Lady Julia Raines's marriage to Lord Banford was a nightmare of physical and emotional abuse. When she accidentally killed him trying to save her own life, some of Banford's friends and his father believed it was cold- blooded murder. Only by faking her death and living in the country as "Mrs. Bancroft" was Julia able to find some peace. But when her secret is discovered, she's abducted by one of Branford's old friends to be brought to "justice."
Alexander Randall, a major in the army, has recently received the news that he is the sole remaining heir to his uncle's estate. There's no love lost between him and the Earl of Daventry, but Randall has grown tired of the soldier's life; it's time to settle down. Unfortunately, as one of his duties to the estate, he must find a wife. On his way to visit a prospective bride, Randall is at a friend's home in the country when he hears about a local woman who has been kidnapped. He immediately goes to her rescue.
Randall and Julia discover they have a mutual enemy: Randall's uncle, Daventry, was Julia's father-in-law. What better way for Randall to get some revenge and for Julia to be protected than for the two of them to marry? Terrified of being with a man because of her experiences with Banford, Julia will only agree to the marriage if she can leave whenever she wants -- and if Randall can accept that she may never be able to overcome her fear of physical intimacy. But he is willing to be patient with this beautiful, brave woman in the hope that someday she will be able to share not only her body, but her heart again.
This is a lovely story of the power of patience and love. Randall and Julia both have their scars, physical and emotional, and deal with them in their own ways. Randall shows extraordinary patience and Julia shows incredible bravery as they navigate the obstacles of their unorthodox marriage. Sometimes heartbreaking and sometimes heartwarming, their journey will have you cheering for them to find that elusive happily-ever-after. (Though this is part of the Lost Lords series, it works fine as a standalone book.)
As the sole remaining heir to the Earl of Daventry, Alexander Randall knows his duty: find a wife and sire a son of his own. The perfect bride for a man in his position would be a biddable young girl of good breeding. But the woman who haunts his imagination is Julia Bancroft-a village midwife with a dark secret that thrusts her into Randall's protection.
Within the space of a day, Julia has been abducted by her first husband's cronies, rescued, and proposed to by a man she scarcely knows. Stranger still is her urge to say yes. A union with Alexander Randall could benefit them both, but Julia doubts she can ever trust her heart again, or the fervent desire Randall ignites. Yet perhaps only a Lost Lord can show a woman like Julia everything a true marriage can be...
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