Overview

Haberdasher Pierce Selkirk always knew he was the son of an earl. Much to his surprise, he learns he is not illegitimate as he had been led to believe. With his father's death, he becomes the Duke of Stoneham and must take up responsibilities beyond his comprehension. Lady Nalyssa Shelbourne was the darling of the ton until her gambling father went bankrupt and committed suicide. The suicide cast a shadow upon Nalyssa, and she now earns her living preparing men who have unexpectedly come into a title, training them to take their places in Polite Society. Nalyssa travels to Stonecrest, where she meets her next client, a man she is wildly attracted to. The new duke also desires Nalyssa, and she does her best to hold him at arms' length as she trains him in the idiosyncrasies and unwritten rules of the ton. Nalyssa knows Stoneham must make a brilliant marriage, if only to help his sister and help her find her footing in Polite Society. Will this duke create an even greater scandal by pursuing-and wedding-a woman barely tolerated by the ton?