The Duke's Inheritance

 A brilliant woman, alone in the countryside. A handsome Duke, in need of an heir.

They should be a match made in heaven. Instead, they are sworn enemies.

And also, husband and wife.

Hugh Bartholomew Mowbray, the newly ascended Duke of Hartley, has finally returned to England after his abrupt departure years ago. But he is not back from his travels to enjoy his new title and vast estates. Instead, he must grapple with the news of his unusual entailment – he must produce a legitimate heir by the age of thirty otherwise he will lose the bulk of the estate to his horrible half-brother. A strong and handsome man of twenty-eight, Hugh should have no problem securing a wife and heir. Except, he already has a wife. And they have not spoken since she kicked him out three years ago. The Duke decides he must do whatever is in his power to save his inheritance – even if it means making his wife fall in love with him.

The Duchess of Hartley, née Lady Beatrix Tidwell, savors the independence she acquired in her husband’s absence. She’s turned her home, Riverden, into a prosperous estate and a haven for a group of intellectual women known as the Tidwell Society. When her long-absent husband surprises her there, she immediately attempts to banish him from the grounds. The Tidwell Society members convince her to determine his motives, and so she agrees he may stay. But of one thing she is certain: she will never make the mistake of falling for him again.