The Duke’s Lost Love by Ruth A. Casie

In a struggle of denial and destiny, dare they defy fate and chase their heart’s desire?
In the northern England coastal village of Sommer-by-the-Sea, Lady Nanette de Chappell, the Comtesse de Moyne, and His Grace, Morgan Fitzhugh, the reluctant 5th Duke of Preswick, share a history steeped in childhood memories. Nanette, residing in the opulent Dunamara Castle of her grandparents, and Fitzhugh, at the magnificent Preswick Hall, were inseparable companions in their youth.

But as adulthood dawns, Fitzhugh, burdened by the weight of his title, has chosen a path of solitude, vowing never to wed and instead relinquish the responsibilities to his younger brother. With his three closest friends at his side, each grappling with their own romantic disappointments, they make a solemn pact one fateful night—to shun the company of women for three years and immerse themselves in the study of chivalrous love.
(Note: This story was first published as part of the Anthology set titled A Duke in Winter in December 2022.)