Hazard Of Hearts — A

Watching from the shadows of the gaming house is Lord Justin, the Marquis of Vulcan—a man known for being cool, detached, and "inhuman" at the gambling tables. Disgusted by Wrotham’s intentions, Vulcan challenges him to a winner-take-all wager for the house and the girl. Vulcan wins, effectively becoming Serena’s owner and fiancé. Life at Mandrake

Serena is forced to leave her beloved home to live at Vulcan’s ancestral estate, Mandrake, a forbidding cliff-top mansion. There, she finds herself in a world of danger and intrigue: A Hazard of Hearts

Vulcan’s mother, Lady Harriet, is a manipulative woman with her own dark schemes. Watching from the shadows of the gaming house

The story begins with Sir Giles Staverley, a compulsive gambler who has lost his entire fortune. In a final, desperate game of dice against his rival, the sinister Lord Harry Wrotham, Sir Giles wagers the only things he has left: his ancestral home, Staverley Court, and his daughter Serena’s hand in marriage. He loses the bet and, unable to face Serena with the news that he has gambled her away, he takes his own life. The Enigmatic Savior Life at Mandrake Serena is forced to leave

Serena soon discovers that the estate is a hub for smugglers and highwaymen.