Lord Haven’s Deception

"Donna Lea Simpson is a masterful storyteller. The crafting of the story, the wonder of the romance captured me and reeled me into a timeless love story." —Goodreads

Jane Dresden has no patience for the merciless gossip of the ton or the handy hypocrisy of the nobility, and now that her mother has arranged for her to marry the supposedly cruel Viscount Haven, she fears for her future happiness. In an effort to appease her mother and also put an end to her matchmaking, Jane agrees to meet the man, but in a fit of panic runs from the engagement and takes refuge in a country cottage, disguised as a maid. There she meets a kind and comforting local farmer who shares her taste for simplicity and quickly captures her heart.

Lord Haven had long ago resigned himself to the unpleasant duties of his title and accepted the hard truth that taking a wife and producing an heir was among them—though he shudders at the prospect of spending his life with the charmless woman his mother has arranged for him to wed. Wishing to delay their formal meeting until the last possible moment, he shrugs off his stifling attire and escapes to his favorite sanctuary, a simple cottage on his grand estate. There he meets a caring and captivating maid who steals his heart, and in the guise of a common farmer he proceeds to court her, fearing all the while that his ruse will be discovered.

As the two struggle with the implications of their deceit and the shattering knowledge that revealing their true identities will doom their blossoming bond, each is forced to choose between duty and heartfelt desire, never suspecting that their fated match holds the key to a true and lasting love.

This is a fully revised edition of a book originally titled A Country Courtship.