Page 32 of Good Duke Gone Wild

Once in their cabin, she sat at his desk looking for paper. Anything to write some notes on. She didn’t want to forget her thoughts or get lost in them. As she shuffled through the items on his desk, one sheet of paper slipped to the ground.

Upon picking it up, her eyes skimmed the words and stalled on the address: My Lord Duke. And then she saw his title: Duke of Sutherton.

Jude was a duke? The realization struck her hard in the chest. Of all the truths to uncover. This one was harsh. He was actually just a stuffy duke? No. He was wild and free. Dangerous. Living his life on his own terms.

What was going on?

But this could be the best of both worlds, couldn’t it?

Agatha’s heart hammered in her chest. Afraid the sweat of her hands would transfer to the paper, she laid it to rest buried under other sheets.

He was a duke. She was supposed to marry someone from the peerage. But Jude lived life with abandon and could give her all the experiences she dreamed of. She thought back to how he had worshiped her body and immediately she grew hot. But being married to him, a duke and a privateer. Wasn’t that just better than perfect?

It would be a marriage of…convenience…for both of them. And if she grew tired of life on a ship, she could still return home, a duchess of all things. And they would have their marriage in name only.

Surely she could persuade him to agree to these terms.

No, she knew she couldn’t. He would never agree to such a thing. But…

His honor.

Now that was something she could use against him.

And at this time, in this place, she was ready and willing to use whatever tools she could to secure her future happiness.

Agatha raced up to the deck, and as calmly as she could muster, searched for Jude. She had a plan and only hoped it would work.

If she could find one of the men that she formed a connection with, she was quite sure she could trust them to assist her. They had all been incredibly respectful toward her thus far. And they were the most loyalband of privateers to their captain. First she needed to be directed to the captain to make sure he was onboard with her plan.

“Sprat,” she called out, seeing him on deck. To her own ears she sounded breathless and only hoped she had disguised it enough.

“Over here,” he called back, waving his arm.

She walked over, telling her feet not to run. It would do no good for her to look overeager. “If I ask you a favor, would you help me out?”

“Anything for you. You’re the Captain’s guest, aren’t you?”

“I am.” She smiled at him. “And if I ask you to keep a secret, would you?”

He scratched his jaw. “Will it bring anyone any harm?”

“None at all. Just the opposite in fact. If you can keep my secret, it could bring great joy to the Captain.”Eventually, she added under her breath.

“If keeping a secret for you would bring the Captain more joy, I’ll keep it until you bury me six feet deep or throw me out into the deep ocean depths.”

That was…dark. But helpful.

“In that case, have you seen Jude?”

“He’s on the pier—”

Agatha flicked her eyes to the gangplank and took off.

“You can’t—”

But she didn’t listen. Tearing down the wooden bridge connecting her to land, she dashed over to an astonished Jude.

He seemed to be in the middle of a business negotiation when she interrupted him.

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