The Earl's Runaway Wallflower

A bluestocking flees an arranged marriage by donning breeches and boarding a ship bound for the Caribbean. Ever since Louisa Carmichael's brother unexpectedly inherited a dukedom, her mother's expectations have soared to aristocratic heights. While her family plots advantageous marriages, Louisa dreams not of ballrooms but of exploring tropical waters with her latest invention—an underwater breathing apparatus that could revolutionize maritime exploration. Lord Rupert Haywood, reluctant heir to the Duchy of Belmonte, escapes his corrupt father's influence by commanding a ship of loyal men the Crown would call pirates. The last cargo he expects to discover stowed away on his vessel is a determined lady inventor. The last thing he expects to feel is affection