The Heiress (Ladies of Miss Bell's Finishing School Book 2)

After the death of his father, Nicholas, Duke of Blackbourne, begrudgingly left behind his distinguished naval career to assume his proper role in Society. As he settles into the boring life of an aristocrat, he discovers that he has inherited something far worse than boredom, something that he is wholly unprepared for... an eighteen-year-old ward.Heiress Penelope Foster was banished to Miss Bell’s Finishing School only days after her parents died in a tragic accident. Five years later, she is still bitter about her guardian’s neglect. Her only goal is to avoid the duke and the dreaded marriage mart until she meets her majority. Then she will control not only her inheritance but will have the freedom to marry for love.Nicholas is duty-bound. Penelope is stubborn. Neither expect to find the other so intriguing, but when they are caught in a tangled web of greed and deceit, they will have to decide whether they are willing to risk everything for love. Penelope Foster, student of Miss Bell's Finishing School, first lost her parents and then lost her guardian. Her new guardian, the Duke of Blackbourne, is reluctant to leave behind his Naval career in order to run his new estate and manage his ward. Nicholas is not happy about his situation and Penelope, used to being left alone, is resentful of his sudden insertion into her independent life