His Grace's Unseemly Affection

Lady Beatrix Ashworth knew the sting of social ruin, having been cast aside and slandered as a mere pawn in the elaborate games of the Regency ton. In her previous, misguided life, she'd fallen prey to a charming scoundrel, sacrificing her reputation only to die heartbroken and alone, utterly oblivious to the quiet strength offered by another. But fate, it seemed, had a mischievous streak, granting her a miraculous return to the eve of her disastrous debut. Armed with foresight and a renewed spirit, Beatrix deftly sidestepped the manipulative schemes of her former fiancé and his simpering mistress. Her true focus, however, landed on a man she had once dismissed: His Grace, Duke Alaric Blackwood. Feared and respected as the 'Iron Duke,' Alaric was an imposing, stoic presence whose very name commanded awe. Yet, when his private correspondence, filled with utterly doting declarations to his newfound betrothed, began circulating amongst the scandalized society papers, the ton was utterly bewildered. "My dearest Beatrix possesses a wit sharper than any dueling blade, and a grace that outshines every diamond at Almack's!" Society gasped. The formidable Duke, openly doting? Beatrix could only blush and whisper, "Alaric, darling, must you be quite so... effusive?"