Life in Regency England had a very strict set of rules if you were a virginal young woman from a wealthy family. Your hopes of making a good marriage could be compromised in so many ways. Far too many of them could occur accidentally, if you didn't know the rules.
A stolen kiss in a secluded garden is something we would consider not just fun, but quite tame today, but two hundred years ago, it would most likely have been your undoing. You would have been forced into matrimony with whoever your co-conspirator was, or returned to your country home in disgrace if he chose not to marry you, and likely would have been considered fast, ostracized, and remained a spinster for the rest of your days.
Dancing with the same gentleman more than twice was one of these many rules. A third dance would likely require a declaration of intent to marry. That is the premise behind this short novella. It is a fun, playful story, filled with mischief, sensuality, and the oh so controversial Third Dance.
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