Chapter One

April 1817

IT WAS, LADY ELIZABETH BANNING thought ruefully as she looked up into the reddening face of her latest fiancé, all the fault of her damnable temper. Again.

“Are you telling me that you’re jilting me?” William demanded incredulously. The Earl of Rosen was of average height, with a slightly stocky build that Beth suspected would, in middle age, run sadly to fat. But just now, at age twenty-six, his square jaw, regular features, speaking blue eyes, and thick fair hair worn à la Brutus were enough to ensure that he was held to be a very handsome man...