The Ramshackle Suitor

the long version

Lucy Parnell sacrificed her social position to escape her stepbrother's tyranny. Now, earning her living as a governess, she is taking a long overdue holiday on the Isle of Man. Instead of a respite, however, Lucy is engaged in a personal quest -- which he stepbrother is determined to stop. She finds an unlikely champion in the roguish Roderick Kempthorne. When her stepbrother absconds with her belongings, leaving Lucy stranded and homeless, Roderick offers her shelter at the estate of the Earl of Steyne. Wary of his true intentions, she nevertheless accepts his invitation. And as Lucy entrusts the secret of her search to Roderick, she also entrusts her heart to him in a love she never believed could exist...