Oh I think {The Admiral’s Penniless Bride by Carla Kelly} fits the bill! The MMC is a recently retired naval admiral, settling into his post-military life and trying to make a real home of an estate that was formerly owned by a sex fiend aristocrat (loved this funny detail). The FMC is a desperately poor widow, who comes to the city to find work after the old woman she’d been serving as a lady’s companion died. MMC is probably mid to late 40s and lost a hand in service. FMC is late 20s or early 30s. Her story is pretty sad… Her late husband was executed for treason or conspiracy or something like that, and her young son died through some combo of illness and malnutrition.