Will their sham marriage turn into true love? Miss Laurel Harwood’s reputation is shattered by scandal when her stepbrother is arrested as he is about to walk her down the aisle. Alone, penniless and with nowhere to turn, Laurel is out of options. Lord Julian Ashford, Earl of Strathmore, has given his all, including his left eye, to assure the success of the mine which has been in his family for generations. Assuming he would inherit the business from his beloved grandfather, Julian is stunned when his grandfather announces that at his seventieth birthday celebration, the mine will go to Julian’s married cousin because he has sons who will one day inherit the mine. Shocked by this betrayal, Julian strikes a deal with his grandfather. The mine will be signed over to him if he is married by the time his grandfather turns seventy, leaving the desperate groom-to-be mere weeks to woo and wed. Finding a bride ought to be easier than running a mine, yet Julian soon realizes no young ladies care to see beyond the patch on his eye to the man he is beneath. Angry, frustrated and unable to secure a proper bride, Julian too is out of options. Until an invitation from Lady Katherine Winchester brings the two of them together and a contract is formed. Each will achieve their dearest desire. And of course, they will never, ever fall in love.