The Duchess Deal

I think the story may be a good one, probably a 4 *. But it's difficult to tell as the narration is terrible. Mary Jane Wells reads the MMC as if he's a bluff rotund country squire, rather than a brooding hero. When the writing suggests he should be intense, she reads him as brisk and hearty. The intended atmosphere and mood is completely ruined.

I always include major spoilers (hidden), to help with my memory  issues. Read them at your peril! 

Penniless seamstress,    cast-off daughter of a vicar , appears on a duke's doorstep in a wedding dress asking for payment for her it. He is a bitter and despondent recluse after being   cruelly scarred at Waterloo. He wants a marriage of convenience and an heir , and she agrees.