Ever since unexpectedly inheriting a dukedom over a decade ago, William Margrave, the Duke of Ellis has strived to silence his critics and please his disapproving relatives by being the perfect aristocrat —even though that meant leaving behind the progressive ideals he once held. Now the time has come for Will to wed and he intends to find his duchess using the same relentlessly clinical approach that has led to his success thus far. The only problem? His old friend’s unconventional younger sister keeps interrupting his carefully controlled life. And to make matters worse, Will discovers he rather likes it. 

 The Atkinson sisters are known for two things: their father’s self-made fortune and their disinterest in playing by society’s rules. Middle sister Phoebe Atkinson revels in her role as the outspoken bluestocking Bohemian, much to the exasperation of her older sister Alexandra, the budding economist, and the amusement of her younger sister Winifred, the endlessly charming social butterfly. Though her parents would love to see her married to an upstanding member of the ton, Phoebe traded the ballroom for the schoolroom years ago and now spends her days teaching working class girls. But when her most promising student goes missing, Phoebe reluctantly turns to the most powerful man she knows, the Duke of Ellis. He was once the object of her girlhood affections until he ascended to the dukedom and left his old life behind. But as they search across London, she discovers that perhaps Will hasn’t changed as much as she thought—and neither have her feelings.