Earlier in The First Night With the Duke, Ripley was caught in a fake lover story, a business hassle, and a frightening kidnapping by Rose. The justice was done through the dramatic rescue of the Duke, and Ripley finally began preparing for her long-awaited wedding. Now, in The First Night with the Duke Chapter 37-45, things intensify. Ripley escapes death and confesses her love, leading to an intimate, quiet wedding with the Duke before he departs for war. In the meantime, the doubts surrounding Prince Sharman increase, and business transactions become hazardous. As she sends off the Duke with tears and hope, another love story starts to brew between Etoile and Wright.
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 37: Ball Kicks and Broken Promises
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 37 begins with Ripley trapped and face-to-face with a completely unhinged Rose, who gleefully says she wants to watch Ripley die slowly. Ripley calmly (with controlled rage)asks Rose to grant her one last favor. To write a letter. Not to save her own self–but Sylvia. She vows to write that she ran off to be free, that she despised Duke Zeronis because he imprisoned her, and that she ran off with somebody else. Rose gulps down all the words of Ripley’s surrender and accepts them. She plans to leave the false confession to leave at the House of Count.
However, the moment Rose takes off, Ripley is boiling with rage, promising not to be defeated and beaten by a villainess. Desperate to escape, she looks carefully through the hay and finds a broken sickle. She cuts through her ropes just as the guard looms outside. She breaks the ropes with determination and ends up with sore wrists. There is an armed guard outside. Ripley calls him, saying that she needs to go to the bathroom. When he casually accepts and takes her to the woods, she turns around and wham! A great kick to the balls knocks him down.
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 37 ends with Ripley seizing her chance at freedom, fire in her eyes, and zero mercy left.
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 38: Into the Woods
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 38 begins with Ripley kicking her captor where the sun doesn’t shine—intending to make it hurt real bad. When the poor man is curling up in pain, she bolts into the dense forest, heart pounding, barefoot, and bewildered. She does not know where to go, but it is not as bad as that smelly warehouse full of death.
The further she runs, the more she feels fatigued. She is out of breath, her legs start to wobble, and she becomes dehydrated. She trips on a root and falls on the ground of the forest, and sobs. Ripley does not even have enough time to get her wits together when she hears a sharp thunk behind her. A stone shoots by her head–then another. Her stalker returns, throwing stones with a slingshot as though he were going after a medieval title.
One of the rocks hit her head hard. She falls again, dizzy. She attempts to crawl away. He eventually catches up. Preparing her last words, she says that he stinks so badly that she almost wants to vomit. Her panic reaches the climax when he draws a knife. She is ready to receive the worst and braces herself with a final defiant look. Just as the man is stabbed by an arrow in the neck, out of nowhere. He falls like a stone.
Out with An Arrow
Ripley gazes, panting, motionless. Then a voice–a voice of authority, of steadiness, of an intensity that is achingly familiar. She looks around and finds Duke Zeronis mounted on a horse. His eyes smouldering with anxiety, his face drawn with feeling. He has finally found her. Her nightmare ends in the arms of the one man who swore never to let her go. The First Night With the Duke Chapter 38 ends with Ripley’s tears falling, not from fear, but overwhelming relief.
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 39: The Heroine Returns
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 39 begins with a heart-wrenching embrace. Immediately, as Duke Zeronis notices that Ripley is safe, he jumps down and embraces her in a tight hug. She collapses and overcomes the fear and pain she had been carrying in the forest. He shudders also, and tells how scared he was, how near he had been to losing her. Ripley cries and says that in that warehouse, she could think only about him.
They go back to her family home, and her hysterical parents inhale in relief. However, the Duke does not stop; he takes her to the doctor right away to ensure that she is really all right. There, Sylvia enters, totally devastated, and she cries when she realizes that Ripley is safe. She runs off to get some food, and the Duke uses the opportunity to inform Ripley of how loyal Sylvia was-convinced something terrible must have occurred to her. He shows the evidence that made him believe it: the empty closet of Ripley. He was aware that no bride who does not want to have a wedding will have a closet filled only with a wedding dress and shoes.
Moment of Peace?
He comes nearer with a warm look in his eyes and says that he is glad she has survived. She tells him that he rescued her, but he sets her straight with a smile--“No, you survived.” He tenderly kisses her to remind her that she is not just any other girl but the heroine. They embrace each other, and love is reaffirmed. However, the peace does not last long. The chapter concludes with Ripley finding her nerve and moving to face Rose, who is furious since she realizes that Ripley has survived and that her twisted game is over.
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 39 ends with a storm quietly brewing.
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 40: Tea, Lies, And Farewells
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 40 begins with Ripley calmly sipping tea across from a very stunned and very angry Rose. Rose finds it hard to believe that Ripley is alive, much less sitting pretty like she had not been kidnapped. She tells Ripley that she must have hidden some sort of secret code in the letter that she wrote. However, Ripley corrects her: no witty codes– just a desperate, straight-out plea.
The thing that rescued her was the fact that the Duke did not believe the letter. He trusted her. Rather, he went through all the paper manufacturers that the noble families used until he came across the distinctive soft pink paper that was used to make the false note. That pathway sent him directly into the connections of Jenkinson… and to the barn.
Ripley smiles sweetly, giving the last blow: “I’m going to humiliate you, Miss Rose. I saved your life.”
Duke Zeronis had apparently been wild-eyed–willing to smash the whole Jenkinson family. But Ripley asked for mercy to show them instead. So, in a twisted way, Rose owes her life to Ripley.
Next, there is the ultimatum. Ripley asks Rose to pack up, forget about her schemes. She asks her to pack her dresses and live the rest of her days quietly in an abbey. A slow exile, all alone. Rose yells with anger.
Ripley believes that it is the end of the villainess in her carriage. Everything is falling into place. She is getting married, she is in love… life is finally all smooth sailing. Until the last twist comes. She is informed that her business is busted. The First Night With the Duke Chapter 40 ends with Ripley realizing—this isn’t a happy ending just yet.
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 41: Stock Problems
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 41 begins with Ripley in full panic mode—her miraculous ointment, the one she poured her time, soul, and all her jewelry money into, is just sitting in boxes. There were hundreds of jars. Untouched. She does not know how to accept it. The product has been successful, the design is attractive, but what happened? She rages into the marketplace to look into it. Customers acknowledge that it is effective, yet nobody is purchasing. In spite of her hard work, she understands that she does not have the immunity of the main character- life does not give her things on a silver platter.
Etoile attempts to console her, but what comes out of her mouth is a bomb; the ointment is going to expire in two months. The face of Ripley indicates everything, absolute hopelessness. She complains about her failure later when she is dining with Duke Zeronis. He kindly volunteers to assist, telling her that he will buy three thousand jars from her. Ripley is appalled–what should he do with these many jars? Cure an army? She denies him since she does not want him to lose his money in order to console her.
Then the subject is changed. Zeronis says they have got a summons–from the Emperor himself. Apparently, this delayed wedding has raised a few royal eyebrows. But the actual problem is Prince Sharman.
Royal Surprises Again
Ripley is in the dark–she does not recall this character in the first novel. That in itself upsets her. Zeronis merely advises her in a serious tone- complete caution around Sharman. The following day, they go to meet the emperor. Duke Zeronis’ gaze sharpens as he sees Prince Sharman entering the hall. The First Night With the Duke Chapter 41 ends with suspense in the air and a royal wildcard about to change the game.
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The First Night With the Duke Chapter 42: The Prince, the Pitch, and a Problem
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 42 begins with an unexpected royal dinner. Having grown accustomed to chaos, Ripley looks suspiciously at Prince Sharman. He appears to her as a pretty average man. Nothing sinister, nothing to be feared– another royal.
Some point later, in classic Ripley style, she mixes bomb shots for everyone. However, the big surprise comes when Prince Sharman comes to see her, by himself, all alone. She is shocked, immediately suspicious. He smiles and starts to talk, and Ripley, convinced she knows the script, interrupts him. And loudly proclaims that she is a wife to the duke and that he must not say anything else to maintain decency.
Prince Sharman coolly blinks and then corrects himself. He was referring to a possible business venture in her own business. Embarrassment doesn’t even cover it. He showers praises on the product, and he is obviously impressed. Ripley practically skips off to share the news with Etoile. However, Etoile, being the voice of reason, is not so sure. She cautions that royal intervention may be a two-edged sword, and considering the ointment has a short shelf-life and minor-use factor, this may become dangerous. Ripley groans–then she shares the news that Sharman has already ordered two hundred jars. (Wait, what?)
On the following day, Ripley and Etoile meet the prince. Etoile clarifies the shortcomings of the ointment. Ripley observes him and does not know what his true intentions are. He sips his tea, looks them both full in the eye, and with an unreadable expression, says—“Well, this truly is…”
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 42 ends with tension rising and a prince whose intentions are as mysterious as his smile.
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The First Night With the Duke Chapter 43: A Pie, a Prince, and a Promise
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 43 begins with Prince Sharman’s mysterious words dangling in the air. However, instead of completing his sentence, he throws a winning smile and begins to tell about the “advantages” of the ointment, not only for border warriors, but also for palace soldiers. Sounds suspicious? Very.
As keen as ever, Etoile questions him again, demanding to know how little the actual injuries occur. He dodges the questions with ease. He terminates the interview with the remark that he must be going to another appointment before Etoile can question further. The prince points at a special pie he had made for them before departing.
Etoile tells Ripley to be careful in the carriage. She does not trust Sharman- says he is concealing something and might be getting ready for war. Ripley, the optimistic one, attempts to sweep it away.
Later, back at her place, Sylvia informs Ripley- the situation is deteriorating at the border. Ripley is alarmed and faces Zeronis. She is angry, anxious, and so very scared. However, he affectionately tells her to stop worrying. He had not expected anyone to worry about him so much. They rest their foreheads together–a tender, silent scene in an oncoming storm. According to him, war is unpredictable; it is all about luck. Ripley instructs him to carry her luck along with him. He smiles and says, with emotion, that she will be his wife when he returns. This time, she does not hesitate. She asks him for complete clarity to make her his wife now and not later.
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 43 ends with a declaration stronger than fate—a vow before the war, born of love and fear.
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 44: A Quiet Vow Before the Storm
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 44 begins with Ripley emotionally telling Zeronis to make her his woman now, not after the war. Zeronis, in response to her sincerity, smiles and kisses her passionately, telling her that she is already his. It is a scene of naked vulnerability and affection, contrasted with the oncoming possibility of a dangerous war.
Not long after, Ripley is dressed in her wedding dress. She looks beautiful and glows with happiness. But Sylvia quietly reminds that the ceremony will be silent, devoid of guests and relatives. She proposes to have a bigger wedding once Zeronis comes back safe. Ripley is reluctant, evidently devastated, but goes along with it, knowing the dangers ahead. She is convinced in her heart that Zeronis is the protagonist of the story and he cannot (and must not) die.
The ceremony is intimate and personal. No fanfare, just true love. Ripley gives Zeronis a ring that she had been preparing secretly through all the hustle and bustle of the business and wedding. He is moved and proudly wears it. They take the vows before Sylvia, who is not able to control her tears. They kiss. They’re finally husband and wife. The time is beautiful, but delicate. It is happy, and yet it resonates with the silence of an approaching danger. Later, the parents of Ripley are told about the out-of-the-blue marriage, and they are totally shocked.
“This is unacceptable!” they exclaim, stunned that their daughter married in secret.
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 44 ends with a heartfelt union made in urgency, a kiss filled with promise, and the quiet strength of love before the storm.
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 45: Partings and Promises
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 45 begins with Ripley’s father erupting in frustration over her sudden marriage. Ripley coolly tells her parents that there will be a grand official wedding once Zeronis comes back home after the war. A little flushed, she tells them that she will be going to live in the Duke’s house now. And she does not forget to add that her new name is now Duchess Ripley de Inglid. She gets settled in her new home, but Sylvia does not take long to bring up the departure march of the Duke. Ripley is afraid that she will break down upon seeing him off. Nevertheless, she is bothered by the order of the two hundred boxes of ointment and the dubious role of Prince Sharman. She feels sad, thinking Zeronis is going towards certain danger.
A Scarf and A Goodbye
With tears in her eyes, Ripley runs out because she wants to see him one last time. She runs to the march, screaming his name, and locates him. Zeronis is shocked-he believed they had made their final farewells. She removes her scarf and gives it to him wordlessly. It is her last show of love and protection. Zeronis, deeply moved, accepts it and departs, emotion in his eyes.
Later, Ripley narrates the emotional, passionate goodbye to Etoile, who gets emotional as well. When Ripley is wiping her tears, all of a sudden, Wright shows up. Very tenderly, he hands Etoile a handkerchief. Their eyes interlock, and both blush. There’s a tender, unexpected moment between Wright and Etoile—gaze lingering, feelings unspoken but loud. Ripley sees the silent flame between them and is in absolute shock.
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 45 ends with tearful goodbyes, sweet devotion, and a new romance beginning to bloom in the background.
