"Gloucestershire, 1813. Miss Mary Lound of Tapley End would be the first to say that she demonstrates more grace with a fishing rod in her hand than she might ever twirling in a ballroom. This was not, however, a problem until her ne'er-do-well brother sold the family estate, leaving Mary and her mother in very straitened circumstances. When the new owner, Sir Rowland Kempsey, takes up residence, Mary decides to direct her energies into recovering her beloved home by catching a husband.
Promisingly Sir Rowland thinks Miss Lound is a breath of fresh air. But with awkward attempts at flirtation, a duplicitous predator at large in the neighbourhood and the emergence of feelings that complicate her pragmatic goal, Mary discovers that landing the man she wants is more difficult than she had anticipated."
"The Honourable Catherine Elford – Kitty – is presented with an awful choice. Either she is cast off, penniless, by her step-brother, or she marries the handsome Earl of Ledbury, who would be perfect were he not a serial womaniser. Ledbury has only ever courted other men's wives, and does not want a wife of his own. However, Kitty's generous dowry, which will keep him from selling his beloved racehorses, proves too tempting. Kitty believes her only chance of survival is to make her head rule her heart. For his part, Ledbury has spotted a spark in Kitty, and sets out to woo her. But as Kitty begins to succumb to his seduction, Ledbury's past starts to catch up with them."
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