title: Redeeming a Rake
author: Hislop, Cari
description: Geoffrey Lyndsey Grayson, the thirteen Duke of Lyndhurst, is trapped in an emotional winter. His childhood dream of finding love is frozen under thick sheets of ice along with his heart. He feels nothing but discomfort as he passively waits for death to end the nothingness. Receiving a summons to his mother's latest ball, he decides he might as well attend as sit there and die. Stepping into the ballroom his eyes are drawn to a woman wearing a pale blue silk dress and rubies in her white blonde hair; she's wearing his colours. Meeting her gaze he feels a strange sharp pain through his forehead. He has to meet her to see if she can make him feel anything else. He tries to aproach her, but the horrified crowd unconsiously swirls around her keeping the young woman out of reach. Shunned in his own ballroom he stands alone watching her dance. He knows it's too late for love. Geoffrey's kind heart and youthful beauty were lost on the road to depravity, leaving a repulsive empty shell. When the young woman breaks several strict social rules and aproaches him to introduce herself he's suddenly enveloped in warmth as if he's stepped into the sunlight. Confronted by the smiling Widow Spencer's friendship the ice begins to melt, reviving his heart causing agonising guilt. He doesn't deserve the smiling woman, but he'll do anything to convince her that he's willing to change, but redemption will cost him dear.
  The young Widow Spencer has no wish to remarry, but tucked away in her heart is a dream to find her childhood hero. She never saw his face and failed to learn his name. He was an elegant hand wearing a large ruby ring whose small act of kindness gave birth to hope that helped her keep smiling and dreaming even when hell threatened to swallow her whole. She's attending the Duchess of Lyndhurst's ball when a deathly hush falls over the gathering and she turns to see the never mentioned Duke of Lyndhurst dressed in pale blue silk ornamented with numerous rubies. Meeting his gaze she's rocked by an inexplicable wave of pleasure. She must speak with him, whatever the cost.