1 NYTbestselling author Stephanie Laurens brings you a tale of unexpected romance that blossoms against the backdrop of dastardly murderampnbspOn discovering the lifeless body of an innocent ingampeacutenue a peer attending a country house party joins forces with the ladyamazon sent to fetch the victim safely home in a race to expose the murderer before Stokes assisted by Barnaby and Penelope is forced to allow the guests murderer included to decampampnbspWellborn rakehell and head of an ancient family Alaric Lord Carradale has finally acknowledged reality and is preparing to find a bride But loyalty to his childhood friend Percy Mandeville necessitates attending Percyamprsquos annual house party held at neighboring Mandeville Hall Yet despite deploying his legendary languid charm by the second evening of the weeklong event Alaric is bored and restlessampnbspEscaping from the soirampeacutee and the Hall Alaric decides that as soon as heamprsquos free heamprsquoll hie to London and find the mildmannered biddable lady he believes will ensure a peaceful life But the following morning on walking through the Mandeville Hall shrubbery on his way to join the other guests he comes upon the corpse of a young ladyguestampnbspConstance Whittaker accepts that no gentleman will ever offer for herampmdashsheamprsquos too old too tall too buxom too headstrongamphelliptoo much in myriad ways Now acting as her grandfatheramprsquos agent she arrives at Mandeville Hall to extricate her...
