Publisher's Synopsis
Eleanor had always dreamed of a life as a poet. That is until her simple role as the great-granddaughter of an insignificant baronet is completely changed by a sudden inheritance. All at once the days of writing poetry and wandering the countryside freely are over when her father becomes the Earl of Bowland. Her relative freedom is traded for arduous social engagements and shallow conversations in her new life as a lady of the 'ton'. Her father soon begins to orchestrate Eleanor's future life, one that benefits him and his new position in society. As Eleanor attempts to find her footing and some measure of happiness in her new home in Lancashire, her father's strange and sudden moods, and penchant for alcohol, cause headaches for the family. When Eleanor encounters her neighbor, Martin Darlington, the Viscount of Aughton, her father's command that she marry the son of an influential duke becomes even more difficult to accept. Meanwhile, Martin, who is acquainted with painful family secrets of his own, battles his growing feelings for Eleanor, a lady of wealth and a member of the peerage... two things he loathes most about the brainless women of the 'ton'. As the pair are constantly thrown together they grow closer, and find the friendship and understanding both had craved. Eleanor's continued desire to write poetry, spurred on by Martin's encouragement, threatens her relationship with her father. As Eleanor faces a struggle she never saw coming, she realizes that she must decide whether to honor the duty she has to her family, or that to her heart.
