After her father’s scandal, Mary Wythe must start a new life as a commoner. When her mother’s old spending habits causes them to be late on their rent, Mary approaches the ornery Lord Malvern to beg for more time. Not only does he extend the grace period, but her honesty and sharp mind with numbers prompts him to offer her a position as steward over his estate. Mary is skeptical. She’s never heard of anyone hiring a woman steward... moreAfter her father’s scandal, Mary Wythe must start a new life as a commoner. When her mother’s old spending habits causes them to be late on their rent, Mary approaches the ornery Lord Malvern to beg for more time. Not only does he extend the grace period, but her honesty and sharp mind with numbers prompts him to offer her a position as steward over his estate. Mary is skeptical. She’s never heard of anyone hiring a woman steward. But she desperately needs to find new employment; her brother is too young to provide for their needs, and her mother still pines over losing her position in society. The problem is, Mary loathes Lord Malvern.Being the third son of an Earl, Thomas Leeds inherits little when his father dies—except for the self-appointed responsibility of his mother, who is disallowed by Thomas’s sister-in-law to live in the manor and refuses to live in the dower house. He moves his mother to an abandoned family estate in Herefordshire. Thomas, unfortunately, fails miserably at managing his newly acquired Malvern Estate. He needs to hire a steward, but he can’t afford one. Then he stumbles on to the perfect candidate: Mary Wythe. She has a mind for business and could live in the estate’s empty steward’s cottage for much of her wage. The only problem is, she doesn’t like him. Neither does he care much for her.Can Mary and Thomas put their dislike for each other aside to save Malvern Estate from ruin? Can they open their eyes to each other before it’s too late?To Be a Lady is an enemy to lovers story with a Cinderella slant inspired by historical events and filled with mystery, tenderness, and clean romantic tension. less
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