To extricate himself from financial difficulties, John Beauclerc, the Earl of Finchley, concocts a scheme to marry a stranger who's answered his advertisement. He'll show his grandmother! That lady’s withholding money until he can demonstrate more maturity and less scandalous behavior. At six and twenty, the last thing he wants is to settle down. He goes to the church at St. George's Hanover Square to wed Miss Margaret Ponsby of Windsor, send her on her way with £100, and continue to pursue wine, women and faro with his fun-seeking friends. After the ceremony, he realizes he's married the wrong woman. Miss Margaret Ponsby of Windsor obviously thought the wedding was to occur at St. George's Chapel in Windsor. Lady Margaret Ponsby was at St. George's in London. How can he extricate himself from this wretched marriage—a marriage over which his grandmother is ecstatic?
If only Lady Margaret Ponsby weren't so shy. When the lanky young (though most disreputable) earl she's worshipped from afar for as long as she could remember asks her to move to the church's altar with him, she's powerless to decline. Even after a wedding ceremony begins, she still remains mute. She must be standing in for Lord Finchley's true bride. But once she realizes she really is married to Lord Finchley, she determines to do everything in her power to make this a dream marriage. Even if it means imitating her clever, talkative sister.
Genre: FICTION / Romance / RegencyThis book's English version has been in the number 1 bestselling spot on Amazon and iBooks in Regency romance category and ranked in the Top 100 on all sites, over all books. This author has had three titles to make the USA Today Bestseller list and has been the number 1 bestselling author in historical romance in Germany and is consistently in the top 100 historical authors at all sites.
As they neared Hanover Square, she decided to go into the church there. She would light a candle and pray that she could be more like Clair, that she could be attracted to an honorable gentleman, and not the profligate Lord Finchley.
She might light a second candle and beg the Almighty to instill her with the ability to communicate with gentlemen. It was a curse to be so painfully shy.
The church's huge timber door squeaked when she opened it. It was dark and cold inside, but she had the church all to herself. She walked down the center nave, turned to a side altar, where she lighted a candle, then dropped to her knees and began to pray.
The door opened, and she heard men's voices. Because they were the voices of men of Quality, she suspected one of them must be the vicar here. Would he remember her? No doubt he would remember Caro. Everyone always remembered her lively sister. Perhaps he would mistake her for the more popular sister.
Because her nature was to be as unobtrusive as possible, she continued peering at the flickering candle and beseeching her heavenly Father to change her deplorable ways.
To her surprise, footsteps came toward her, and a moment later a gentleman said, "Are you Miss Ponsby?"
Technically, she was, though she had always been addressed as Lady Margaret Ponsby. No one ever called her plain Miss Ponsby. She was, after all, the daughter of duke. She turned to observe him.
But it was not the vicar. It was Lord Finchley!
| Language | Status |
|---|---|
|
Portuguese
|
Already translated.
Translated by Tânia Nezio
|
