One should never judge a duke by his cover. As far as London society knows, Giles Drew, the Duke of Basingstoke, is everything a proper aristocrat ought to be. But when a notorious scandal sheet publishes details of Giles's questionable bedroom antics, only one bride can salvage his reputation. Prim and penniless, Francesca Stanhope has resigned herself to a season full of the ton's snickering--until the Duke of Basingstoke's dizzying courtship transforms...

Alarmed by the sound of an intruder, Rose St. Claire fetches her pistol. She's shocked to discover that the trespasser is a handsome gentleman--one who states that the house, which Rose recently inherited from her late benefactor, was stolen from his father decades ago. He claims it is now his. As it turns out, Hammond Court has been left to them both--and neither can evict the other without forfeiting their right to the property.