Miss Thornrose and the Rake — Geraldine Burrows

In the Hands of a Rakehell

She has the face of an angel, the gall of an adventuress, and the vocabulary of an Oxford don. She dresses like a Quaker and has some radical ideas about society. She is Verity Thornrose, the last in a philanthropic, reform-minded family. But when Verity's latest charitable endeavor lands her in the clutches of the infamous Earl of Brathmere, he mistakes her for a lady of the night. Although Verity flees, the earl is intrigued by this lovely highflier -- and determines to track her down.

Soon enough, Verity discovers, to her horror, that she has put her reputation in the hands of a rakehell. All the while, a scorned admirer will not rest until Verity is confined to a Reformatory for Wayward Females Who Have Fallen for the First Time. Now all Verity has to rely on is her namesake -- the truth...