The Pleasure of His Company

the long version

A Shy Beauty, A Charming Rogue... Mariel Braedon Whitlow has spent most of her life caring for others, so when her ailing grandmother summons her to London, she immediately complies. But the Dowager Duchess of Hale has matchmaking in mind, and before Mariel knows it, she is plunging into a dazzling world of glittering balls and gallant suitors. Yet there is only one man who quickens Mariel's heart, a mysterious and engaging man who has crossed her path before... ...And An Unexpected Love Famed for his wicked wit and his legendary generosity, Edward Hadley is the most popular bachelor in the ton. Indeed, he is beloved equally for his mischievous pranks and his vast wealth. Yet never has anyone bothered to delve beneath his sunny facade...until now. Sweet Mariel is as unworldly as he is sophisticated, as contained as he is flamboyant. And every time they meet, his feelings for her grow. But when the beguiling widow discovers his greatest secret, will it put their blossoming love in jeopardy?