Kate Bateman

The first in Kate Bateman's sparkling new series about three women who run an investigative agency in Regency London.The wedding-night death of her much-older husband--and one tiny lie--left Tess Townsend the wealthy Dowager Duchess of Wansford. Now, as London's merriest widow, she's invited to society's highest events, and few people realize she's more than just a pretty face. As the founder of King & co, she's secretly employing her two best friends, Daisy Hamilton and Ellie Law, at London's most discreet investigative agency.With no interest in losing her independence by marrying again, Tess longs to experience physical pleasure, but how can she take a lover without revealing the secret of her virginity and risking her position? The answer might just lie in the handsome new Duke of Wansford, and a scandalous proposition. . .Cynical shipping magnate Justin Thornton never expected to inherit a dukedom, but he'll do his duty. He'll marry some suitable chit, set the duchy to rights, and return to his old life within the year. But when the Dowager Duchess of Wansford turns out to be a ravishing twenty-two-year-old siren--instead of the ancient crone he was expecting--Justin sees a way to spare himself the tiresome process of having to find a bride.The woman is clearly a fortune hunter, but the attraction that sparks between them is undeniable. A year-long marriage of convenience will suit them both. Tess's increasingly suspicious behavior proves she can't be trusted, but Justin doesn't believe in love, so there's absolutely no danger of him falling for his own wife . . . is there?

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