In her memory of that night, her own silence mocked her most of all. She hadn’t screamed, and because she hadn’t, she’d felt silent ever since. [p. 25]
Serena Barton lost her position as a governess after being turned off for 'immoral behaviour'. The behaviour in question involved the Duke of Clermont, who raped her: now she is pregnant, without hope of employment, and dependent on her judgemental, agoraphobic sister Freddy for a place to live. She decides to picket sit quietly outside the Duke's London residence until he compensates her, or until her presence sparks a scandal that destroys his precarious marriage.
The Duke, who is a coward as well as a sexual predator, sends his man of business, Hugo Marshall -- popularly known as the Wolf of Clermont -- to deal with Miss Barton. Hugo, who is horribly competent at making problems go away, deals with Miss Barton in an escalating series of creative attacks, and then seals the deal by falling in love with, and marrying, her.
Despite the past sexual assault, and the Duke's moral vapidity, this is a sweet and cheering novella. Serena's rape is not described in detail, and Hugo (even before he realises what has happened to Serena) is extremely careful not to appear physically threatening. I especially liked the notes they wrote to one another, Serena in the square and Hugo in his office ... and the way in which Milan wrote the sex scene, in which Hugo treats Serena with respect as well as creativity. And the ending, in which the Duke gets his come-uppance, was profoundly satisfying.
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