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SYNOPSIS

The terms of an irascible uncle's will robs Avery Thorne of the home he loves, and throws him into contact with the new owner, an argumentative suffragette named Lily Bede, whose letters follow Avery on his adventures around the globe. Now Avery is returning home, hoping that Lily will have failed to make the manor house profitable, thereby ensuring that it reverts to him. When they finally meet, she finds him just as arrogant and domineering as in his letters. He finds her just as tart-tongued and provoking. They're each beset by an attraction that leaves them sleepless, restless, and burning with desire. Avery, who considers himself a gentleman above all else, finds the self-control required to resist Lily increasingly hard to come by, while Lily chaffs under a self-imposed restriction against marriage, which she deems "legalized slavery." In showing how these two come to terms with their hopes for the future--and their feelings for each other--Connie Brockway amply displays her well-known wit, charm, and humor.
— Ellen Edwards

Breathtakingly romantic, startlingly original, Connie Brockway's novels have captured the hearts of readers and the raves of critics everywhere. Now she brings you a unique and unforgettable love story that begins with a series of letters between a world-weary adventurer and the woman whose love brings him home.

Dear Mr. Thorne,

I give you fair warning. I intend to do whatever I must to abide by your late uncle's will and win Mill House. Though I know he never expected me to succeed, and for whatever reasons is using me to shame you, I accept his challenge. For the next five years, I will profitably manage this estate. I will deliver to you an allowance and I will prove that women are just as capable as men. And at the end, I shall accept Mill House as my reward.

Sincerely,
Lillian Bede

My Dear Miss Bede,

Forgive me if I fail to shudder. Pray, do whatever you bloody well want, can, or must. I shall look forward to making your acquaintance in my lawyer's office five years hence, when I take possession of Mill House.

Avery Thorne