At first Hardy was infatuated by Florence, forty years younger than him. Florence Dugdale was Hardy's secretary and researcher for many years but on Emma's death he proposed a 'marriage of convenience' to Florence - who genuinely admired and respected him. They lived happily together at Max Gate for 14 years until his death. Florence wrote Hardy's official biography (or rather she typed his dictated autobiography). As each chapter of his "biography" was completed he would destroy his notebooks and correspondence. He forbad publication until after his death.