Margaret Tregwyth is determined to run away from home so her bankrupt brother cannot force her to marry an odious, middle-aged suitor. Miles away, Nicholas Lord Templeton wagers that he would be better off and happier if he hired a wife rather than woo a society maid. These two meet at the bustling Hiring Fair in 1790s Truro, Cornwall, and hurl themselves into marriage with one another. Nicholas does not tell Margaret he is marrying to win a wager, and Margaret does not reveal that she is running away from an arranged marriage.
They find happiness together, although Margaret is weighed down by her lie of omission and Nicholas senses there is more to her than he knows. Neither of them knows whether their fragile new marriage will survive the upheaval.
Steampunk
