Fiction. Romance. Historical Fiction. HTML:BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Mary Balogh's The Secret Mistress.

All of London is abuzz over the imminent arrival of Wulfric Bedwyn, the reclusive, cold-as-ice Duke of Bewcastle, at the most glittering social event of the season. Some whisper of a tragic love affair. Others say he is so aloof and passionless that not even the greatest beauty could capture his attention. But on this dazzling afternoon, one woman did catch the dukeâ??s eyeâ??and she was the only female in the room who wasnâ??t even trying. Christine Derrick is intrigued by the handsome dukeâ?¦all the more so when he invites her to become his mistress.

What red-blooded woman wouldnâ??t enjoy a tumble in the bedsheets with a consummate loverâ??with no strings and no questions asked. An infuriating lady with very definite views on men, morals, and marriage, Christine confounds Wulfric at every turn. Yet even as the lone wolf of the Bedwyn clan vows to seduce her any way he can, something strange and wonderful is happening. Now for a man who thought heâ??d never lose his heart, nothing less than love will do.

With her trademark wit, riveting storytelling, and sizzling sexual sparks, Mary Balogh once again brings together two polar opposites: an irresistible, high-and-mighty aristocrat and the impulsive, pleasure-loving woman who shows him what true passion is all about. A man and a woman so wrong for each other, it can result only