A traditional Regency story, drawing room rather than bedroom.The Earl of Deveron is shocked when his father dies unexpectedly. Left alone to struggle with his new responsibilities, he is delighted when a childhood friend returns to his life to banish his loneliness. But Beatrice Mallory's intentions are not entirely altruistic, and when she sets out to ensnare her old friend into marriage, he will need to dream up a very clever scheme to escape her wiles.Book 0 of the Sons of the Marquess series, a prequel. A free novella available only to subscribers of the Mary Kingswood mailing list. Not available to purchase.Author's note: this is NOT a romance, so although there is (naturally!) a satisfying resolution, there's no hero heroine HEA.