Duchess in Waiting — Rita Bay

Lady Ellen Hammond languished for years at Madame Foret's Academy for Young Ladies while her fiance and guardian, the Duke of Ralston, enjoyed a rake's life in London. When she must return to England to escape the violence of the Revolution, she decides that the life of a long-suffering duchess-in-waiting is not for her. Posing as a valet, Devon Townsley, the Duke of Ralston, accompanies Robert Montclair to Paris to rescue Ellen and her English friends. Unprepared to settle down, he wants to see if his fiancee will make a suitable duchess. He has his doubts when he must rescue her from captivity in a brothel. Determined to settle her business in London and travel the world, Ellen finds romance and passion with Rob's aggravating valet, Tobias Stanford. When sparks ignite between the two and burst into a passionate affair, Devon reconsiders his commitment to living a rake's life. He discovers, however, that his deceit has a high price.