Pride and Promises

When Malcolm Hayward, Earl of Whitbourne, promised widow Elizabeth Townsend he'd do her any favor she asked, he hoped it would lead to an affair--and maybe marriage. Instead she wants him to pretend to court her beloved stepdaughter to make a reluctant beau jealous, while Elizabeth acts as chaperone. Soon he's caught in a dangerous balancing act between falsely flirting with a young debutante while plotting to seduce her wonderfully wicked stepmother. Years earlier, when Malcolm and Elizabeth shared a first kiss, he lit a fire that sputtered when she learned he was three years her junior. Despite her subsequent brief marriage of convenience, that flame has never died, and she sees her madcap scheme as a chance to get close to him again and rekindle the blaze. But when Elizabeth worries that Malcolm is playing his part too well, she risks scandal and her own heart to ensure she and her stepdaughter both get the men they love.