It felt so good to return to the comfort and simplicity of a Regency romance. This story is about heiress Alethea Hardy who is being held captive in her own home by unscrupulous relatives who are trying to force her into marriage to gain her inheritance. Thea manages to escape and is in hiding when she encounters Marcus Ashfield and his badly wounded cousin, Nick Prestbury. Marcus offers to put in a good word for "Hetty Smith" with another cousin if she is seeking employment, and she is hired as a housemaid.
Marcus, meanwhile, has inherited a title and estate but is desperately in need of funds. His accommodating cousin has invited three wealthy women for him to pick from, but all three are horrible. Marcus sees no option other than to propose to one of them. But when he closes his eyes, the face that fills his mind is that of Hetty Smith.
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