“He hid his face from the world but she refused to look away.”
Petalia Winthrop arrived in London with eleven shillings, a letter of character, and her late mother’s hairpin. By breakfast, a thief had taken all three, and the only person to stop for her was a scarred stranger in a scarf who told her to keep her balance and expected her to obey.
She did not expect to see him again. She certainly did not expect to be sent to his house.
The Duke of Ashbourne has not shown his face in society for years, not since the accident that ruined it and hardened everything behind it. He keeps to his estate, keeps his scars covered, and keeps every governess at arm’s length until she gives up and goes. His small daughter is running wild, his aunt is out of patience, and the last thing he wants is another clever woman in his home studying the ruin of his face.
But Petalia Winthrop is not so easily frightened off, and she has never in her life been able to leave a locked door alone.
She refuses to be intimidated by his temper. She refuses to pity his scars. And slowly, without either of them intending it, she begins to reach the wild little girl the household had given up on, and the guarded man everyone else had learned to fear.
A governess is meant to be sensible. A duke is meant to be untouchable. And a scandal from Petalia’s past is about to arrive at Wrenfield’s door to remind them both exactly how much they have to lose.
He was certain no one would ever look at him again without flinching. She was the one woman who never once did.
A tender, slow-burn Beauty-and-the-Beast Regency romance featuring a scarred, reclusive duke, a fearless and quick-witted governess, a motherless child, and a love that refuses to stay behind locked doors. Book 2 of Wounds and Scandals, fully standalone, with a guaranteed happily-ever-after.
Perfect for readers who love brooding dukes, brave heroines, and clean, slow-burn romance with no cheating and no cliffhangers.
Also available with Kindle Unlimited.
