Though Charles was many years older than Ellen, he was everything she wanted in a husband--strong, gentle, kind, good-humored, and warmly devoted. When he died, she thought he could never be replaced--until she met the irresistibly handsome Lord Dominic Eden.

Though Charles was many years older than Ellen, he was everything she wanted in a husband--strong, gentle, kind, good-humored, and warmly devoted. When he died, she thought he could never be replaced--until she met the irresistibly handsome Lord Dominic Eden.

New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh brilliantly captures the passionate conflict of a woman caught between two loves in this classic tale of friendship, devotion, intrigue--and a love that is the most seductive trap of all....

He'd served with her husband on the battlefield--and secretly desired her for years. Yet for Dominic, Lieutenant Lord Eden, Ellen Simpson has remained tantalizingly out of reach--until she is widowed by the war. Suddenly pursued by the dangerously handsome nobleman, Ellen is stunned by the depth of attraction he arouses in her. Soon their friendship flames into something deeper...and as scandal ignites, marriage seems the only solution. But Ellen has a secret--one she can share with no one--that prevents her from fully opening her heart to Dominic. Until he devises his own plan for the ultimate consummation of their passion--and the woman he is determined to possess at any cost...