Lady Lucinda Esmond's swine of a father was forever fleecing young bucks in London's gaming halls-until he met Cpt. Mark Chamfrey, who, having been once cheated, would not be made a fool of again and promptly kidnapped ten-year-old Lucinda for ransom … But when Chamfrey thought better of it and returned the girl, Esmond nonetheless exacted his own price: Chamfrey could redeem himself and save his skin by agreeing to marry his little victim nine years hence, just time enough for Chamfrey to inherit a title and fortune. Lucinda's father could not have foreseen what a beauty Lucinda would become as those years passed-nor that Chamfrey, a newly made marquees, would actually come to welcome his so-called punishment…

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