A Marquis For All Seasons

She wants one more season to pass without acquiring a husband. Lady Miranda Leighton accepts she will have to marry someday, but she wants one last season to be mistress of her own life - to go where she wants, when she wants, with whomever she wants. The lure of one more adventure is nearly irresistible. Unfortunately, her family has run out of patience with her as she unintentionally loosely courts scandal. She needs a plan, and needs it quickly. He wants one more season to pass without his mother nagging, debutantes stalking, or sanity deserting him. Roman de Courtenay, Marquis of Stafford, accepts he will have to marry someday, but his immediate focus is set on managing his estates, pacifying his family, and being otherwise left alone. The lure of saddling his horse and fleeing to the country is nearly irresistible.

Unfortunately, his mother wants him to find his marchioness, produce an heir, and let her settle into an anticipated and comfortable life as a dowager. He needs a plan, and needs it quickly. Thus a lady and a lord with a similar problem hatch a mischievous to use each other as shields against marriage and the plans of their families, with a dance here and a meaningful look there. All goes well - for a time - until the constant company and camaraderie of their ruse give rise to some very real feelings. What happens when you set out to fool society, but only end up fooling yourselves? A Marquis For All Seasons is Book 2 in The Lords of Oxford Series. Each book stands alone, but readers are cautioned that some aspects of the first book, Lord Love a Duke, are referenced.