A Touch of Silver by Lynne Connolly

Gerald Dersingham, the new Earl of Carbrooke, is captivated by the woman who storms into his house demanding an explanation for a letter he had no idea he sent.

Gerald never wanted to be an earl. He was happier living in seclusion with his sisters. About to become betrothed to the icy daughter of a duke, he meets the vibrant, alluring Annie, who captivates his heart. But if he gives in to his desires, he risks a happy ending for his sisters, and they deserve their chances.

Annie Cathcart is a widow from the City of London. Finally, she has the chance to achieve her dream of creating silverware for the table. But she needs Gerald’s old Shoreditch home to do it. Expecting a stuffy, pompous aristocrat, she meets a man who sees right through her practical exterior to the passionate woman beneath. She wants him more than the house, her respectability, and her independence.

Annie and Gerald are faced with stark choices when her landlord tries to blackmail her into marriage. Either they give in to the pressures forcing them into unhappy respectability apart… or they boldly defy convention in the name of love.