To Tempt a Lady

After realising his dream of becoming a civil engineer like his father, Marcus is missing only one thing: the courage to ask beautiful Emma to court her. She's the daughter of an earl with a queue of suitors longer than the Thames, popular and well loved. Somehow, he has to show her that an engineer who enjoys working with his hands might be a good match. Emma can't understand if Marcus likes her or not. He talks to her very little and is always so serious that she wonders if he dislikes her. Maybe he thinks she's frivolous and spoiled. After a bridge built by his father collapses, the reputation of Marcus and his father are destroyed. Their company is reduced to bankruptcy, and Marcus finds himself broke and alone. Emma wishes to help him, but her father orders her not to have anything to do with him. If Marcus's chances to court Emma were few before the tragedy, now they were nonexistent. How can he woo her if he has to rebuild his life first?