GypsyDukeEpub by Unknown Page B

smile. A gypsy looked completely out of place in the middle of Somerset's immaculate, landscaped courtyard.
    "John left in a rush. He rode out alone on his horse, but his thoughts were of you. He begged me to protect you."
    Hope flickered in Kitty's heart. He had thought of her? Actually begged someone to watch her? That wasn't like John. He never asked anyone for anything. Mayhap he really was in trouble. "Will he be safe…where he is going?"
    "Safer than he is here."
    They said nothing for a few moments while Kitty considered this then she nodded her head. Her horse moved off, and Michel let her leave.
    "Write him," he said. "You can send word through the duchess. She will be moving into the Dowager house."
    Kitty urged her mount through the woods that formed a boundary for her father's estate. As much as she appreciated Chester, this time, she wanted nothing more than to be left alone.
    Waves of misery rushed through her. How could she ever face the next few years without John? She had no other friends. Robert barely tolerated her. Because of John, he was forced to be civil. And Michel would never be considered a suitable escort, not that she would seek him out. Gypsies frightened her.
    She was alone. Again.

    1814
    John Seymour, Duke in hiding, carefully folded the letter and placed it in his worn leather vest. Almost three years had passed since he'd been home. Three years since he'd seen his mother, his home, Robert…and Kitty. The pain of separation had been acute, though he'd been forced to hide it. And now this.
    Inside his mother's letter was a note from Robert, an intriguing note. Robert was sending someone to see him. How had Robert found out about his life with the gypsies? His mother would never reveal his whereabouts.
    Robert asked for John to come to the town of Lancashire. Someone would meet him there. No explanations about why or who it would be. He supposed it wasn't too much to ask of an old friend…total trust. He would feel safe asking the same of Robert. Truth be told, he'd asked total trust of a lot of people when he disappeared.
    He rubbed the ache at the back of his neck. He'd been shoeing horses all day. It was one way the gypsies earned money from town to town. He probably knew as much about horses as the head groom of Somerset Park. He certainly knew more than he wanted.
    Maybe it was time to go home. He'd had nearly three years to think about it. Three years to grow into a man. Three years to see there was nothing in his uncle for him to fear. Every part of John's lean body was muscled and toned from hard work. Hardly anyone in the gypsy camp could match his strength. And he'd learned to fight like a demon, dirty and mean. Gypsies took no quarter when they fought. He'd learned the hard way and bore the scars to prove it.
    Yes, he was a grown man. No one could take what was his. He was going home to claim his legacy. Perhaps Robert was even now sending someone to bring him home.
    He stepped out of the tent, his home for the last few years, his, along with Rasvan, Michel's brother, and two other single men.
    Amongst Gypsies, privacy was unheard of. Every nook and cranny of the wagons was filled with something necessary for the survival of the camp as a whole. Someone or other always rummaged through his things. He'd become adept at hiding his personal possessions, as Rasvan had taught him early on. That and how to live through the day without getting pushed around by all those stronger than he. He was grateful for the lessons.
    This evening, he intended to get Renegade and ride ahead to the town. Another thing he'd learned from Rasvan, know the lay of the land. Your survival might depend on it.
    Before he could move across the outskirts of the camp, Marga confronted him. She'd been after him for weeks, watching his every move and flaunting her obvious charms.
    If she only knew how close he was to giving in to her temptation. But Rasvan had taught him well. If John took the gypsy girl, the clan