Michael Anstruther-Wetherby is a rising member of Parliament - a man destined for power. And with his connections to the wealthy and influential Cynster family his future appears assured. Except that Michael lacks the single most important element of success: a wife.Political pressure sends him searching for a perfect wife - a gently bred, malleable young lady, preferably with a political background. Michael discovers such a paragon but finds a formidable obstacle in his path - the young lady's beautiful, strong-minded widowed aunt, Caroline Sutcliffe.Having lived through an unhappy political marriage, Caroline wants nothing of the sort for her niece, who has already lost her heart to another. So Caroline and the younger woman hatch a plot - Caroline will demonstrate why an inexperienced young lady is not the ideal bride for Michael.