Book #2

Book #1 The King and Vi. Henry Lewis, the Duke of Carlisle, has a gambling problem . Carlisle has never met a wager he won't take or a bet he won't make. Unfortunately, he was cursed by a witch at the age of thirteen, so his luck ends when he turns thirty. In a last attempt to win back his dwindling fortune, Henry wagers it all to his archenemy the Marquess of Shrewsbury. And when Carlisle puts the last card on the table, Shrewsbury has his revenge. Carlisle is left penniless and homeless. He retreats to his mother's home. Lady Katherine Malfort has finally crossed a line. She was born with a birthmark on her face and kept hidden away by her family. But when she turns twenty-one, she's no longer content to hide. She wants to study painting in Paris, a demand which results in her banishment to Carlisle Hall. Katie is used to being alone, but she finds some solace in the friendship of the Duchess of Carlisle. Until her son, the duke, arrives. Not only does Katie have no respect for a man who would disregard his mother and gamble away his family's home, she's angry at the way he's neglected the estate and the tenants. Carlisle wants to know why the marquess has a vendetta against him. He believes the answer is hidden in the library at Carlisle Hall and needs Katie to help him search it. She agrees, but only if he'll make amends to his tenants. Searching the library and aiding the tenants put Henry in Katie's presence more than she'd like. She can't deny her attraction to the duke, but she knows he will never see her as anything other than the marked daughter of his enemy.