A Duke who needs a wife, but doesn't want one; a Lady who needs to marry for money, but would far prefer love; an envious acquaintance, lies, deception and manipulation; a dramatic pursuit of truth; a love reclaimed from the storm.
Lady Hope Spencer needs to marry well - and as soon as possible. Her father's untimely death has left her with an impossible burden of debt, an ailing mother, and barely a roof over their heads. The fact that she has never had any confidence at all amongst society is a handicap she must overcome before disaster befalls her. Unfortunately, on attending her first Ball, an unexpected collision with a handsome gentleman sets all of her best intentions awry.
Xavier Harte, the Duke of Birkchester, needs to marry, to ensure that he gets an heir, and that the title and estates are secured for future generations. But the last thing he wants is to tie himself to a young woman who wants to spend her life in London's ballrooms and salons - he would prefer a quiet life in the country. When he bumps into a young woman at a crowded Ball, for the first time, interest stirs - for she is so very different from most that he wants to know more of her.
That first meeting leads to more, but neither Hope nor Xavier know how to go about expressing their feelings. Despite that, it seems that they may come to an arrangement, a marriage which would save Hope and her family. An arrangement which Hope cannot allow to occur, for it would be based on deception, and she will not, now that she is coming to care for Xavier, contemplate such a thing.
Will Hope find a way to save her family regardless?
Will Xavier be misled by others, or will he trust his instincts and uncover the truth in time to save their love, and Hope's family too?
Can they find their way to true love together, or will guilt, lies and deceptions tear them apart forever?
If you love Regency Romance, with love that overcomes all obstacles, this is for you!
Richmond, Arietta: - "Arietta Richmond has been a compulsive reader and writer all her life. Whilst her reading has covered an enormous range of topics, history has always fascinated her, and historical novels have been amongst her favourite reading. She has written a wide range of work, from business articles and other non-fiction works (published under a pen name) but fiction has always been a major part of her life. Now, her Regency Historical Romance books are finally being released. The Derbyshire Set is comprised of 11 novels (9 released so far). The 'His Majesty's Hounds' series is comprised of 17 novels, with the last now released. She also has a number of standalone novels released, and four other series of novels in development. She lives in Australia, and when not reading or writing, likes to travel, and to see in person the places where history happened. Be the first to know about it when Arietta's next book is released! Sign up to Arietta's newsletter at http: //www.ariettarichmond.com When you do, you will receive two free subscriber exclusive books - 'A Gift of Love', which is a prequel to the Derbyshire Set series, and ends on the day that 'The Earl's Unexpected Bride' begins, and 'Madame's Christmas Marquis' which is an additional story in the His Majesty's Hounds series."
