In the Brief Eternal Silence

Daughter of an impoverished Squire, Lizzie Murdock has heard of the infamous Duke of St. James, derisively known as merely 'St. James' in an ironic twist to the title he holds versus his lifestyle known to be anything but saintly. The fact that he is rich and once considered 'the catch of the decade' holds no attractions for her. When he offers her an astounding proposal, she is more offended than flattered and vows to rebuff his determined advances. Their continued sparring over her future will lead to the revelation that he expects the marriage to be short-lived. I simply believe there is a very good possibility that you shall become a widow at an extremely young age, he tells her. Now doesn't that make the prospect of marrying me much more pleasant? Lizzie is sucked into his world, expecting to find a self-centered man enjoying privilege and ease. Instead she finds a man of uncommon character fighting for his life and prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for those he loves. With her involvement will come consequences that neither of them can foresee, and an arranged proposal meant to flush out evil produces much more until their very survival will depend upon their love for each other.