She must have been mad. She was on her way to marry a man she had never set eyes on! It was true. The lovely young widow, Lady Charteris (Delphine to her friends), had agreed to abide by her parents' wishes and marry the Comte Saint Pierre. Delphine's parents had long since died in the French terror, but when she learned of their wishes for her, she believed it her duty to respect their wishes. Delphine would marry, but it would be a marriage in name only. But when Delphine saw Jules Saint Pierre, she got the shock of her life. He was the same man she had seen juggling in the streets at a local fair. What was he doing as the Comte Saint Pierre? Was he posing? Had she made some terrible mistake?

MUST ONE SISTER SUFFER IN POVERTY WHILE THE OTHERS LIVE IN THE LAP OF LUXURY? Must one indeed, thought Harriet Clifton. Inviting herself to her widowed sister Cordelia's posh London townhouse for the Season was surely the only way to meet a mate—and escape draughty old Pringle House forever. The vain Cordelia was meanwhile casting her net for the notorious Marquess of Arden, a man who preferred paying a mistress to wedding a wife. Who would have believed that the Marquess would succumb to Harriet's countrified charms? or that Cordelia would stoop quite so low to try to conquer him at her sister's expense?

Harry, to Isabella Chadbury's relief, agrees their marriage will be in name only. Neither knows the other's disguise is contrived in vain to thwart impending nuptials. Isabella is no selfish ice princess, nor Harry a mincing dandy, rather a prime Corinthian. A search for buried treasure, vengeful thwarted suitor, and unexpected passion bring the hearts together.

Fanny and her bridegroom had been tricked! Both sets of impoverished parents had decided to recoup their losses by marrying their offspring to that of a rich neighbor. The truth was, both were penniless. Charles wasn't the dark rogue of Fanny's girlish fantasies, but he was chivalrously determined that she should meet someone more appropriate than he. And Fanny wanted Charles to find a woman of means. But as each set out to find a partner for the other, they both began to suspect that true love might have nothing to do with riches.

"MY FORTUNE IN DIAMONDS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE MANLEY DIAMOND COLLAR WHICH GOES TO MISS EMILY WINTERS, I LEAVE TO MY DOG DUKE." Old Sir Peregrine's will shocked everyone. Especially his lovely illegitimate daughter, Emily, to whom he also left his entire estate. Only on Duke's death would the diamonds revert to the relatives. Now Emily had to see that nobody murdered Duke. They were that kind of family. Meanwhile Emily was falling in love with the dashing rakehell Lord Storm, whose fortune and title brought him women by the droves. With such competition what chance did Emily have? Furthermore what would a high-born young man like Lord Storm want with a woman whose origins were as scandalous as Emily's?

When the Earl of Devenham returns after ten years to marry Mary Anstey, Mary's younger sister, Emily, comes up with a bizarre scheme to prevent the unhappy wedding