Georgia, Countess of Maybury, was devastated when her husband was killed in a duel. She immured herself in the country only hearing small amounts about the rumors floating about ton. It was speculated that she had promised the man who killed her husband that she would run away with him and take all the jewels she had with them. Her mother-in-law claimed to have proof of her perfidy. Since the letter was never seen by anyone else, the talk died down.

Now that her mourning is over, Georgia is making plans to regain her place in society and snare herself another husband of equal or higher rank.

Her parents have other ideas. When her father's mare loses a race against a mare owned by the new Lord Dracy, he proposes a match between Dracy and Georgia. Dracy is interested but wants Georgia to come to him willingly. As he learns the extent of the scandal, Dracy sets out to find the person who is so intent on smearing her name; a task that will prove difficult and keep him away from the estate he so needs to restore.

Normally, I am admirer of Ms. Beverley's work but this book didn't keep me interested. The characters of Dracy and Georgia were interesting but the rest of the people surrounding them were not. The identity of the villain was something I figured out fairly quickly so the story dragged for me.

Book Summary

Lady May is back. And so is the scandal that sent her tumbling from her position as the toast of London, when her husband, the Earl of Maybury, was killed in a duel. Even a year of mourning hasn't quieted the rumors of her infidelity.

Georgia Maybury is determined to regain her position in the beau monde, but a scarred ex-naval officer threatens her plans...