How can a reclusive earl convince the woman that he loves to give him chance?



Orphaned as a child and raised by her uncle, Rose Sutton has spent the last five years helping him with her cousins and the parish while eagerly awaiting her sweetheart's return from the army. However, when it becomes clear her beau is not coming back, and her uncle decides to marry the meddlesome village busybody, Rose is desperate to leave.



Gabriel Lloyd, Earl Mottram, is more suited to shadows and secrecy than glittering ball rooms, but he steels himself to return to England to fulfill his duties—which include finding a wife. The need to provide an heir is increasingly pressing since his cousin is a rake and a blackguard. On his first day in Nottinghamshire, Gabriel sees Rose Sutton and knows she is the one for him.



Unfortunately, she does not care for him. How can he convince her he is not the cold, arrogant man she believes him to be?