Heart's desire - Michael Taylor

All Rhianna Drake has ever really wanted is a handsome husband - and when charming Lawson Maddox offers to rescue her family from disaster and maybe even destitution, she jumps at the chance to become his wife.
But marriage to Lawson comes as a rude awakening. Her once-devoted new husband ignores his young wife and instead seeks out the company of cockfighters, whores and criminals. When the sensitive, idealistic painter John Mallory Gibson offers her the chance of real happiness Rhianna cannot resist him.
They both think that they have left Lawson Maddox behind them. But he has only begun to plan his revenge . . .

'It's about time a man wrote romantic fiction - Michael Taylor does it superbly.' Edwina Currie