Once Upon a Not at all Innocent Kiss: Charles' story (A Christmas Prequel) - The Whickertons in Love, Book 9

He saw her not as tarnished, but as gold.BEATRICE HARTLEY, daughter to BARON BENTON, is in love and with child... yet not married—a scandal ripe enough to ruin reputations in Regency England. Spurned by the man she gave her heart to in a fleeting moment of passion, she confides in her parents, who hastily arrange a match to salvage her reputation and their family's honor. As Beatrice faces a loveless future, the light of hope dims...... until CHARLES BEAUMONT, LORD HAWTHORNE, eldest son of LORD and LADY WHICKERTON, returns to England.Not the hero she expected, but the one she needed.At a glittering ball, he is struck not by the gaiety but by Beatrice's silent tears. Born to a family that weds for love, Charles is torn between tradition and the unexpected pull of a woman bound to another.With one look, she became his everything.