A Beauty for the Earl’s Duty by Sally Forbes

A scandalous reputation, a chance encounter, will it end in true love?

Lady Bridget Atherton, the eldest daughter of the Earl of Brentfield, is in dire need of a husband. Her father is a wastrel and has squandered most of the family’s fortune on drinking and gambling. Lady Bridget’s reputation has been ruined by her father’s scandalous behavior that led to a failed Season a year ago. She is left with no other choice but to pursue a gentleman whose reputation has been similarly tainted.

Peter Henderson grew up in America. He is stunned when he receives the news that he is the son of the late Earl of Hemingford. Peter is curious to learn more about the man he has never met and travels to London. But all is not what it seems when he arrives. He is given an ultimatum that if he wishes to claim his full inheritance he is to find a wife.
Bridget and Peter meet at a ball and there is an instant attraction between them. But with Bridget’s reputation, a courtship between them will never work. Peter finds himself caught up in an unfamiliar world and it is brought to his attention that his father may have been murdered.

Can Bridget and Peter find their way to each other when the odds are stacked against them?