A Lady Made for Mischief

I confess that growing up in our humble parsonage, I never dreamed my peculiar talent for painting beautiful rooms would lead me to London's grandest townhouse. Yet here I stand, paintbrush in hand, ready to transform Lady Hartley's residence into something magnificent.

Unfortunately, Lady Hartley's son, Lord Ashcroft, is a handsome but grumpy obstacle to my plans. If it were up to him, I would be bundled into a carriage and sent back to the parsonage without a backward glance.

And though I meant only to redecorate his house, I find myself increasingly preoccupied with the notion of redecorating his heart. A far more challenging project, I assure you. But the way his stern countenance softens when he thinks no one is looking intrigues me. Particularly when he examines my sketches of what his library could become. One rare smile alone quite undoes my sensible resolutions to focus solely on business.

But the Ton is whispering that I am not all I seem, hinting at secrets that threaten to peel away everything I've worked for.

Perhaps it was vanity to think I could redecorate both a townhouse and a nobleman's heart. But I cannot help but hope that love might prove to be the most transformative design of all.

Perfect for those who delight in:

•Country parsons' daughters who refuse to be intimidated by grand townhouses
•Lords who discover that happiness requires rather less order and rather more color
•The occasional mishap with paint (and proper kisses in improper places)