The Cygnet — Brenda Hiatt

A divided heart
Though ostensibly in London for her debut, Miss Deirdre Wheaton is far more interested in meeting celebrated poets than eligible bachelors. In fact, her deepest, most secret desire is to have her own poetry published someday . . . until she meets the Marquis of Wrotham. Once Cupid's arrow strikes, Deirdre can think of nothing but the handsome nobleman. Determined to give the poets' most exalted emotion, love, a fair try, she goes about transforming herself from the "ugly duckling" of the family into an elegant woman of fashion in order to catch Lord Wrotham's eye. But no sooner does she succeed in attracting his notice than she learns that her intended apparently has an aversion to her first love -- poetry!
A prize worth pursuing
Though long averse to matrimony, the Marquis of Wrotham is now in a position where he must, after all, choose a bride for the succession. In Miss Deirdre Wheaton, Lord Wrotham believes he has finally found a woman who unites beauty, breeding, humor and intellect. When she suddenly grows cool toward him, he is at a loss to explain it. Can he convince the lovely Miss Wheaton that he is her perfect mate after all?

Originally published as The Ugly Duckling