Kneel for Mercy

Beautiful young Marista and her sister Letty live an impoverished life in a small house on the estate that belonged to their family until their father foolishly lost everything to the Earl of Stanbrook in a game of cards before drowning himself in shame. After more than a year, to their horror they receive a letter demanding rent arrears and reluctantly Marista agrees to visit the Earl and beg for mercy. To make matters worse, she loathes the Earl - he is raffish and wicked and the sisters think of him as an ogre, blaming him for her father's death. When she meets him, she finds he is also very handsome. And Marista finds it harder to hate him after he rescues her when Lord Dashforth forces himself upon her. Then, when inadvertently her brother Anthony brings a French spy and assassin to the Castle on a mission to kill the Earl, it is Marista who discovers his plan and warns the Earl - and with his grateful kiss she realises that her hate has become love. If only the imperious Earl felt the same way -