Her Childhood Rival Became England’s Coldest Duke—They Fought in Public But He Wanted Her in Private

Lady Beatrix Halden returns to England after ten years abroad and finds that the boy who once raced her to the lake has become the coldest Duke in England. To the county, Christopher Aldous is feared, distant, and impossible to love. To Beatrix, he is still Kit—the childhood rival who remembers when she is hungry, knows when she is frightened, and notices the smallest things no one else sees. But beneath their public arguments lies an old wound neither of them has ever truly escaped. As jealousy, old memories, a dangerous carriage accident, and a devastating truth pull them closer, Beatrix discovers that the cruelest thing Christopher ever did to her was deliberate—and that the reason behind it changes everything. But understanding is not the same as forgiveness, and the Duke must finally learn that loving someone does not give him the right to choose her future for her. A sweeping Regency romance about childhood rivals, hidden devotion, jealousy, sacrifice, emotional healing, and a love that survived ten years of silence. If you enjoy emotional Duke romances, slow-burn love stories, childhood rivals to lovers, powerful heroines, hidden longing, and satisfying happily-ever-afters, this story is for you. #RegencyRomance #DukeRomance #HistoricalRomance #RivalsToLovers