When the arrogant stranger Bess is forced to marry unexpectedly becomes a duke, she'll find herself at odds with her growing feelings as he hunts for a killer. ***** Sharp-tongued Elizabeth 'Bess' Jones is perfectly content living on her lonesome in a tiny village south of Derbyshire. She works as a nurse, owns a small home, and finds the label of 'spinster' an agreeable trade for her independence. But when her entire life is uprooted in an instant, she only has one person to blame: her new husband, Emmett Wilde, who was caught in a compromising situation with her. And now, despite his promise to fake a death certificate after their wedding--to free her of any duty to him or their marriage bed--he sends for her in the dead of night with startling news: his father has been murdered, and he is now the Duke of Ascot with a wife he can no longer deny... [[Word Count: 60,000-70,000 words]] [[Cover designed by Ren Tachibana]]

Maggie Swift had always known something was missing from her life. She had everything an eighteen year old aristocrat could want - a title, wealth, a good family, and an incredible friend in Max Montgomery. What could possibly be missing? Many do not see past the audacious and joyous personality of Maggie Swift, the outspoken American child that Nate Swift, Earl of Montrose, adopted eleven years earlier. Many do not see the fact that she has always felt like an outsider, and that she truly believes that something is missing in her life. But a knock on the door of Montrose Manor will change Maggie's life. It will take her across an ocean to a life she never knew. But what Maggie has to decide is this: Who is she? Where does she belong? Who does she belong with? And most importantly, where is home?

To the unknowing eye, the exotic young woman making her way through the English countryside is just another poor girl, hungry and looking for work. But Elena Del Fuego is much more than that. She is the youngest daughter of the King of Spain and she is running from an arranged marriage he forced upon her. Elena learned of the betrothal when she was ten years old, and found out that it was to happen on her eighteenth birthday to a Portuguese Prince twenty years her senior. She had eight years to plan her perfect escape. Her escape takes her to Derbyshire where she finds work as a housemaid at a grand estate called Ascot. While Elena had always planned to keep her head down, she cannot help but notice the handsome heir to the dukedom, David Wilde. But life is not like a fairy tale. The handsome heir cannot marry the maid and turn her into a princess, for Elena is already that. She is a princess with two nations chasing her, two nations determined to keep Elena and David apart and to take Elena home.

Lady Imogen Wilde has lived her life in a body that does not work as it should. As she was born not breathing, Imogen has spent her life as the small and weak daughter of the Duke of Ascot. Nobody could ever understand, could they? Colonel Simon Spencer is a highly decorated, recently retired, soldier, who has made his fortune through various gallant and successful military campaigns. But the military has altered him, both mentally and physically, leaving him a changed man from the one his brother remembers, one who carries many burdens. But what if they met? Could it be, that after years of indifference, Imogen and Simon might finally find someone who understands? Or could there be other obstacles in their way, secrets that threaten to boil over?

**1st Draft, this will eventually be edited!** Lindy leaned forward ever so slightly as the smoke from the train could be seen from a distance. Her heart raced as she knew Levi, her childhood best friend was on that train. She hadn't seen him in three and a half years since his parents died; he hadn't come home even for Christmas. She smiled brightly at her younger sisters Julie and Ginny. "He's almost here!" She said to them barely containing her joy. Julie smiled brightly looking at her with the same color of gray eyes as their mother. She fixed her unruly blonde hair before putting her flowered hat back on, and then turned towards Ginny as she fixed her strawberry blonde braid. "Do I look okay?" She asked worried.

**1st Draft, this will eventually be edited!**

***COMPLETED*** "I need to talk to you." she said in a small voice shutting the door behind her. Her hair fell from her bun in red ringlets around her face; her eyes searched his making his heart race in a very uncharacteristic way. he'd had been with women since his wife died- mostly saloon girls but none of them made him feel as nervous as the one in front of him. "You need to spend less time full as a tick in the saloon and more time with your daughters." She said looking right at him, that wasn't what he'd expected her to say at all "I know what you're going through Mr. Clayton loss is hard but your daughters need you-" "Loss? What do you know of Loss Miss Wade you are merely a child." He snapped not wanting to hear everything he'd done wrong. What gave her the right to talk to him like that anyway? They had just met. She nodded slightly turning to leave as she absently played with a ring on her finger She turned back towards him "I was Engaged to a wonderful man Mr. Clayton His name was Fergus O'Reilly and he was everything to me... he died on the eve of our wedding. Now this ring" she said putting her hand up and gesturing to the emerald ring "Is nothing but a broken promise of the life we were meant to share.... But you, you have Wilhelmina and Lorelei. You have a part of your wife always. You have something I would give anything for. All I have are my memories." The woman had kept her voice calm, but to him it felt as though he had been slapped in the face. No one had ever spoken to him like that before. "Miss Wade I suggest you bite your tongue if you wish to stay on as the governess." "Alright fire me, but who will watch your children? Because you certainly won't!"

***COMPLETED*** (First Draft) Gideon looked at the parchment the small woman held before him, an incredible picture of Max stared back at him under it simple handwriting read MAXIMUS JAMES. It only said his name nothing else but he knew she was looking for the child he had just adopted. He looked at the woman who bore great likeness to Max; her eyes were the same big brown eyes Maximus had. Her hair was the color of sand falling about her shoulders in slight waves; her lips were pink with the top lip larger than the bottom. Her nose sat slightly lower than some but fit her face perfectly. And she wore an outdated white dress that was far too large making Gideon wonder when the last time she ate was. "I'm sorry who did you say you were?" "Cordelia James, Maximus' mother" She said in a quiet voice, as if she had been expected to be quiet her whole life "Have you seen him?" She asked her big brown eyes danced with hope as they looked into his. "Yes. I adopted Max only weeks ago..."

Isaac reread the letter shocked at its contents. Dear Mr. Wade, You’ve no doubt heard of Lorraine’s betrayal by now. I want you to know I am deeply sorry for her thoughtlessness, having grown up with Lorraine I am well aware of the pain she can put people through without a second thought. I am writing to propose that you and I wed. It’ll save my family’s reputation and embarrassment. Now I realize my father most likely said you had to, but you do not. If you do not want to marry me I understand. I will be getting ready in the next room it is to your right… I propose if you want to go through with this knock twice on the wall… if you don’t knock once- I will deal with my family just as I always have if your choice is to knock once. Again I am sincerely sorry for the pain my sister has caused you. I am sure that this is just as shocking to you as it is to me. Respectfully, Rose He remembered Rose well from the one time he had met her, she was good friends with his cousin Ginny. He remembered her telling every one of her travels. She was so unlike her sister and he was amazed the two were related. Lorraine had left him a letter as well, if one could even call it that- it was only one line- I do not love you and I am sorry. Those nine words written in her hand had cut like a knife and to find out that she had left him for another hurt all the more. He looked up at his older brother Gideon and handed him the two letters. Rose was sincere and he didn’t want the Watson’s laughed out of Denver, they were high society and it was one of the things her family cared about most.

Hannibal Heyes is an outlaw trying to go straight. He's wanted dead or alive. The former leader of the Devil's Hole Gang doesn't have time or room for a woman in his life. But when he saves a girl from a band of murdering thieves, everything changes. With the threat of murderers on their tail and the ever growing attraction he has to his young and innocent new charge, Heyes must get to his quick drawing partner fast. Because he doesn't know who's a bigger threat to her...the villains or himself. Evangeline has lost everything. Her family has been murdered and her innocence and freedom nearly lost. But when she is rescued by a handsome, dimple faced cowboy, a whole new life opens up to her. Now she faces an uncertain future and an undeniable, burgeoning sexual awareness of her rescuer. As their friendship and their love grows, she finds that behind the strong, seemingly unshakable man, stands the shadow of a lost, lonely little boy who just may need rescuing himself.