Bryn Talgarth, Earl of Caradoc, watched his dissolute father die slowly and painfully of syphilis. He swore that would never happen to him. But what's a virile man to do, before he meets the woman he wishes to marry? Lucky for Bryn, he finds a fashionable Madame (Flo) who supplies him with mistresses guaranteed to be virgins and willing to remain faithful. When his latest mistress departs, Flo tells him she plans to retire. Clare Easton is the last virgin on the market, and Bryn is intrigued. He knows Flo is up to something, but what? Clare Easton has compelling reasons to sell the only thing she has to offer, to the only man who values her innocence enough to pay her price — 10,000 guineas for one night. Bryn wants a dedicated lover, not a one-night stand. The battle is joined, between two strong-willed people fiercely attracted to one another but unready to surrender to love. Will an earl risk public scorn to marry his mistress, a commoner? Will Clare put up with Bryn's high-handed ways, or bring out the best in him? And what about the villain desperate to gain a hefty marriage settlement by marrying Bryn to his daughter.