The Duke's Shadow Mistress

Summary

Working as a lowly maid and secret mistress to the tyrannical Duke Ashford, Eva once harbored naive hopes of equal love, only to be cruelly discarded amid the duke’s political marriage scheme. Left penniless and stranded, she taps her unmatched embroidery talent to earn a living underground, drawing the duke’s furious attention once again. Lady Cecilia, the duke’s calculating lawful wife, views Eva as a permanent stain on her family’s reputation and repeatedly plots to eliminate her, even hiring arsonists to burn Eva alive in the Yorkshire wilderness. She is saved by Thomas, a gentle, loyal carriage driver who treats her with genuine respect and devotes his life to protecting her. To escape endless persecution, Eva crafts a perfect fake death with Cecilia’s reluctant help, vanishing from London and rebranding herself as “Shadow”, a mysterious top couturier renowned for intricate dark rose embroidery.