Adult Content Warning

This work could have adult content. If you continue, you have agreed that you are willing to see such content.

If you accept cookies from our site and you choose "Yes, Continue", you will not be asked again during this session (that is, until you close your browser). If you log in you can store your preference and never be asked again.

  1. Tags
    Summary

    In a world of whispers, titles, and perfectly arranged courtships, one young woman stands at the edge of high society, caught between duty and desire. With three seasons behind her and no husband in sight, she is no stranger to gossip. Yet she remains unbothered—until a chance encounter shifts the world beneath her feet.

    At a well-attended promenade, she meets two very different men: the golden, affable Sir Roger, heir to the esteemed Rogers family, and a quiet, brooding stranger with unreadable eyes and a book in his hand.

    When whispers begin that the long-hidden, illegitimate son of the Rogers household will make his debut at the ball, curiosity consumes the ton and her. Rumored to be disfigured, unpleasant, and a source of shame, this mysterious James Barnes is a ghost in society until he appears.

    What no one expects is that the man behind the scandal is not only handsome but the very same stranger she met by accident beneath the trees.

    Language:
    English
    Words:
    29,622
    Chapters:
    9/?
    Comments:
    35
    Kudos:
    100
    Bookmarks:
    25
    Hits:
    2,316