The virtuous daughter of a senile vicar, Imogen Bates, a pillar of the community, is determined to sabotage Peregrine Butler's attempts to land an heiress by any means necessary until she realizes that she wants him all to herself.
Peregrine Butler's privileged blue-blooded world is rocked to the core when it is revealed he was born before his parents' marriage and therefore is not the legal heir to the dukedom. Now as poor as the proverbial church mouse, Perry must use his charm and good looks to win an heiress and save himself from wretched penury, all the while ignoring his fascination with the interfering and alluring chit who is intent on sabotaging his efforts.