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Chapter 1

Matthew Chandler stared at the petite golden-haired lady standing in front of hihtful pout Her wide blue eyes gazed up at hih he was a wise scholar who knew the answers to all life’s weird and wonderful mysteries

He had seen desire, seen lust and longing flash in many a woman’s eye But never in all his years had he seen hope

It certainly was a novelty

“Do you want to estured to his friend whose persistent shuffling indicated a desperate need to find a solution to their i problem

Miss Saze passing over him as one would a rather tired, faded bonnet in a shop

“No” She shook her head vigorously “I do not want to marry Lord Morford But what else can I do?”

Mattheitnessed Tristan’s shoulders sag, heard the sigh that expressed his relief But so had to be done In a matter of minutes, the three of thearden Thetheir ould take i news of the dishevelled ues

With a raised brow, he considered the torn bodice of Miss Sown

The frustrated groan left his lips before he had a chance to rein it in Regardless of the lady's wishes, Tristan would e He would not let an innocent woman, used so cruelly by Tristan’s mother in a plot to manipulate events, suffer the shame of a ruined reputation

Matthew’s gaze fell to the soft curve of Miss Smythe’s breasts “Would you like to marry me?” The words fell from his mouth far more easily than he had expected

Tristan sucked in a sharp breath “What the blazes? We are trying to salvage so of the lady’s reputation, not ruin it completely”

Matthew saze drifted over the breadth of his chest She bit down on her bottom lip, and devil take him, he did see a flash of desire in her eyes

How intriguing

This ti than he’d originally thought