For three years, Lady Veronica Smithson has been a happy, independent widow. Still, the right gentleman could provide the benefits of marriage without the tedious restrictions. And in Sir Sebastian Hadley Attwater, renowned explorer and rogue, Veronica is sure she has found him. Sebastian will inherit his fortune in a matter of weeks, if his family deems him responsible enough. There's no better way to prove his maturity than with a home and a wife.