Baron Hartwell's Refuge

Tamsin Mayweather has spent her life being useful to a household stretched thin by a growing family and a distracted father, serving as governess, nursemaid, and peacekeeper without ever being asked what she wants.

When Roman Eastwood, Baron Hartwell, offers his hand, he proposes a solution rather than a romance: a title, a household, stability for her siblings, and freedom from a stepmother who values her only for what she provides.

A man who solves problems and never asks for more than duty requires, Roman sees a sensible wife and a marriage of convenience as the next responsible choice.

He does not expect his quiet, practical wife to teach him that happiness might be his to want, just as Tamsin does not expect to be chosen rather than merely needed.

An old political rivalry soon threatens everything Roman has spent his life protecting, forcing them both to decide whether safety was ever really the point.