The Dream of a Duchess: 1 (Widowers of the Aristocracy)

When Lady Isabella thinks she has witnessed the murder of her mother--by her father the Earl of Craythorne--she rides off to London in search of the man her mother Arabella instructed she contact lest anything befall her.Directions send Isabella to the doors of The Elegant Courtesan a high-end brothel owned by David Fitzwilliam Earl of Norwick to whom she relates her gruesome tale. Stunned and heartbroken at hearing the fate of Arabella David vows to ensure Isabellas safety from Craythorne and he enlists the aid of Octavius Duke of Huntington to provide protection and a home in the country where she wont be found. He would do it himself but hes due to marry the girls aunt Lady Clarinda and has some courting to do-- his twin brother seems determined to make her his own wife.Still suffering from the loss of his wife in childbirth Octavius has long since given up the joy he took in his race horses--choosing to ignore his stables and country estate and live in London immersed in reading and attending sessions of Parliament.Not particularly pleased with having a ward Octavius soon discovers Isabellas passion for horses goes far beyond just riding them. With a new generation of racehorses in his stables and his country estate suddenly in pristine condition he may just experience some horse sense himself in The Dream of a Duchess.