A trapped viscount. A disgraced debutante. A scandal that could ruin them both. Lady Kate Drake's reputation is in tatters after she's discovered alone on a balcony with a gentleman by one of society's biggest gossips. Even worse, the gentleman in question flees, leaving her to face the scorn of the ton alone. The last thing she expects is for her erstwhile suitor to seek her out the next day to propose marriage-or to learn that he's none other than the elusive Viscount Blackwell, who rumors claim is responsible for his late wife's death. Lady Kate is backed into a corner. She must either risk a lifetime of being shunned or put her safety-and her heart-on the line by taking a chance on a notorious stranger.