The Reluctant Bridegroom — Arabella Sheraton

The young and handsome Earl of Wenham has no intention of marrying soon, but fate thrusts him into the arms of Miranda Lavenham, who despises him.

The handsome Earl of Wenham has no intention of marrying any time soon. His sister Almeria, some fifteen years his senior, feels duty bound to point out to Hugo that he owes it to the title and the estates to marry and produce an heir. Failure to do so means the entire lot devolves upon his second cousin, the Honourable Felix Barstowe. She also reminds him that their father had promised an old friend, Lord Lavenham, that his son should marry Lord Lavenham's daughter, Miranda. Out of respect for his father's dying promise (which he had never taken seriously), the earl sets off for Lavenham House. He is stranded by snow a few miles away from his destination and takes refuge in a local inn. He meets up with a heavily veiled, mysterious young woman, who, by her confidences to him, he realises is the elusive Miranda. To his shocking surprise, the feisty Miranda declares she has never heard of the Earl of Wenham's glorious reputation and will not have anything to do with someone whom she declares, “is possibly so fat and gouty, that he needs to have a wife found for him.” In fact, she would rather run away with a childhood friend than have anything to do with the “ridiculous” Earl of Wenham. Intrigued, the earl makes it his business to get to know Miranda better by inviting her to stay in London with his sister. Unfortunately, this strategy annoys his dandyish cousin Felix Barstowe who is determined that the young and healthy earl should not marry and cheat him out of his birthright. Will Felix succeed in a dastardly plan to murder his cousin?