from our review:A widow in her late twenties, Lilith Davenant enjoys shepherding her young nieces through their Seasons. She’s superbly qualified to be a chaperone, since she has a spotless reputation and always behaves with cool, unruffled dignity. She’s honorable and smart and one of the best examples of a strong woman who doesn’t exhibit anachronistic feminism.Julian, Lord Brandon, is a rich libertine whose constant air of cold ennui is disturbed when he hears that his cousin Robert has been fool enough to propose to Elise, his mistress. Not only is she a grasping tart who’s not of their social class, she’s French. Swallowing his revulsion, Julian meets with her to warn her off. Elise realizes at once that this man can bring all the weight of his power and rank down on her, so she says that if this is a duel, she would like a champion on her side. Her choice? Mrs. Davenant.Elise tells Julian that if he can seduce Lilith, she will quit the field in defeat. To him, of course, this is a win-win proposition, since not only will he enjoy the widow’s charms, he’ll save his cousin from the French cat’s claws as well.To that purpose, Julian bribes Lilith’s servants to keep him informed of her whereabouts, shows up wherever she goes, and maneuvers to get her alone whenever possible, despite her evident dislike of him and the risk to her reputation. When she tells him she is engaged, he shrugs. What does that have to do with anything? Besides, the man she’s chosen is a stupid, balding bore, so she’ll have a far better time in Julian’s bed.