Aincourt's Hearts

Generations ago, the Aincourt family was given a title and land for their loyalty to the king. But the former abbey they received came with a price-a curse that no family member would ever know happiness. Devin Aincourt, Earl of Ravenscar, makes no apologies for who he is-a drinker, a womanizer, a gambler. Having been cast aside by his disapproving father years before, Dev is content to live out his cursed life in this hedonistic manner. Until his mother asks him to make a bold move to restore the family name and fortune: marry a rich American heiress. Believing it will be a marriage in name only, Dev agrees to marry Miranda. But he never imagined that this feisty, unconventional foreigner would have plans of her own: to restore Blackwater, the old abbey, to its former glory, to extricate Dev from the clutches of a devious mistress and to win his heart for her own. All while risking her own life to an unknown enemy.

Fall back in love with the Aincourts in this fan-favorite historical romance from New York Times bestselling author Candace Camp, originally published in print in 2002. His life in ruins, Richard, Duke of Cleybourne, returns to his country estate to recover from a tragic loss he'd suffered four years earlier. However, his solitude is interrupted by the arrival of Miss Jessica Maitland, a flame-haired governess who presents her charge, Gabriella, as Richard's new ward. As if their unwelcome presence weren't bad enough, Jessica also reveals that Gabriella's life is in danger. Someone is after the young girl's fortune-someone who might be closer than Richard could ever guess. And even with danger mounting, Richard finds it harder and harder to deny his growing feelings for Jessica. When a raging snowstorm brings an odd assortment of guests to Cleybourne Castle, violence strikes, and Richard and Jessica find themselves on the hunt for a killer. Can they unravel the darkness at the heart of Cleybourne, before it's too late?