Can there be any greater challenge to London's Ambitious Mamas than an unmarried duke?--Lady Whistledown's Society Papers, April 1813By all accounts, Simon Basset is on the verge of proposing to his best friend's sister--the lovely and almost-on-the-shelf--Daphne Bridgerton. But the two of them know the truth--it's all an elaborate ruse to keep Simon free from marriage-minded society mothers. And as for Daphne, surely she will attract some worthy suitors now that it seems a duke has declared her desirable.But as Daphne waltzes across ballroom after ballroom with Simon, it's hard to remember...