At the age of 35, Randall Roderick, Marquess of Reading, decides it's time to trade in his life as the Rake of Reading for the life of a married man. Trouble is, his reputation precedes him, and he's not particularly attracted to the milk water misses who make up the eligible ladies of the ton.

When Isabella believes she has witnessed her mother's murder at the hands of her father, she rides off to London in search of the Earl of Norwick, the man her mother always said she could go to in case of trouble. To keep her safe, Octavius, Duke of Huntington, agrees to hide Isabella in his country estate - and to allow her access to his stables and horses. But what about his heart? 

Having lost her husband in the Battle of Ligny, Lady Lydia Barrymore is determined to resume her work for the Foreign Office when her mourning period is over. She's spent a year solving puzzles and assembling dissected maps to maintain her skills. Her first assignment has her perplexed, though - do what she must to help a fellow operative recover his sanity. Although she finds the man rather beautiful, Sir Donald has also proved most annoying.

While her brother, the Earl of Everly, is away on one of his lengthy expeditions, Lady Evangeline is left behind in London to spend her days creating exquisite embroideries and reading books. She's about to buy The Story of a Baron at The Temple of Muses when Lord Sommers suddenly appears. He's intent on buying the very same book, but there's only the one copy. Desperate to discover what changes his publisher might have made to his story - without letting on he's the author - Jeffrey suggests they read it together.

By day, Miss Eleanora Winfield is a proper, unremarkable paid companion. By night, Nora’s skillful hands sketch the infamous penny caricatures rocking high society. Nora desperately needs the money...and her anonymity. But how can she keep them both when she’s fallen for the one man whose livelihood and reputation requires him to expose her?