What A Lady Wants

Who will be the last unmarried man standing?

No man in his right mind would want to get married, but every duke, earl, and viscount knows that a fellow must do his duty in the end. So four of London's most desirable gentlemen make a wager—the prize going to the one who remains unwed the longest.

Gideon Pearsall, Viscount Warton, thinks he has a fair shot at winning. After all, he's managed to enjoy the favors of many a lady while resisting the parson's noose. Even when he's stopped dead in his tracks by the most scandalous woman in all of London—Judith, Lady Chester—he vows to have her bedded but never wedded.

Beautiful, and more than a little bit naughty, Judith has always kept herself within the bounds of respectability, even while playing by her own rules. And the experience has taught her to avoid marriage. She has no desire to resist Warton's hot kisses, and his tempting touch is impossible to ignore.

But soon both Judith and Gideon can't help but wonder . . . is it possible to be a little bit wicked and still follow your heart?

Who will be the last man standing?

New York Times bestselling author Victoria Alexander's delicious series about four men desperately trying to avoid matrimony continues...

Lady Cordelia Bannister simply cannot marry a man she has not chosen herself, no matter what her father decrees. So, pretending to be her own companion, she decides to seek out information about her intended by meeting with his secretary—a man who soon beguiles her. But Lady Cordelia doesn't know the truth—the man can't resist is really her intended, Daniel Sinclair.

Daniel has nearly won the wager he made with three of London's most eligible bachelors. While two of his compatriots have surrendered to the shackles of marriage, he's remained free to woo any woman he chooses. Yet duty forces him to consider Lady Cordelia, so, determined to find a way to escape honor intact, he continues the masquerade he started.

Each finds the other completely irresistible, but when they uncover their mutual mistaken identities, Daniel and Cordelia must make the most important choice of all...

To break a centuries-old curse, beautiful, headstrong Lady Kathleen MacDavid knows she must ignore every rule of propriety by seducing—and marrying—the Earl of Norcroft. So she sets off for London, braving scandal and ruin to achieve her goal . . . until a crazy bump on the head makes her forget nearly everything.

The thrill of winning a bet—that he'd be the last of his set to wed—hasn't eased the earl's pain of losing his friends to marriage. Still, he'd be willing to settle down if he could meet someone worthy of his love—and desire. But he has met no such woman, until Kathleen is brought to him. Suspicious of her motives, he's determined to resist her seductive ways. But sometimes even the most proper gentleman finds it expedient to act improperly . . .

Identical twins, sensible Delia and mischievous Cassandra Effington were the most delicious debutantes to ever waltz across a London ballroom. They looked alike in every way . . . but no one ever expected Delia to be the one to get into trouble . . .

How did this young lady's reputation become so questionable?

Once she was lovely, respectable Miss Delia Effington, but an impulsive decision—and subsequent disaster—forces Delia to retire from society. Until one night, desperate for diversion, she attends a ball as her twin sister and finds herself dancing in the strong arms of the dashing Viscount St. Stephens.

Delia believes she has never met this man who arouses her passions, yet he seems somehow familiar. For Delia doesn't know that St. Stephens, an agent for the Crown, has been in her home, protecting her under the disguise of her butler. What will happen when this lady discovers the truth about the man she has come to love?

What lengths would a young lady go to in her pursuit of the perfect match?

And how far would a gentleman go to stop her?

Cassandra Effington is one of the most delicious debutantes to ever waltz across a London ballroom. But while her identical twin sister Delia is now wed, Cassandra is still unclaimed, and everyone agrees her standards are entirely too high. So how could she possibly lose a most unseemly wager with the handsome, scandalous Viscount Berkley? The proposition: She will find him an ideal bride well before he finds her the perfect match.

But Lord Berkley intends to be very hard to please. He's already chosen the right woman, and no lady Cassandra puts forward to him will be perfect enough save the luscious Cassandra herself. And he'll do whatever it takes to make certain no gentleman he introduces her to is enticing enough, until she realizes that the perfect object in her pursuit of marriage is none other than the viscount himself.

When New York Times bestselling author Victoria Alexander created the Effingtons, she introduced an irresistible clan. Now, meet her most unforgettable hero yet . . .

Dashing Jonathon Effington, the Marquess of Helmsley, has had more than one lady willingly fall into his arms. But he's so delicious none has ever complained at their inevitable parting. And while Jonathon's no stranger to passion of the flesh, his heart has remained untouched. Until now . . .

At each Christmas Ball, Jonathon selects a delectable lady to share the pleasures of the evening—after all, it's a holiday tradition! But he is shocked to discover that his choice is replaced by an enchanting stranger who surprises him with a proposal of marriage. Beautiful Fiona Fairchild is desperate—only a wedding will save her sisters and her inheritance. But Jonathon has no interest in marriage, and what starts as a shocking proposal turns into a scandalous proposition that might ruin them both . . .

Against her better judgment, Lady Gillian Marley needs to find herself a husband -- and quickly. To claim her uncle's unexpected bequest she must marry by her next birthday, which leaves only two months to find a malleable mate. Topping her list of eligible candidates is the honorable Earl of Shelbrooke, yet one look at the very handsome but enigmatic nobleman and Gillian knows that cajoling him into a marriage of convenience will be hardly convenient at all.

Far from immune to Gillian's entrancing charms, the last thing Richard Shelton is about to bind himself into is a chaste marriage. Though the inheritance is more than and tempting, Richard knows the lady herself is the real prize and isn't about to allow Gillian to deny the burning fervor that sparks between them. Now he has only two months to convince her to be his wife in full ... before his mysterious secret is revealed and their lives explode irrevocably into scandal.

Distressed over the current widespread disinterest in matrimony among their eminently marriageable offspring, the formidable matriarchs of the ton have taken matters into their own meddling hands with the formation of The Ladies' Society for the Betterment of the Future of Britain. Their first challenge: the Earl of Pennington.

Miss Gwendolyn Townsend has seen her late father's estate go to a distant cousin she can't abide ... leaving her well-educated, able to make a perfect curtsy -- and penniless. So imagine her shock when it's discovered that a match had been arranged between herself and Marcus Holcroft, the Earl of Pennington -- one of the most eligible members of London society. Marcus constantly leaves her breathless and confused ... and though she's hesitant to marry a man she's just met, in the end she has no choice. But she makes some conditions first ...

Marcus cannot believe that the bride who has been foisted upon him is insisting on rules to their wedding ... and bedding! He's a man who has never had to tempt any woman into his arms. But even more surprising is that Gwendolyn is clearly hiding something -- and it shocks him to think that their exquisite kisses -- followed by his lessons in passionate lovemaking -- wouldn't be enough to make his wife tell him her every secret. After all, he's promised to be a proper husband -- isn’t it fair to also expect a proper wife?

Maximillian Wells, the Earl of Trent, couldn't believe his ears-or his eyes. Before him stood beautiful, unattainable Pandora Effington, the town's most scandalous beauty, and the fiery heiress was making him a most tantalizing offer. If he wanted to take Pandora's hand in marriage, he had to play a game of her devising-and he had no intention of losing. Most of London's eligible bachelors left Pandora cold and she longed for a true hero-a man who would do anything in his power to win her love. Maximillian's very touch sent shivers down her spine and made her dream of long nights spent in his arms. But was he willing to risk everything he held dear to prove his love?

Lesson #1: Never Tempt a Lady Become a bride? Never! Lady Marianne Shelton has come to London to experience life, and marriage is not part of her plan. To finance her independent future, the pretty country miss pens a series of anonymous stories. Soon they are the talk of the ton-and only she knows that her wicked hero is based on none other than bold, brash Thomas Effington, the future Duke of Roxborough.

Lesson #2: Never Deny a Marquess, Thomas has been thrust into le of Marianne's protector. When she threatens to experience life with the first willing rogue to come along, he decides the best recourse is to tutor her himself. And when he accidentally compromises her honor, he's willing to accept their only recourse: a wedding. Marianne claims she wants no part of marriage, but her intoxicating allure and disarming willingness make her irresistible. And now Thomas is determined to teach her a lesson: that true love will last forever.