An heiress posing as a lowly servant.
A nouveau riche brewer in need of a socially mobile bride.
Will their match be the season's grandest charade or a match for all time?

Virgil Babbage is one of Manchester’s most successful brewers, but his newfound wealth is not without its problems. Success has catapulted him from the brewery floor to the finest drawing rooms and parlors in the city, while Virgil is much more at ease in stockrooms and pubs. Having fallen victim to his driving ambition, Virgil neglected everything else he once dreamed of, including love and marriage. Now the face of Babbage Brewing, he finds himself ill-equipped for the demands of society. He soon discovers that his competence in managing the brewery doesn’t translate to the outside world. When it comes to managing the grand house his position demands, he’s all thumbs. If only there were someone to lend him a hand with all these bothersome issues!

Caroline Armitage was given an ultimatum—find a husband by the end of the season or accept her guardian’s unsavory proposal. Caroline chose—neither. Now living a lie and posing as a maid, she flees to Manchester and finds work in the nouveau riche Mr. Babbage’s employ.

Does she know how to be a maid? Not exactly, but she certainly knows how to be a charming and efficient household manager, something Vrigil Babbage soon discovers, prompting Caroline to reveal her true identity. She pleads with Mr. Babbage to keep her secret, but she doesn’t expect him to cooperate. She is shocked when he not only agrees to keep quiet but also grants her the security she needs—playing the part of his hostess and wife.

Caroline chose to live as a lowly servant; why not as a rich man’s wife? To Virgil, their marriage is just an act to save face and further his business. But what will happen when their pretext of a marriage turns to true love and their secrets are exposed?

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