A NOTORIOUS NOBLEMAN — The Duke of Berinwick is the last of his line, though he yearns for the warmth of a wife and family. But no lady will set foot in Blackcastle, his vast country house, and the solitude of a long winter has become a prison for his lonely soul. And now that Shropshire is shrouded in snow, the glittering social whirl of London has become no more than a memory and its exquisite women like figures in a dream -- until Julia Delacroix ventures into his solitary lair.

A SCANDALOUS SECRET

The proud beauty hopes to sell her sole remaining treasure, a silver lion of mysterious provenance. Knowing that the Duke would part with a small fortune to possess the heirloom has brought Julia to his door -- and compelled Berinwick to find out her secret: she intends to find and destroy the dastard who ruined her beloved elder sister. As bold as she is brave, Julia forges an unlikely alliance with the powerful Duke. Only he can help her carry out her cunning plan for revenge, though their unusual relationship may prove to be the scandal of the Season....