After walking home with her sister-in-law and daughter, the lovely Hannah Preston's thoughts are filled with sorrow and the lack of options for her future. With the recent death of her beloved husband, Stephen, she lost not only her future with this gentle, caring man, but also the vicarage in Middleborough as well.

Suddenly, a gentleman looking for help interrupts her thoughts. They had been racing their carriages and Lord David Reece was badly injured. She helps to bring him to her cottage and starts to care for him when the doctor informs them he can't be moved. Despite his normally frivolous nature, David grows to like Hannah and her industrious way as well as her charming Molly and wants to help them. He offers marriage as the only solution, so she won't have to move back in with her father and his overcrowded household. Being realistic, Hannah accepts. David means well, but when his old friend, Percey, comes calling, he realizes he misses his life of "wine, women and song" and comes up with an ingenious idea to still help Hannah. He signs his brother's name to the registrar and leaves her to deal with him in London!

The uptight Duke of Exeter, Marcus Charles Fritzwilliam Reece, is a stickler for doing the right thing and, after the death of their father, has become accustomed to picking up the pieces after his brother's fiascos, but this time David had gone too far, indeed! He would get rid of this little trollop as soon as possible and none would be the wiser. But, when his mother and beloved sister Celia latch onto Hannah and Molly and the notice of their "wedding" gets posted in the Times, he determines a "marriage of convenience" would better serve his purposes.

Faced with no money and the aggravation of her father, Hannah reluctantly consents to the Duke's new plan, but only if certain conditions are met. While Hannah appreciates the luxuriousness of her new lifestyle and the satins and the pearls, she knows she has to follow her heart. They each make their own plans for the future, but the action of a band of thieves changes everything and puts their lives in peril. Will a dropped pearl be the key to a new life?

Caroline Linden has written a well-researched book, filled with racy happenings and lots of amusing repartee. This plot has intriguing twists and the focus on banknote counterfeiting and how money gets circulated amongst the classes during the regency period was fascinating. I also appreciated the strong character development of both the main and secondary characters and insights into their motivations. A genuine delightful read!