A Silent Accord by Kathy L Wheeler

She’s no wilting violet in need of rescue.

Miss Verda Fairclough’s father has placed them in dung territory. Again. Now he expects her to bail them out by casting her lure for a truly horrid man. She manages to save herself from that decrepit duke by pretending the distracting Mr. Lysander Oshea, a well-known libertine earl’s brother, is her husband.
Sander is smitten by the bold Miss Fairclough, and despite claiming she is not one in need of rescuing, he offers her an escape from her irresponsible wastrel of a father to the wilds of Northumberland as governess to his young nephew. There are only two problems: she’s not a governess and she has no notion of how to deal with children.
Stormy tempers reign as neglected offspring and the brooding earl exhibit an unfortunate lack of familial accord, leaving Verda and Sander as the sole prospects of breathing life to the gloomy castle. If that were all, it would prove challenge enough. However, the specter of the dead haunt this estate—and some threats are more real than Verda initially believes.

Sander won’t settle for pretend—he’s determined to have Miss Fairclough in his bed. But even he must admit there’s something afoul, and his bold, would-be governess may not be capable of surviving what she’s up against without him.