When John Barnesworth is forced to take his brother's place as viscount, he discovers that not only are the estates bankrupt, he's been contracted into an engagement with a cruel debutante. Now he's looking for a way out--some way to save the estates and the people who work on them without shackling himself to a lady who sees him for what he is--broken, defective, and unworthy of being the viscount. Lady Charlotte Stirling has been in love with her brother's best friend since they were children. But his return to London was not what she'd hoped. Not only is he betrothed to her mortal enemy, he's determined to return to America. So, she sucks up her feelings and sets out to find him an American heiress whose dowry can pay off his debts and who would be happy to have a life in America. But the more time they spend together on the marriage mart, the more it becomes clear that the only bride he needs is the one who's been by his side all along.