Gentleman’s Trade by Holly Newman

Rain fell in sheets that day and, to lovely Vanessa Mannion’s dismay, had turned New Orleans’ main street into one big mud puddle…
Even with skirts held high, she could not prevent mud from spattering her gown and legs. But that wasn’t half as alarming as being caught with muddy ankles by that arrogant Britisher, Hugh Talverton. Thereafter, Vanessa tried to ignore Hugh at a party. But when Creole and plantation beauties swarmed around him, she simmered in irritation and, in a fit of pique, pursued another would-be suitor.
How could she have known that her feminine ploy would lead to a tangle of heartstrings, romance awry, and a lesson in love?