A fake engagement to a scandalous earl might save her, but the truth could ruin them both.
Lady Cordelia Ashwood has just four weeks to secure a husband, or her uncle will force her to marry a man who smells faintly of reclaimed marsh. Maximilian Hart, the Earl of Ravenmere, has returned from war to a title deeply shadowed by whispers that he profited from his cousin's death.
When their formidable dowager grandmothers conspire to arrange a six-week, strictly temporary fake engagement, it seems like the perfect, practical solution. Cordelia gains a shield against her guardian’s coercive schemes, and Max secures a respectable public defence against Mayfair's vicious gossip.
But pretending to be in love requires a dangerous amount of proximity. As Cordelia’s sharp wit meets Max’s quiet intensity, the carefully negotiated boundaries of their arrangement begin to blur. Their growing bond is soon threatened by the discovery of a hidden packet of old letters, which reveals a secret legitimate heir that could strip Max of his earldom entirely. With society watching and enemies closing in, Cordelia and Max must decide if they are willing to risk everything to turn a public performance into a private promise.
