Description
1828, the London countryside
For years, Marietta Stone has harbored a secret infatuation for the handsome Frederick Finch and has poured out her deepest feelings in a series of passionate love letters that she keeps in a locked drawer. But when Marietta’s private letters are accidentally delivered to Frederick’s house, she must retrieve them immediately before they fall into the wrong hands. If the letters were read by anyone else, the resulting scandal could jeopardize her reputation.
Gerard Hartwell has no time for infatuations, courtship, or even love. He must find a wife with a substantial inheritance if he wishes to save his late father’s bankrupt estate. When he accidentally discovers Marietta’s love letters at his cousin Frederick’s estate, he strikes a bargain with her. If she helps him court her older sister, Anne, he will return the letters and help Marietta win Frederick’s heart.
Marietta agrees, and the two quickly pretend to be courting in order to spend time with their individual love interests. Yet, what appeared to be a straightforward bargain becomes complicated when Gerard realizes that the more time he spends with Marietta, the more he wishes he could court her for real. But can he persuade Marietta to give him a chance when her heart might belong to another man?
Julie Wright wrote her first book when she was fifteen after an English teacher told her she would never be a writer. Since then, she�s written twenty-six novels and ten novellas. Julie is a two-time winner of the Whitney Award for best romance with Cross My Heart and Lies Jane Austen Told Me . Her books have received several starred reviews and have been listed in the American Library Association�s top ten romances of the year. She is surrounded by a loving and supportive family, one dog, and a varying number of houseplants.