Even after finding his betrothed in the arms of another man, Nicholas, the Viscount Lancaster, knows he must wed. Propriety--and the dire state of his finances--decrees it. At least a visit to his country estate provides relief from playing the role of loving fiancé, as well as a surprising encounter with Cynthia Merrithorpe. Once his childhood companion, Cynthia has grown into a lovely alluring woman''one who's undertaken a daring ruse to avoid being sold into a miserable marriage.