In the social whirl of Regency England, Elizabeth Chudderley is at the top of every guest list, the life of every party, and the belle of every ball. But her friends and admirers would be stunned to know the truth: that the merriest widow in London is also the loneliest. Raised in scandal, Lord Michael de Grey is convinced that love is a losing gamble-and seduction the only game worth playing. How can such passionate players negotiate a marriage of necessity-when their hearts have needs of their own?