The Debutante's Brooding Protector

"For heaven's sake, Blackwood. Step out of the shadows. The girl deserves to know who has been saving her."
- The Dowager Duchess of Ashworth, who has reached her limit with brooding Marquesses



He's the grumpiest guardian angel a girl could ask for.



Estella Hale's late brother's best friend absolutely loathes her. The scarred, brooding marquess glowers at her across every ballroom. He chases off every suitor who approaches.



Honestly, he frightens her half to death.



Which is why it's so shocking when Estella begins to suspect that this very same man might be the secret benefactor who's been quietly saving her family for the last two years. Paying her father's debts. Filling the kitchen coffers. Sending every fortune hunter fleeing the country.



But it can't be him. He hates her. Doesn't he?



And yet his coat keeps finding her shoulders the moment she grows cold. And he catches her with extraordinary care every time she stumbles. And when a fortune hunter corners her on the terrace, his response goes beyond protective to… Well, possessive.



But if the Marquess truly has been her guardian angel all along, why is he so determined to push her into another man's arms?



And if she's so frightened of him - why does she care?



A sweet, standalone Regency romance with witty banter, swoony kisses, and one beautifully kept secret.