If the gossips of the ton can agree on one thing, it is that no brothers are closer than the Taverstons of Iversley.

When the Honorable Reginald Taverston, third son of the Earl of Iversley, is unceremoniously dumped by his mistress, what bothers him most is how little it bothers him. To the amusement of his older brothers, Reginald prefers translating ancient Greek texts to the hedonistic pursuits of his peers. Nominated “the brilliant brother,” Reginald is assigned the task of balancing the account books after the death of the family’s steward. He dutifully tackles the work, only to be perplexed when the numbers don’t add up.

Lady Georgiana Stewart, a duke’s daughter who possesses beauty, wit, and a dowry of twenty thousand pounds, is dreading a second London Season. She knows she can’t keep rejecting suitors just because they’re…boring, but wonders what is it that makes a young lady look at a gentleman and think: Yes, this is the one!

Georgiana is pressured by her mother to encourage the attentions of Lord Jasper Taverston. The handsome heir to the ailing Earl of Iversley is the most eligible man in the ton, and he believes Lady Georgiana will make a perfect countess. She goes through the motions of courtship, bored by the lord’s easy charm and frustrated that their betrothal seems to be a foregone conclusion. Until she discovers Jasper’s younger brother struggling to solve an arithmetical puzzle. Numbers are Georgiana’s secret passion. When Reginald accepts her help rather than scorning it, she learns that poring over ledgers together can be more seductive than a sultry waltz or stolen kiss.

But uncovering secrets better left buried in crooked account books is not the most scandalous thing a lady can do. Even worse is to come between two Taverston brothers.