He offered her refuge. She gave him hope.
She came to his estate seeking safety—not love.
Lady Emma Grantham has experienced more than her share of loss. Orphaned as a child and raised among distant relatives alongside her older sister, she’s long since learned to rely on herself. Now temporarily caring for her spirited four-year-old niece, Katie, Emma will do whatever it takes to keep the child safe. When a suspicious fire forces them to flee London, she accepts an unconventional offer: a post as housekeeper at a quiet Sussex estate. But the man who gives them refuge is anything but ordinary. The Earl of Wilton is sharp-witted, private—and distractingly handsome, with sun-kissed curls and sea-green eyes that unsettle her far more than they should. Still, Emma is focused on survival. Her heart is not part of the bargain.