Even if the Merriam Falls society matrons don't believe running a boardinghouse is a proper endeavor for a young, unmarried woman, Regina Van Buren has other ideas-such as advancing women's rights. Discussing the issue with Jonathan Parker, the wealthy textile mill owner who has rented a room for his foreman, is obviously futile, however. He's too arrogant, too patronizing, by far, and Regina decides that their relationship will be strictly business-until her stargazing telescope reveals an unexpected look at the darkly handsome businessman. Listening to Regina's lectures on the suffrage movement is hardly Jonathan's idea of a good time, but he's willing to overlook it if she'll agree to his courtship. Intelligent, spirited, and lovely, Regina is everything he wants in a bride-and betrothal to a well-heeled businessman will certainly be a far more elegant existence for her than spending lonely nights in a rundown boardinghouse. Yet, while Regina's independent streak threatens to wreak havoc in Jonathan's well-ordered life, he's begun to suspect that even a stylish marriage is cold comfort without love.