A benedict is defined as a man who marries late in life. In the final volume of the Longleigh Chronicles, The Benedict's Bride, James Longleigh, eldest son and heir to the Bellevue title returns to England for the sole purpose of unwrapping a mummy he has discovered on his dig in Egypt. Ever averse to giving up his life of freedom and adventure for marriage, he has no plans to take a bride, even though he approaches forty.
His mind is changed when Athena Harcourt, a spinster of twenty-nine, offers her drawing room salon for the event. As she stands shoulder to shoulder with him aiding in the process, he finds himself attracted to this rational and stately woman who has no plans to give over her fortune or her life to a man. As his matchmaking mother knows, they are perfect for each other.