Avarice and Grace is a romantic novel set in Tuscany at the turn of the 20th century. Written in poetic prose with noir undertones, it recounts the love story between a young Italian heiress and a sensitive English nobleman, sent to Tuscany on behalf of King George V. The Marchesa Vittoria Gherardini has closed her heart to all men, wounded by her former fiancé, Duke Hansel Strozzi, who grew weary of her ways and succumbed to the relentless interference of his sister Adelaide, who harbors an intense disdain for Vittoria. Lord Dartmouth, the young Englishman, after one too many refusals from Vittoria, resolves to leave on business and let fate chart their future. The steadfast support of Count Leopoldo Pitti Metz, Dartmouth's cousin and Vittoria's devoted friend, helps draw them closer despite the endless schemes of Duchess Adelaide Strozzi, consumed by an obsession with the financial advantages of her own possible union with the English nobleman. The Marchesa and the Lord navigate fraught circumstances, encounters, and revelations that allow each to glimpse the other's true heart, until destiny forces them to face a harrowing and fateful event. Vittoria must then decide whether to follow her feelings or heed reason. Life has more bitter surprises in store, as the First World War looms on the horizon. Through their correspondence, they share their innermost fears and hopes. Will Lord Dartmouth win the heart of the young Marchesa? Will Hansel relinquish his claim on Vittoria? Will Adelaide achieve her diabolical ambitions? Will the dashing Englishman return to his beloved Tuscany? Perhaps this time, the expected happy ending should not be taken for granted. Avarice and Grace
by Dakota Williams
First English Edition: January 2025.
(c)Dakota Williams
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