The Betrothal — Joan Vincent

The two cousins could not be more opposite. Louisa Elliot nurtures a defiant spirit, while Lady Meg never dares to rebel or speak out. Orphaned as children they were raised by their overbearing grandmother who has definite plans for them. The cousins are distraught when the countess decrees they shall be wed--Louisa to a timorous squire and Meg to the haughty Duke of Hargrove. 


From the moment the duke, Meg's intended, frees Louisa from a hollow log, his heart is ensnared and his carefully honed life set awry. Rumors of financial ruin put about to aid the duke's capture of an enemy agent add credence to the misinformation Louisa gathers to discredit him and save her cousin. Then Louisa discovers she loves the duke. Amidst madcap chases, nefarious dealings, and kidnappings, and despite mounting evidence that Hargrove is a traitor, Louisa risks all to prove his innocence.