An Outrageous Proposal — April Kihlstrom

The False Betrothal

Lady Penelope Westcott sees no advantage to the state of wedded bliss, for blissful it frequently is not. She wishes to remain mistress of her fate. But how? Geoffrey Talbot provides the answer when he makes a scandalous suggestion: They both can remain single ... by agreeing to marry! The betrothal will be a sham; the courtship a ruse; the breakup an unparalleled performance that will take them out of the marriage mart for good.

What Penelope does not know is that the dashing Geoffrey has devised this outrageous scheme in order to win her heart. With her emotions at sixes and sevens, Penelope finds herself irresistibly drawn to a man she believes will jilt her. Now Geoffrey's tender lies can only lead to heartbreak, for a lady once fooled is a lady twice shy ... unless a certain smitten gentleman finds a way to prove his true love.