Branded The Black Widow after her husband's sudden death just three days into their marriage, Lady Audrey Graystone is innocent—yet the whispers of scandal still haunt her. Two years later, she flees to the dazzling, decadent Carnival of Venice with a mission: to shed the burden of her unconsummated marriage and leave her virgin widowhood behind.

When charismatic artist Giovanni Valentino insists on painting her portrait, Audrey is captivated by his charm and genuine affection. Posing as a lady's maid, she glimpses the freedom of the girl she once was, before her father auctioned her to the highest bidder. But a vengeful suitor, obsessed with claiming her hand, threatens to unravel her fragile new beginning with vicious lies.

As passion blooms Audrey's web of secrets tightens. Will her suitor's schemes destroy her chance at love, or will her own deceptions shatter the fragile trust she's found with Giovanni?

Previously published in the 1999 anthology Masquerade and a novella collection Behind the Mask. Edited in 2025.