Margaret Huxtable put her life on hold as she fulfilled her
promise to her dying father to raise her younger siblings.
Her pledge completed, Margaret begins to look to her
future. At 30-years-old, she knows the difficulty of
finding a husband and starting her own family. Her plans
dissolve as she comes face-to-face with a former faithless
suitor. Unable to contain her pride, Margaret lies, telling
him she is secretly betrothed. Then Margaret's lie takes on
a life of its own and sets in motion a ridiculous chain of
events.
Five years ago, Duncan Pennethorne, the Earl of
Sheringford, fled London with his future brother-in-law's
wife on the eve of his own wedding leaving his bride at the
altar. Duncan returns after his lover's death to stop his
grandfather from disinheriting him. His cagey grandfather
demands a stiff price to reinstate him. Duncan must wed an
acceptable bride in two weeks. Desperate to find a bride,
Duncan slips into a ball, bumping into a lady fleeing the
ballroom. Having imbibed a few drinks for courage, Duncan
opens his mouth and asks the complete stranger to marry
him. Instead of receiving a slap in the face, the lady
grabs Duncan and introduces him as her betrothed to the
gentleman trailing behind her.
Duncan feels like he's fallen into a bizarre dream. Not
believing his luck, Duncan sets out to woo Margaret, who
accepts her stupidity, but refrains from exposing her lie.
Since meeting Duncan, she has crammed more living in a few
days than in months of her normal life. Maybe coincidence
(or fate) is giving each of them another chance at
happiness.
The incomparable and gifted storyteller Mary Balogh
continues her Huxtable family saga with an exceptional love
story of two people who had given up on love. She elegantly
portrays Margaret and Duncan overcoming the obstacles in
their paths as they struggle to reconcile the past with
hope of a bright future.
Step into a world of scandal, intrigue, and enthralling
passion as New York Times bestselling author Mary
Balogh sweeps us into the lives of an extraordinary
family:
the Huxtables.
Margaret, the eldest, embarks on the most risqué
adventure
of her life and agrees to marry the most notorious man in
London.…
Only desperation could bring Duncan Pennethorne, the
infamous Earl of Sheringford, back home after the
spectacular scandal that had shocked even the jaded ton.
Forced to wed in fifteen days or be cut off without a
penny,
Duncan chooses the one woman in London in frantic need of
a
husband.
A lie to an old flame forces Margaret Huxtable to accept
the
irresistible stranger’s offer. But once she discovers who
he
really is, it’s too late—she’s already betrothed to the
wickedly sensual rakehell. Quickly she issues an
ultimatum:
If Duncan wants her, he must woo her. And as passion
slowly
ignites, two people marrying for all the wrong reasons
are
discovering the joys of seduction—and awaiting the
exquisite
pleasure of what comes after….