A marriage of convenience with terms...until vows replace bargains.When Lady Margaret Ashbourne discovers her late husband's private notes could bankrupt her household within the quarter, salvation arrives in the most unfashionable form: Lucien Hale-cold-eyed banker, immaculate reputation, inconvenient heart. His offer is audacious: marry him, and he'll retire the worst paper, ring-fence the London house, and put predators on a starvation diet. Her counteroffer is sharper: separate rooms (doors unlocked), her household under her command, and coin for the village before ribbons for the ton.What begins as a ledgered truce turns into a slow-burn alliance-tested by flooded cottages, poisoned ink, and a pamphleteer determined to rhyme them into ruin. Behind the candlelight, a syndicate launders scandal through Printer's Alley; before it, the Countess turns society itself into a courtroom. When the evidence is unveiled under glass and the doors "accidentally" won't open, Margaret must choose in public-and Hale must decide whether to keep hiding behind walls or stand in the window at last.Expect: ballroom warfare, paper trails, razor-quiet banter, and a gloved hero who'd rather be water than punch.Tropes you'll loveMarriage of Convenience - Slow Burn - Protective, Proper HeroWitty, steel-spined Widow - Found Family - Ballroom as BattlefieldSocial intrigue & financial sleuthing - Public declaration (swoon)Competence kink - He falls first (quietly)Perfect for fans of Evie Dunmore, Sarah MacLean, and all readers who like their Regency with brains, bite, and a happily-ever-after earned in daylight.House of Ashbourne is a connected series of standalones. Book 3-The Widow's Bargain can be read on its own, but returning readers will spot beloved faces (and one very smug lion paperweight).HEA, no cliffhanger. Windows before speeches. Vows over bargains.