The year is 1814, and Lydia Perkins is in London for the Season. Sadly,
the Perkins don't care if Lydia makes a suitable match. All her mother's
hopes lie in the beautiful but vapid Kitty, and Lydia is expected to
answer her every whim. In an effort to mix with the ton, the sisters
find themselves at St. Barnabas Church, gawking at the soldiers wounded
at the Battle of Toulouse, the final battle that sent Napoleon into
exile at Elba. Kitty faints prettily and is revived by a pair of
admiring dandies, but Lydia is drawn to the suffering of the men. Among
them is Major Sam Reed, grievously wounded himself, but in fact an earl:
Lord Laren of Laren Hall, Northumberland. Major Reed could be recovering
in comfort, but instead he chooses to stand by his men. Despite her
parents' objections, Lydia returns to nurse the soldiers. As she learns
the joy of being useful, she and Major Reed become friends. Finally he
makes a curious proposal: Would she marry him, be his wife in name only,
and travel with him to Northumberland? During the war, he invented a
wife to appease his rich aunt. If he doesn't produce "Delightful
Saunders" in the flesh, he stands to lose his fortune. Can Lydia leave
her indifferent family and embark on her first real adventure? She
discovers that not every adventure is a pleasant one, as she falls in
love with a man who might see her as merely a means to an end.
Originally published in 1997.
