Valentine Ardsley disguised herself as a teenage boy to take a job asgroom on the magnificent Yorkshire estate of the arrogantlyself-assured, imperiously handsome Lord Diccon Leyburn. But her daringescape from the narrow confines of young ladyhood did not last long.Valentine was unmasked by Lord Leyburn with shameful ease. Even worse,when Leyburn made her an offer of marriage, he made it insultingly clearthat this was a matter of duty on his part, and certainly not desire.Never would Valentine accept such an odious offer. Instead she would goto London to find a gentleman who would really love her, even if thismeant pretending she could love any man but the infuriatinglyirresistible Lord Leyburn in return.