Manufacturing a Duchess: A Novel of the Regency Era

She understood industry. He understood duty. Neither expected love.

When Alec Raeburn, Duke of Selkirk, leaves his faltering estate to seek an heiress on the Marriage Mart, he has no intention of falling in love. What he needs is a mother for his young daughter, Marjorie, and a partner with security to manage affairs at home. He's accompanied by Finn, his wealthier cousin and the Duke of Galloway, a friend who lends support but also presents competition.

As the London Season begins, Aurora Hardcastle also arrives with a friend, Millicent Wentworth. The sole inheritor of an industrial fortune, Aurora has resigned herself to the process of finding a husband, but her heart remains in the world of her father's factory, where she learned the business under his guiding hand.

An outing to the Tower of London brings the four together, and Aurora befriends Marjorie. But Millicent's beauty and charm make her the Season's Incomparable, and all eyes are on her-including Alec's and Finn's.

At a concert event for the Ton, Alec and Aurora begin to see each other in a new light, with Marjorie as the connecting force. As they grow closer and contemplate a match, a devastating discovery threatens everything. Both are forced to reassess their past and especially, the future they envisioned-if they're to have any chance at happiness together.

Tracy Wise spent her childhood in Asia due to her father's aid work. She currently writes university presidential speeches, campus communications, and news stories in California's Inland Empire. She holds a BA in Theatre and Spanish and an MA in Cultural Studies. A life-long, passionate reader, she designs social media for the Friends of her local Redlands public library in her free time.