A noblewoman of frail beauty and exotic mystery fakes her own death to escape the gallows.

And now she must flee. In disguise and under a false identity, she finds unexpected sanctuary in the arms of a handsome and arrogant yet gallant British lord—who must defy society to keep her safe . . . and overcome a tragic past to claim her as his own.

Smuggled out of St. Petersburg by sea, Anastasia Kaptereva sheds her vast fortune to cross the frozen Baltic. Arriving on English shores as Karen Billings, the fugitive heiress takes shelter as a governess at Southgate Hall.

Behind the estate’s tranquil hedges, Lucas Stokehurst nurses the bitter grief and physical scars of the blaze that took his wife. When an imperial vendetta tracks her across the sea, the wounded widower must risk everything to shield the runaway who has captured his soul.

• Forced Proximity: Confined together within the sprawling walls of Southgate Hall, an enigmatic Russian refugee and her handsome employer discover an intoxicating passion that neither can control.
• Slow Burn: Guarding against pity for his silver hook and tragic bereavement, Lucas keeps the world at bay until Karen’s quiet compassion slowly dismantles his fiercest defenses.
• Found Family: From taming an overgrown wolfhound with soft Russian whispers to coaxing a rebellious, carrot-haired girl into her studies, an isolated fugitive unexpectedly finds a home.
• Race Against Time: With Prince Nikolas Angelovsky determined to avenge his murdered brother, Anastasia must protect her new life before imperial pursuers drag her back to the gallows.
• Also by This Author: Marrying Winterborne, Devil in Winter and Cold-Hearted Rake.