About the book:
Plain, practical Eleanor Braddock knows she will never marry, but
with a dying soldier’s last whisper, she believes her life can still
have meaning and determines to find his widow. Impoverished and
struggling to care for her ailing father, Eleanor arrives at Belmont
Mansion, home of her aunt, Adelicia Acklen, the richest woman in
America–and possibly the most demanding, as well. Adelicia insists on
finding her niece a husband, but a simple act of kindness leads Eleanor
down a far different path–building a home for destitute widows and
fatherless children from the Civil War. While Eleanor knows her own
heart, she also knows her aunt will never approve of this endeavor.
Archduke Marcus Gottfried has come to Nashville from Austria in search of a life he determines, instead of one determined for him. Hiding his royal heritage, Marcus longs to combine his passion for nature with his expertise in architecture, but his plans to incorporate natural beauty into the design of the widows’ and children’s home run contrary to Eleanor’s wishes. As work on the home draws them closer together, Marcus and Eleanor find common ground–and a love neither of them expects. But Marcus is not the man Adelicia has chosen for Eleanor, and even if he were, someone who knows his secrets is about to reveal them all.
Archduke Marcus Gottfried has come to Nashville from Austria in search of a life he determines, instead of one determined for him. Hiding his royal heritage, Marcus longs to combine his passion for nature with his expertise in architecture, but his plans to incorporate natural beauty into the design of the widows’ and children’s home run contrary to Eleanor’s wishes. As work on the home draws them closer together, Marcus and Eleanor find common ground–and a love neither of them expects. But Marcus is not the man Adelicia has chosen for Eleanor, and even if he were, someone who knows his secrets is about to reveal them all.
