Anti-Hero, A Regency Romance

The Viscount of Newwood gambled away Briar Blackwoode to the Duke of Ashmere. She was a dutiful maid to the Viscount, irreplaceable, or at least she thought she was. Now, she can't find her footing in the Duke's London home, worsening his already short temper. When he makes her an offer of a lifetime, she wonders what exactly she got herself into and if leaving home was worth it. Auden Fairbairns was nothing but respectable; he was also heavily feared. His glare frightened the entire ton, and he had hard-earned battle scars to prove that he was not a man to be taken lightly. When his good friend, the Viscount of Newwood, had offered his maid in good standing with him as a payment for his winnings at the track, he couldn't believe that the Viscount valued their friendship. The girl had a mouth on her! She talked to him in a way no one else dared to, and it grew on him as time with Miss. Blackwoode softened his rough edges; he had to remind himself that he was no one's Knight in shining armor.