In this Regency house party romance, a fake rake and a bold bluestocking ignite a Christmas scandal... Wealthy and influential, Alexander Edgware, Lord Xavier, cares for nothing but carousing-or so the ton thinks. If he stays up late to read poetry and prefers tea to brandy, who's to know? His libertine reputation hasn't hurt anyone but himself...until now, when a misguided wager pulls proper Louisa Oliver into the whirl of his scandalous holiday house party. Brilliant but shy, Louisa has never fit into polite society. When she learns of her host's outrageous wager, she decides to give impolite society a try. But Lord Xavier is not what she expected. From Christmas to Twelfth Night, he offers her not scandal, but the run of his library. He seduces her not with kisses, but with puzzles and ciphers. What's a lady to do but find her courage...and the mistletoe? As the wicked holiday games begin, Louisa and Xavier might just both lose their reputations-and their hearts... This book was previously published as SEASON FOR SURRENDER.