The Governess and the Beast

“He hid his face from the world but she refused to look away.”

Petalia Winthrop arrived in London with eleven shillings, a letter of character, and her late mother’s hairpin. By breakfast, a thief had taken all three, and the only person to stop for her was a scarred stranger in a scarf who told her to keep her balance and expected her to obey.

She did not expect to see him again. She certainly did not expect to be sent to his house.

The Duke of Ashbourne has not shown his face in society for years, not since the accident that ruined it and hardened everything behind it. He keeps to his estate, keeps his scars covered, and keeps every governess at arm’s length until she gives up and goes. His small daughter is running wild, his aunt is out of patience, and the last thing he wants is another clever woman in his home studying the ruin of his face.

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