She desired nothing more than a biddable husband...Emma, having gone at seventeen directly from her father's home to her husband's arms, is now widowed at age twenty - and quite naive in the ways of the world: in particular, how to find herself another match Thus, she proposes to Lord Hansard, Nicholas Arden, eyeing him as a husband who would let her enjoy her freedom and discourage the presence of interfering relatives. His blunt refusal is both surprising...and oddly disappointing. Nick, however, has taken it upon himself to procure a suitable man for this outrageous miss, though none of the candidates are nearly as qualified as...well, himself. Thus Emma begins to suspect that when it comes to a decent proposal, even a gentleman has the right to change his mind.