Charles Newberg, Lord Rockhurst has cultivated his reputation of being one of London's most infamous rakes for the past several years. He and his friends, the Dukes of Hawksford and Leicester were famous for their exploits. Now that his fellow partners of debauchery were happily married, it was left to him to carry on in their stead. However, his father, the wealthy and powerful Duke of Avanley had other plans for him.
Rockhurst was familiar with his father's demands for him to marry. It was a fight they had every time they were in each other's presence. He had been successful in avoiding his father's idea of marriage and the idea of giving in and allowing his father to choose his bride was abhorrent to him.
Unfortunately, his father thought otherwise and not only selected a bride for him but demanded that he be married immediately or lose his inheritance. While Rockhurst hated the fact of his father winning, he disliked losing his wealth even more. So, while he agreed to his father's demands, he would not be defeated so easily. His father may have won the battle, but he would win the war. If his young bride was a casualty in their feud, so be it. Once he was married and fulfilled his father's wishes, he would return to London... alone.
Even after the sudden death of his father and his inheriting the title of Duke of Avanley, he still saw no reason for this forced marriage to change any part of how he lived his life.
Isobel, daughter of the Duke of Montrose, always knew she would have no choice when it came to selecting a husband. Her father would seek a match that would be beneficial to him, not to her. But when she was informed that she was to wed Lord Rockhurst, heir to the Duke of Avanley, she could not help but be nervous. She had read of his reputation and knew the kind of man he was reputed to be. Her fears were not appeased at their wedding. Her groom wore a dark, angry expression and did not even bother to glance in her direction. After the ceremony, when she was informed that her husband would be returning to London alone, she felt abandoned.
A year after her marriage nothing had changed other than her title. Upon the death of her husband's father, she was now the new Duchess of Avanley. A duchess without a duke since she had not received any word from him since the day they were wed.
But her story was far from over, and when a duchess came into her life that refuses to take no for an answer, she was convinced into taking