When the stern Earl finally notices his shy bride-to-be...

Lady Jane dreads her scheduled visits with the stodgy Earl. Like clockwork, her fiancé shows up in her drawing room, glowers at her until she quakes, and then takes his leave when a quarter hour has passed.

On one hand, Jane's grateful he doesn't wish to spend more time with her. His company makes her miserable, and their engagement is a far cry from the romantic tales she loves to read. But his disregard for her has made Jane a laughingstock amongst her peers, and she's more than a little peeved to be marrying a man who can't be bothered to know her.

Which is why, when her friends dare her to give the Earl a taste of his own medicine, Jane is quick to agree. All she has to do is not be there waiting for him when he arrives for the dreaded monthly visit. It's so simple. And yet, disaster strikes when he catches her in the lie. What's more, he spies her running away. From him.

The Earl does the unthinkable—he gives chase!