Once Upon a Scandalous Night

A scandalous lady
Born beneath the scandal of illegitimacy, Miss Anna Prescott strives to live a life beyond reproach. All until a single night of recklessness leads her to kiss a masked stranger at a masquerade—only to have the act witnessed and then immortalized in London’s gossip rags. When the stranger is revealed to be a notorious and reclusive duke, Anna sees only one way to preserve the tattered remnants of her reputation: claim the man as her betrothed.

A disreputable duke
Jasper Draycott, Duke of Thornhaven, has retreated from society ever since his older brother’s death, desperate to escape rumors that blame him for the tragedy. After an ill-conceived encounter at a masquerade, the last thing he wants is renewed scrutiny. Yet when Anna Prescott shows up at his door proposing a fake engagement, he finds the incorrigible—and intriguing—woman impossible to refuse.

A ruse that leads to the sweetest temptation
The betrothal is meant to be temporary, quietly ending once the gossip fades. But when Anna becomes stranded at the duke’s secluded home, the intimacy of their shared time fans the flames of a growing attraction. Before long, pretense evolves into something all too real, but can their hastily contrived union endure the pressures of the world beyond their walls? With the threat of discovery looming, Jasper and Anna must choose whether to end the charade as planned—or to risk everything for a love that could either redeem them both or ruin them entirely.