When She Was a Governess

She must leave the child she loves. He must marry or lose everything. Their marriage of convenience is about to become so much more. Lady Sophia Ashford has spent years working as a governess, concealing her true identity as a duke's daughter after her family's devastating fall from grace. For two and a half years, she has raised Lord Henry Montrose's orphaned niece-loving little Amelia as fiercely as any mother. But everything has changed. Her family's name has been cleared, their fortune restored, and her brothers now insist she come to London for a proper Season and an advantageous match. Sophia knows she must obey... even though leaving Amelia will break her heart. Lord Henry Montrose faces his own impossible deadline. His late uncle's will demands he marry before his thirtieth birthday or forfeit the estate that has become his sanctuary. For six years he has kept his heart locked behind grief and guilt, determined never to risk that kind of devastation again. But without Sophia, Amelia will lose the only steady, maternal love she's ever known-and Henry knows he is painfully unprepared to fill that void. When Henry makes a startling proposal-a marriage of convenience to solve both their dilemmas-Sophia agrees. She will be Amelia's mother. Henry will keep Montrose Manor. A sensible arrangement between two wounded people who understand the rules. No love. No risk. No heartbreak. But as winter melts into spring and the three of them grow into an unexpected family, everything shifts. Stolen glances become lingering touches. Polite distance deepens into intimate confession. The fortress around Henry's battered heart begins to crack... and Sophia discovers feelings she never expected to claim. Just as they dare to believe in happiness, Henry's vindictive mother returns-determined to destroy their marriage and reclaim Amelia. With poisonous rumors spreading through London society, Sophia and Henry must fight not only for their reputations, but for the love that has blossomed between them. In a Regency world where duty demands everything, can two wounded souls choose love instead? Note: This series is part of Dragonblade's Sweet Dreams line, so this is a sweet, wholesome Historical Romance where passion beyond the bedroom door is left to the reader's imagination.