Dressmaker Miss Lily Martin knows too well the sordid dealings of London's corrupt underbelly. She should have known borrowing from one of the city's most reviled moneylenders was risky. Now the loan has come due-and there's nothing standing between Miss Lily and her darling sister's ruin. Until a dashing American with flashing, defiant eyes intervenes . . . Ship captain James Blakefield may be the new Duke of Ashbridge, but he's only in London for six weeks to secure his estate before returning to America, and far from the watchful eye of the ton. He'll be damned if he'll attend another society event where eligible ladies fling themselves at his title. But when he discovers Miss Lily's desperate predicament, James realizes he might have the perfect arrangement. By assuming the legal guardianship of Lily's sister, he can keep them both safe and ensure someone cares for the estate. But it means having Lily under the same roof. As their undeniable attraction charges the very air between them, both propriety and restraint are threatened. But scandal is the least of their concerns when James's secret threatens to pull everything apart at the seams . . . Contains mature themes.