| Thane, Lord Welford, must get married, and quickly—he needs the money. Returning from soldiering in India, he either marries the heiress he has never met or lose Earlsthorpe, his ancestral home. Bitterly resentful of being forced into such a choice, he finds little in Miss Miranda Armitage to recommend her, thinking her overly meek and naive. Making love to a woman he cannot even like is unthinkable, but nonetheless, he decides the marriage will take place. Miranda, innocent and friendless, has been raised in isolation by her aunt. Lord Welford fits her dreams of a handsome knight, yet, despite her aunt’s assurances, his attitude is not what she expects. Confused, frightened by grim Earlsthorpe, and disowned by her aunt, Miranda has no option but to marry her reluctant betrothed. However, she dreads her wedding day when her life will be in his lordship’s hands. Thane decides to make the best of a bad situation. Then, out of the past, Claire, Thane’s former lover, arrives at Earlsthorpe with plans of her own. Things are not what they seem. Wicked schemes, the lure of sensual pleasures, and greedy desires lead to murder. The great house has its own secrets and dangers. Facing these dangers together brings Thane and Miranda closer. He admires her burgeoning spirit; she begins to love him. But lies and deceptions, plots and counter-plots strive to keep them apart. Just when Miranda believes she has found happiness, her trust is broken by the greatest deception of all. |
