Dear Reader,

I have a secret. Several, in fact…

Most people know me only as the headmistress of a charity school. Having a son but no husband has made me a social outcast­, which is no great inconvenience since I despise Society­ especially those “gentlemen” who seduce naïve young women. My contempt for such knaves leads us to Secret the First: I am the anonymous author of The Rogue Report, a newsletter that exposes these scoundrels and their exploits.

My busy life leaves no time for romance, or so one might think. This brings us to Secret the Second: I have lately carried on a flirtation with the school's new mathematics professor. Mr. William Jackman is altogether too charming and mysterious for anyone's good ­particularly mine. Though I'm tempted to indulge my desires, I cannot help but wonder if my darling “Jack” hides secrets too.

You see, not everyone appreciates The Rogue Report, and at least one of its subjects is out for revenge. Is Jack bent on protecting me, or is he really the villain who seeks my ruin? Is it possible that I've fallen in love with the most notorious rogue of them all?

­Lady Julia Corwyn