"She Won't Last a Month," the Duke Told His Butler — By Summer, Everyone Took Orders From Her

The Duke of Alderwick was certain Eliza Mercer would not last a month. She was only meant to help him recover from an injury—not challenge his pride, understand the weakness he refused to show, or become the one person whose judgment he willingly trusted. But as spring turns to summer, the proud Duke begins listening to the quiet widow he once dismissed. What starts as reluctant obedience becomes private trust, dangerous attraction, and eventually a public choice neither of them can pretend means nothing. A slow-burn Duke Romance filled with hurt/comfort, restrained longing, class tension, emotional vulnerability, and a heroine determined never to lose herself inside someone else's need.