Aincourt's Hearts Series by Candace Camp

Generations ago, the Aincourt family was given a title and land for their loyalty to the king. But the former abbey they received came with a price - a curse that no family member would ever know happiness. Devin Aincourt, Earl of Ravenscar, makes no apologies for who he is - a drinker, a womanizer, a gambler. Having been cast aside by his disapproving father years before, Dev is content to live out his cursed life in this hedonistic manner... moreGenerations ago, the Aincourt family was given a title and land for their loyalty to the king. But the former abbey they received came with a price - a curse that no family member would ever know happiness. Devin Aincourt, Earl of Ravenscar, makes no apologies for who he is - a drinker, a womanizer, a gambler. Having been cast aside by his disapproving father years before, Dev is content to live out his cursed life in this hedonistic manner. Until his mother asks him to make a bold move to restore the family name and fortune: marry a rich American heiress. Believing it will be a marriage in name only, Dev agrees to marry Miranda. But he never imagined that this feisty, unconventional foreigner would have plans of her own: to restore Blackwater, the old abbey, to its former glory, to extricate Dev from the clutches of a devious mistress and to win his heart for her own. All while risking her own life to an unknown enemy. For Dev and Miranda, love may be the most lasting curse of all. less

Fate, it seemed, had done its worst. With his life in ruins, Richard Duke of Cleybourne, returned to his country estate to deal with the tragic loss he had suffered four years earlier. His plans, however, were interrupted by the arrival of Miss Jessica Maitland. The feisty, flame-haired governess had come to present her charge, Gabriella, as his new ward. Until love exposed much more to the story... moreFate, it seemed, had done its worst. With his life in ruins, Richard Duke of Cleybourne, returned to his country estate to deal with the tragic loss he had suffered four years earlier. His plans, however, were interrupted by the arrival of Miss Jessica Maitland. The feisty, flame-haired governess had come to present her charge, Gabriella, as his new ward. Until love exposed much more to the story. As if their unwelcome presence weren't bad enough, Jessica also revealed that Gabriella was in danger. Someone was after the girl's fortune -- perhaps someone the duke knew only too well. Now fate and a raging snowstorm have brought together an odd assortment of guests at Cleybourne Castle. And when murder strikes, Richard and Jessica must catch a killer and unravel a dark mystery, even as they are plunged into the most passionate mystery of all -- the secrets of the hidden heart. less

On the surface, Michael Trent, the Earl of Westhampton, seems cold, enigmatic and bookish -- particularly to his wife, Rachel, who was forced into their marriage. Yet underneath Michael's quiet facade is a man who thrives on danger and intrigue, a daring secret agent who's working on one of London's toughest cases. And when Rachel becomes embroiled in the case, this master of disguise sets out to seduce the wife he secretly loves. But will he be able to win her heart? Or is it already too late?