Elinor thought it would very simple to marry a duke, until she found them in short supply

Elinor Sterling is the second Standon widow ready to make the leap back into matrimony--but for her it is a different situation. Forcing her hand is her step-father who is threatening to take away her younger sister, and so it is up to Elinor to find a powerful husband to send this troublemaker packing--in other words, she needs a duke.

But what she discovers is that dukes are in very short supply so she hires solicitor James St. Maur to track down the most likely candidate. But the man she's hired isn't quite what he appears to be, and all too soon Elinor finds herself mad about the most unlikeliest of heroes.