnes now ran Neptune. That meant his guess of James wedding and bedding Mrs. Grant must have come to pass. Once he spoke with Mr. Barnes, Drake would next visit his old friend.
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