First published as
Bless Thine Inheritance
by Sophia Holloway.
Celia Mardham's first London Season should have been a great success, but a near fatal riding accident has left her with a pronounced limp which means she cannot even curtsy, let alone dance.
Her mother, Lady Mardham, makes one last effort to save her daughter from a life of spinsterhood. She draws up a list of guests for a country house party, selecting an array of potential suitors as well as young ladies who will not be rivals, or so she thinks. Among the gentlemen is Lord Levedale and when he meets Celia he sees her, not the limp. However, accidents, misunderstandings and spiteful interventions litter the path ahead, and may succeed in driving them apart for good.