The Widowed Earl’s Second Chance (Preview)

Chapter One

Ever since she lost her parents, Louise Price has lived with her aunt, who neglects her and makes sure that Louise is isolated with her controlling nature. All Louise wants is to get away and find someone who was willing to love her despite her quirks and flaws. So when she ends up meeting the Earl of Chesterfield by chance, she begins to think that her future might look brighter. But can she get past the fact that she might not be old enough for him?

Charles, Earl of Chesterfield, has been alone with his twin children since his wife died. He never considered finding anyone again, marriage not being on the cards for him. Then he meets Louise, and his perceptions begin to change. Despite the gap in their ages, Charles finds himself drawn to her. And will he be able to get past his wife’s sudden death?

As Louise and Charles navigate something new, and they grow ever closer, they have to deal with Louise’s aunt throwing up obstacles, an earl who is taking far too much interest in Louise, and Charles’ sister-in-law trying to get in the way and take his attention. While things progress, the two of them begin to realize that their possible union has opened up more questions from the past. Not only from Louise’s but Charles’ as well. Will they find out what is going on and why people are so adamant that they shouldn’t be together? Will Louise decide that the mess that comes with Charles’ family is not enough to stay around? Or will they make it through and still be standing while everything crumbles due to long-held lies?

“Kenneth, please be careful!” Clarissa Coleton called as laughter floated up towards them. “You’re getting too close to the water.”

The toddler giggled and jumped about waving the reeds he had picked up. Louise Price smiled.

“You don’t need to worry about him, Clarissa. Nanny June is right by them. They’re not going to end up in the pond.”

“Much as I trust Nanny June, I’m still worried about them going anywhere near the water.” Clarissa frowned. “You know how sneaky children are, and how quickly they can get into trouble.”

Louise laughed.

“I remember that time when Kenneth, Charlotte and Terence got into the paint in your art studio and decided that tipping it all over the floor and on each other was a good idea.”

“Oh, God!” Clarissa shuddered. “Why did you have to remind me of that? We had to stick them in baths throughout the day to get them clean properly, and their clothes couldn’t be saved. Neither could the rug they were on. We had to throw it out and get a new one.”

“At least the floorboards were washable.”

“And I know you find it amusing. You didn’t have to deal with it. And I know the housekeeper wasn’t happy about it for a while afterwards.” Clarissa sipped her tea. “I feel grateful that she didn’t resign right there and then. She’s a godsend.”

“Mrs Marshwood is a patience woman who’s worth her weight in gold, Clarissa. You’re not going to lose her.”

Louise watched her friend shake her head and finish her tea. There was a bit of stress in her face, but it was slowly relaxing. Being a mother, even with servants around to help, was tough on any woman, and Louise had witnessed with Clarissa since Terence was born five years ago. How she coped with three children under the age of six, Louise had no idea. She was just glad that she didn’t deal with them for more than a couple of hours. Louise adored them, but she didn’t think she would be able to manage more than she already did.

Today, it was just Terence and Kenneth. Charlotte was only six months old and she was having her nap back at the house, a short walk away. Louise had suggested coming out for a picnic and wearing out the older children so the afternoon could be calmer than normal. Clarissa hadn’t been so sure, but it seemed to be making her feel a little better. She was certainly not as tense as before.

Motherhood was something Louise didn’t think she would ever experience. And she didn’t need to when she was this close to children and a mother. She had been friends with Clarissa for more than twenty years, and they had shared practically everything. Clarissa was also the one who had been staunchly at Louise’s side as the Seasons came and went, and Louise still didn’t have a husband. It had been irritating in the beginning, but now Louise just didn’t care. Who wanted someone who was like her, anyway? She was one of those people who just seemed not to be marriage material. Louise had come to terms with it.

Clarissa didn’t care. As long as she had her friend and someone to vent to when she was in need of a listening ear, that was enough for her. And Louise liked to think that she was a good listener.

“I just hope that it’s going to be easier once they get older,” Clarissa said, putting her cup and saucer aside before dusting the crumbs off her skirts. “They’re a handful now, so I’m shuddering to think what they’re going to be like in ten years and they start being rebellious.”

“They’re not going to be rebellious. They’ll be absolutely fine.” Louise patted her friend’s knee. “Just take a deep breath and remember that things are going to be fine. You’ve got a lot of support and the servants are around you. You don’t need to worry about anything.”

Clarissa looked unsure, and Louise could understand. She had been feeling low since having Charlotte, and getting her spirits up was harder this time around. Louise worried that Clarissa’s nerves were not so good anymore. Maybe she should speak to her husband about taking Clarissa away for a while, or just giving her time away from the children. Perhaps they should go and visit Clarissa’s parents and they can look after the children while Clarissa got some rest. Louise knew that having time to herself with her children close by would do her wonders.

Something to improve her mood.

“So, how are my dear ladies?”

Clarissa looked up, and her face broke into one of those rare smiles that had been missing lately. Her husband, Lord Mark Coleton, appeared behind them, nodding at the nearby footman before he settled down onto the blanket laid out across the grass. He leaned in and kissed his wife’s cheek.

“You’re looking better, darling. How is the park air doing for you?”

“Better now that you’re here,” Clarissa replied.

Louise snorted.

“It’s a good thing you’re here, Mark. Clarissa’s been incredibly worried about your sons.”

“She’s always worried about them. They will get concerned that they’re going to get into things again.” Mark grinned at Louise. “They are precocious children, after all. Much like me when I want that age.”

“I worry what you were like when you were that age, Mark,” Louise shot back.

If it had been anyone else, they might have gotten upset and chided Louise for behaving in such a manner, but Mark Coleton had known Louise for as long as he knew Clarissa. They could squabble and tease each other like they were brother and sister. Louise couldn’t have asked for a better husband for her friend.

Mark laughed, and Clarissa leaned into her husband. She was looking a little more relaxed now. Perhaps broaching the subject of taking her to spend time away from her children would be a good idea. Louise wanted to see her looking better.

“By the way,” Mark said as he picked up a strawberry and bit into it, “I’ve got someone I think you would like to meet, Louise.”

Louise groaned.

“Oh, Mark, not this again.”

“What?”

“You’re trying to get me to be around a gentleman so I can find a husband, aren’t you?”

Mark didn’t answer immediately, but his expression told Louise everything. This wouldn’t be the first time he had tried to do this, and it was annoying. He knew the reasons why Louise didn’t want that to happen.

“What’s wrong with entertaining the idea?” Clarissa asked. “You are going to end up being alone for a long time if you’re not careful.”

“Don’t you start, Clarissa. You know perfectly well why I’m in spinsterhood now.”

“Just because it didn’t work in the past doesn’t mean it’s not going to work now. I’m quite content being on my own without any potential husband being around me.”

Mark finished his mouthful and swallowed, kissing his wife’s head before reaching for another strawberry.

“Well, it should be a good thing. After all, you can’t rely on your aunt for your future.”

Louise snorted.

“I don’t want to be relying on her now. Not that she’s done anything to provide for me beyond the basics.” She sipped her tea. “You both know what happened to me when I entered Society for the first time and how every interaction with a potential suitor happened. They disappear on me and decide that I’m not suitable for them at all. And they never gave a reason why.”

That had been demoralizing for Louise. She thought that she was being successful and expected to be married by the time her second Season started, but that never happened. Instead, she had so many rejections and refusals that word got around and now Louise was mostly avoided. It had been horrible in the beginning, and Louise had been miserable. But now it was just something she had to shrug off and accept that she was going to be a spinster. Not the status she wanted or expected, but Louise could manage.

“Look,” she put her tea down, “I appreciate your help on this, Mark, but I don’t want to go through all of that again. It was painful back then, and I doubt that it’s going to be any better.”

“So you want to be under your Aunt Harriet’s thumb for the rest of your life?” Mark snorted. “I doubt that she’s going to leave you anything once she passes away. She’s barely left you anything before apart from the bare minimum.”

“You think I want to be in this situation? I haven’t got a choice, and I know Aunt Harriet doesn’t want me around. But what can I do?”

Louise didn’t want to be reminded of her home situation. Her parents had died when she was very young, and her mother’s sister had been made to take her in. Aunt Harriet didn’t like Louise being around, and she kept their interactions to a minimum. Even when Louise went to social gatherings, Aunt Harriet didn’t accompany her. It was like they existed in the same house and that was it most days. Louise wished that they could actually get along, but with how prickly her aunt was towards her, she doubted that it was going to happen anytime soon.

“While I do agree with my husband,” Clarissa said, glancing at Mark before turning back to her friend, “I think we should let it happen naturally. With how things had been in the past, I don’t want it to hurt Louise more than she already has been. How do we know this is going to be different?”

“Because my friend is different,” Mark insisted. “He was very keen to hear about you, and I’m sure that things are going to be fine. He likes astrology.”

Louise sighed.

“It’s astronomy, Mark, not astrology. How long have you known me?”

“Is it? I thought they were the same thing.”

Clarissa swatted his shoulder.

“You really need to pay attention, Mark. And while I do think Louise should settle down and have her own life away from what she has now, we can’t rush it. Anything forced is more than likely going to do more harm than good.”

Mark sighed and shrugged.

“I do concede that Louise has had a lot of bad luck in the past. But it should be fine this time, right? It’s been some years since that happened.”

“It doesn’t mean it won’t happen again,” Louise pointed out. “I appreciate you looking out for me, but it’s not going to be easy to accept anything that I know is going to hurt me in the future.” She looked around at a squeal. “I think you’re going to need to make sure Kenneth and Terence don’t push your nanny into the water, otherwise you’re going to have someone going home dripping wet.”

Sighing, Mark kissed Clarissa and stood up.

“I’ll go. But think about what I said, Louise. I think my friend would be just right for you.”

Louise rolled her eyes. She doubted that was going to be the case, but she was enjoying her day too much to have an argument over it. Mark meant well, but it was so annoying when he was too well-meaning.

At least Clarissa loved him, and that was all that mattered to Louise. She wanted to see her friend happy, and that made her happy.

It was worth it rather than moaning about her own situation.

#

More squealing emitted around Louise, which made her jump. Much as she loved the little boys, they were certainly loud and boisterous. It was enough to make her head ring like she had a bell in her skull.

There were times like this when she could sympathize with Clarissa. The loudness was enough to make anyone feel like they were on frayed nerves.

“Please be careful, you two!” Nanny June said as she dodged around Louise. “You’re going to trip someone over if you keep behaving like this.”

But Terence and Kenneth just laughed and ran off, Kenneth toddling behind his older brother. Nanny June sighed and followed them.

“I think Nanny June is going to be more worn out than the boys,” Mark commented. He was walking Clarissa along the path with Louise on his other side, the footmen behind them carrying the picnic basket. “They do know how to make everyone exhausted.”

“I’m surprised the children know how to sit down,” Louise laughed, watching as Kenneth jumped into Nanny June’s arms and she lifted him into the air, which brought about more squealing. “They’re adorable, but I know that they are a handful.”

“At their age, that’s to be expected.”

Louise looked at Clarissa, who seemed to have her gaze focused on her children. Leaning in, Louise lowered her voice.

“I think Clarissa needs a holiday, Mark. She’s looking rather frayed around the edges.”

“She’s my wife, Louise, not a rug.”

“You know what I mean. I think she needs some proper rest, and even with the servants around she’s not going to get it in London.” Louise gently nudged him. “I think you should take her and the children to either your parents’ house or her family estate for an extended holiday and make the most of time alone. If you can’t do that, make sure she had plenty of time to do what she wants.”

Mark sighed.

“You think I haven’t tried that. I know she needs rest, but she doesn’t take it. In fact, she needs her children around her.”

“Maybe suggest that she try doing her painting again. She used to love doing that. Then you can have the children elsewhere in the house, or even out in the garden so she can see them.” Louise nodded at Mark’s unsure expression. “You know it will do her the world of good. I don’t want to see her convalesce away from her children because she took too much on and didn’t look after herself.”

“I agree with that.” Mark gave Louise a smile and nodded. “I’ll see what I can do. But you know how stubborn Clarissa is. Maybe I can get her to paint with the children in the room, get them to paint with her. She wants to introduce it to them when they’re older.”

“If you think you can trust them not to tip paint everywhere.”

“If it makes her happy.”

Louise wasn’t sure if that would work with how rambunctious the children were, but if they could manage to get it to work, then that would be better than nothing. She just wanted her friend to have her spirits lifted, and painting would be ideal.

They were coming to a turn in the path, and Clarissa noticed that someone was walking towards them. It meant that she would have to step onto the grass, so Louise sidestepped onto the uneven ground to give him some space. But at that moment Terence decided to run across her, catching her off-balance. Louise tried to catch herself, but her foot got caught in the hem of her dress and it got stuck. She felt something tug, and then she was falling.

The ground came up to meet her, and then she landed hard on her side. Pain shot up her shoulder, and down along her arm. Something sharp scraped against her gloved hand and through her dress against her hip. Gasping, Louise lay frozen for a moment. She wanted to curl into a ball and hide from what happened. Now this was one way to humiliate herself.

And, this time, it would be her fault.

“Louise!” Clarissa gasped, hurrying to her. “Are you alright?”

“I…I’m fine,” Louise said through gritted teeth.

Then there was the sound of rustling clothes, and someone knelt down beside her. Louise looked up, but couldn’t see much with the sun directly behind them; their face was mostly obscured. But then her eyes sharpened, and she saw the gentleman who was leaning over her.

Strong, rugged complexion with a strong jaw, dark blue eyes that were narrowed in concern, and a soft-looking mouth. He had a hat on, so Louise couldn’t see his hair, but his eyebrows were black, brought together on his forehead as he looked at her.

For a moment, Louise couldn’t speak. There was something…enigmatic about him, and she couldn’t take her eyes off him.

“You’re not hurt, are you, my lady?” he asked, his voice deep and rumbling. It seemed to vibrate across her skin, and Louise had to fight the urge to shiver.

“I…I don’t…I don’t think so.”

Why did her voice have to squeak like that? God, she was even more embarrassed now, lying sprawled on the ground like a fool while this very handsome gentleman was looking down at her.

His expression said that he didn’t quite believe her, but he put his hands under her shoulders.

“Let’s get you standing up, then, my lady. If you think you can manage it?”

“I think I can do that.” Louise managed to get her foot out of her dress hem and sat up slowly. “I…forgive me, I…”

“Children are lovable but they get in the way, don’t they?” His mouth twitched. “I have children myself and, trust me, they’re still get in the way.”

“Oh. I see.”

Why did hearing that he had children lower her mood? Louise was surprised at herself. What was going on with her? She didn’t even know his name and her heart was already pounding.

“Come on, Louise! Let’s get you upright.”

Louise jumped. She had almost forgotten that Mark and Clarissa were there. Seeing Mark standing over her, holding out a hand, she knew that she couldn’t refuse. Sighing, she took his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet with a little assistance from the gentleman as he stood behind her. Once she was upright, Louise busied herself with dusting herself off. Gravel stuck to her dust, and it seemed to have become rather sticky. Her elbow and shoulder were stinging, as was her hip and knee. Louise had a feeling that she was going to be moving very gingerly for a while.

“Oh, Louise! I can’t apologize enough.” Clarissa looked upset, helping Louise to dust herself down. “Terence didn’t mean anything by it.”

“You don’t need to apologize, Clarissa. It was an accident.” Louise managed a smile. “No harm done.”

Apart from her pride. It would be just her luck that she would fall over in front of a very handsome gentleman. And he was still watching her, his gaze unreadable. It was disconcerting.

“Lord Chesterfield!” Mark’s exclamation made Louise jump. “I didn’t realize you were back in London.”

“My children and I arrived at our townhouse yesterday.” That voice was still enough to make Louise tremble. “I thought I’d stretch my legs today after a long journey down here.”

“It’s certainly been a while since you’ve been in the city itself, isn’t it?” Mark asked.

“A very long time, Lord Coleton. And it’s nice to see that you’ve built yourself a family while I’ve been away.”

As he said that, Kenneth trotted over, almost barreling into Chesterfield’s leg. Clarissa gasped.

“Kenneth! Don’t do that!”

“It’s fine. The twins were very much like this when they were the same age.” Chesterfield laughed, and managed to get Kenneth off his leg. “Thankfully they’re too old to be doing that, or I would be in trouble.”

Dear God, that laugh was almost as rich as his voice. Louise absently rubbed at her arms, feeling her skin prickling. There was something really wrong with her. Did she hit her head in the fall?

“My family has certainly grown,” Mark laughed. “I think Terence was merely a baby when you…well…”

“When my wife died?” Chesterfield sighed. “Sounds like I’ve been away for too long.”

“I wouldn’t say that. Time just passes us by.” Mark turned to Clarissa. “Darling, this is the Earl of Chesterfield. He and I knew each other some years ago. This is my wife, Clarissa.”

“My lord.” Clarissa curtsied. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. My husband has spoken about you before. I wish we had spoken before.”

“Lady Clarissa.” The earl bowed to her, taking off his hat and revealing his raven-black hair was streaked throughout with silver strands. “It’s a pleasure to be acquainted with you. I’m glad to see that Lord Coleton is happy with his life.”

Clarissa bit her lip and she blushed. Louise almost laughed at the sight; Clarissa looked like a little girl again. It was rather sweet to see.

Then Louise realized that Chesterfield was looking at her. Her heart tripped over itself, and her mouth went dry. There was something about the way he looked at her that was intense. It rooted her to the spot. And she had lost the ability to speak.

“And this is our friend, Lady Louise Price,” Mark went on hurriedly, giving Louise a nudge. “She’s a childhood friend of my wife’s.”

“I see.” The earl bowed to Louise, barely taking his eyes off her. “Lady Louise.”

“My…my lord.” Louise cleared her throat and dropped a curtsy, wobbling suddenly before getting back on her feet. “Forgive me for such an…introduction. I don’t normally…well…”

“Take a tumble?” Chesterfield’s mouth twitched and it formed into a smile. “It normally happens around children. You blink and they’re suddenly under your feet.”

That smile. Louise was surprised that she wasn’t swooning. It reached his eyes, and made them warm and twinkle.

What was wrong with her? This was not right.

“I trust that your son isn’t hurt, Lady Clarissa?” Chesterfield asked, suddenly turning to Clarissa. “He didn’t get caught in the tumble.”

“No, he’s fine, as you can see.” Clarissa gestured at Terence, who was picking daisies with his brother, Nanny June crouching beside them. “I don’t think much fazes him, if I’m honest.”

“And you’re not too badly hurt, are you, my lady?”

It took a moment for Louise to realize that he was talking to her. She felt her face getting warm, and she cleared her throat.

“I’ll be fine,” she mumbled. “It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

“Louise has been around them since they were born,” Mark added, putting an arm around Clarissa’s shoulders. “She knows it’s harmless.”

“Although my pride is a little bit dented,” Louise muttered under her breath.

From the look on the earl’s face, he heard her, and he was clearly trying to hold back a laugh. That made Louise smile, and they exchanged a look where something passed between them. It felt like a warm cloak that wrapped around Louise’s shoulders, and she wanted to huddle into it.

Then she caught herself, and stopped thinking that something was actually happening. She needed to get her head back on straight, or she was going to start behaving with such folly.

“Anyway, we were about to head home with the children,” Mark went on. “Would you like to join us, my lord?”

“Thank you for the invitation, but maybe another time.” Chesterfield put his hat back on and adjusted the lapels on his jacket. “My children are coming back from the dressmaker and tailor’s shortly. I said we could have tea together.”

“How old are your children?” Louise asked.

“They’re both eighteen. This is going to be their first Season.”

He had adult children? He had to be at least in his late thirties. And he was this handsome? Louise wondered what he had been drinking to make himself look so good.

“Anyway, I’d better be on my way. I want to make sure they haven’t gone overboard with spending. The pair of them are far too excited.” Chesterfield touched his fingers to his hat at Louise. “Lady Louise. Lady Clarissa. Lord Coleton.”

Louise watched him as he walked away, his stride confident and sure of himself. He looked like a prowling animal sauntering away. Wait, why was she making a comparison like that?

“Louise?” Clarissa was watching her oddly. “Are you alright?”

“I…I’m fine.” Louise cleared her throat. “It’s just…you don’t normally fall flat on your face in front of earls, that’s all.”

Clarissa arched an eyebrow, giving her a sly smile. For a moment, she looked like her old self again. Then Mark squeezed his wife’s shoulders.

“Anyway, shall we go before the boys trip over someone else? I’m sure Charlotte will be happy to see us if she’s awake now.”

Clarissa nodded her agreement and they walked down the path, Louise following just behind them, the footman almost keeping in step with her. Louise couldn’t walk too much, not with her body as sore as it was.

And she couldn’t stop thinking about the Earl of Chesterfield. For the first time in years, she actually had a man on her mind. And he had barely done anything except smile at her.

 

Chapter Two

As soon as Charles Simmons opened the door, he could hear the laughter coming from the drawing room. It sounded like Lara and Archie had already gotten back from their excursion to the relative shops to get their clothes for their first ball. It was nice to know that they were happy and looking forward to it.

Mary would be happy to see their twins entering Society for the first time. If she was here, she would be excited and thrilled over it. This was something Charles wished that she could have seen.

A stab of pain hit him in the chest, and Charles absently rubbed at his breastbone. It was not as painful as it used to be – it had been five years, after all – but it was still there. Charles was sure it would always be there, and he would eventually be able to cope with it. That wasn’t anytime now, though.

Charles hoped that it wasn’t going to get in the way of anything. He wanted to enjoy his children’s first moments. Even though they were grown and heading out on their own, for the most part, he wanted to experience it along with them. And he couldn’t really do that if he was behaving like a grumpy old man.

At forty, he was certainly feeling old.

As Charles opened the door, a squeal made him jump and he clutched at his chest.

“God, Lara! Don’t do that! You’re going to make my heart give out one of these days.”

“My apologies, Father.” Lara was still giggling as she hurried over to her father and kissed his cheek. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“What was the reason for the scream, anyway?” Charles looked past her and at Archie, who was holding up a white mask that covered half of his face. “What on earth are you doing, Archie?”

“It’s a mask, Father.” His son took it off and gestured with it. “We’re going to be having a masquerade ball at some point, according to the tailor, and he said he could sell me a mask for it.”

“It looks like something you use to cover your face when it’s been burned.”

Archie huffed and put a hand on his hip.

“Is that your way of saying I shouldn’t have been persuaded to buy one, Father?”

“Well, you were only meant to get your suit fitted properly, and Lara was supposed to pick up her dress. Nothing more.” Charles sighed. “You really need to stop doing that. Learn the value of money, Archie.”

“It’s fine. It wasn’t very much at all.”

“And I suppose you bought a matching one for your sister as well? You just have to match, don’t you?”

“Of course he did.” Lara picked up a similar mask and held it up to her face with another giggle. “At least we would be able to pick each other out in a crowd. No awkward interactions, so to speak.”

Charles should have guessed. They did like to have matching things. Being different genders meant they couldn’t be identical, but they did like to match colors and items that men or women could use. Already they were both tall and of similar builds – although Archie was slightly more firmly built than his sister – with hair black like their father’s and identical brown eyes. Their bond was close, and Charles wasn’t about to argue with that. He just wished that it didn’t get too much; whoever fell in love with either of his children was going to have to deal with the other being around in their life as well.

Charles wondered if he would have been the same if he had been born with a twin. Then again, given how much he squabbled with his younger brothers when they were younger, he doubted that it would have been as successful as Archie and Lara were.

“What do you think, Father?” Lara asked, going over to the settee, where a gorgeous gown in dark green was laid out. Beside it was a green jacket and matching waistcoat. “Archie and I wanted to match in green. Is this a good color?”

“Any color looks good on you, Lara. You know that.” Charles sat in a nearby chair. “You won’t have to worry about losing each other in a crowd with a dark color like that. Archie, do you mind pouring me out a drink? My feet are killing me.”

“Alright, Father.” Archie moved over to the drinks cabinet. “What did you get up to? You said you were going for a walk.”

“I did. And I encountered an old acquaintance as well.”

“At least you’re meeting new people as well,” Lara commented. “Uncle Harvey said that it was best that you did that as well as us.”

“Well, I’m at an age where I can take my time with it. And I’m not in any hurry about it.”

---

“The Widowed Earl’s Second Chance” is an Amazon Best-Selling novel, check it out here!

In the stifling confines of her aunt’s neglect, Lady Louise Price yearns for freedom and love. After losing her parents, she finds herself trapped in a life devoid of affection, isolated by her aunt’s controlling nature. Desperate to escape, Louise clings to the hope of finding someone who will cherish her despite her flaws. When fate leads her to the Earl of Chesterfield, she dares to believe that happiness might finally be within reach.

Can she overcome the barriers of society and her own past to embrace this hope?

Charles Simmons, Earl of Chesterfield, burdened by the weight of his wife’s sudden death, never imagined love could find him again. Left to raise his twin children alone, he resigns himself to a life without romance. When he meets Louise though, her warmth and kindness chip away at the walls he has built around his heart. Despite the vast difference in their ages, Charles finds himself drawn to her in ways he never thought possible.

Can his desire for love overcome the ghosts of his past?

As Louise and Charles embark on a journey of love and self-discovery, they must confront the obstacles standing in their way. From Louise’s meddling aunt to the scrutiny of society, and even the shadows of Charles’ past, their path to happiness is fraught with challenges. Will their love withstand the trials that threaten to tear them apart, or will the weight of their histories crush their chance at happiness? And amidst the chaos, will they find the courage to defy convention and follow their hearts?

“The Widowed Earl’s Second Chance” is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

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