The brooding, illegitimate son of a duke meets his match in the determined woman hired to transform him into a gentleman from  USA Today  bestselling author Christi Caldwell—perfect for fans of Bridgerton . Rafe Audley lives to thwart his father, the Duke of Bentley. The ne’er do well who abandoned his children claims he wants to make up for his failures, but Rafe only cares about protecting the people of his mining community and providing for his three siblings, who've been his sole responsibility since childhood. So far, Rafe has turned away the duke's man of affairs, solicitor, and other interlopers, until the clever duke sends the unlikeliest of people to convince Rafe to join English High Society—a bold and intriguing woman. Edwina Dalrymple has never failed a charge. She's quite adept at successfully transforming young women of the gentry and daughters of newly minted lords to take their place in society. Taming a bastard son of a duke will be child's play, plus this job promises to enhance her reputation within the ton . All she has to do is fetch the wayward Rafe and groom him to be presentable to Polite Society.  As the tenacious teacher and her domineering, stubborn, refuses-to-be-taught pupil engage in a fiery battle of wills, their chemistry ignites and the true lesson becomes clear: opposites attract and hearts must be heard. “ Along Came a Lady is exactly what I needed to read right now. Edwina and Rafe’s love story is ribboned with subtleties about gender roles and class expectations that make this novel both thoughtful and delightful all at once.”—Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Two Ways "Christi Caldwell's crisp, sparkling writing is infused with emotion, passion, and a belief in the healing power of love. This is terrific Regency romance!"—Amanda Quick , New York Times bestselling author "Emotional, funny, and filled with passion—everything I want in a romance.”—Lorraine Heath, New York Times bestselling author of The Duchess Hunt “What historical romance is meant to be. I devoured every word. Christi Caldwell has become one of my favorite authors.” — Laura Lee Guhrke, New York Times bestselling author "A charming, romantic love story that shows Regency romance isn't just about dukes and duchesses and love isn't just for the upper classes."—Maya Rodale, USA Today bestselling author "Rafe and Edwina are both honorable, stubborn, ultimately vulnerable and extremely likable people. Readers will be fully engaged in this delightful novel as the pair struggle to navigate the web of society expectations and gender prejudices to reach a happy ending."—Shelf Awareness Christi Caldwell is the USA Today bestselling author of the Sinful Brides series and the Heart of a Duke series. She blames novelist Judith McNaught for luring her into the world of historical romance. When Christi was at the University of Connecticut, she began writing her own tales of love—ones where even the most perfect heroes and heroines had imperfections. She learned to enjoy torturing her couples before they earned their well-deserved happily ever after. Christi lives in Southern Connecticut, where she spends her time writing, and being a mommy to the most inspiring little boy and empathetic, spirited girls who, with their mischievous twin antics, offer an endless source of story ideas! Chapter 1 London, England Spring 1805 In the many years she'd been working as an instructor in etiquette, Miss Edwina Dalrymple had advised everyone from the daughters of powerful members of the gentry to the daughters of obscenely wealthy merchants. She'd taught women who'd not so much as attempted a curtsy in their life the intricate and essential motions they required among the previously unfamiliar Polite Society. She'd written articles offering advice to young women new to the ton. She'd even written-although not sold so very many copies of-a manual with her instructions and advice meticulously laid out. In all the time she'd worked in her respective position. however, she'd never entertained  . . . a duke and duchess. Though, in fairness, there wasn't an overabundance of those highest of peers below a prince. Even if there had been, however, they'd certainly never sought to enlist her services. Or they hadn't before now. At that very moment, the Duke and Duchess of Bentley stared across Edwina's modest chestnut table. Etched upon their faces were matched expressions of austere confidence and regal power. It was a skill they'd likely perfected in their respective nurseries, and one Edwina had schooled countless students on. And the duke and duchess also represented the closest Edwina had ever found herself to the dream she'd long carried of working among their vaunted ranks. Ten years. It had been ten years, nearly to the date, that she'd secured herself references that would set her on a course to be the most sought-after and, more importantly, most respected gover