Rake's Progress - M. C. Beaton

Set in a Regency London household, this "witty, charming, touching" novel is "highly recommended" (Library Journal).

In London's Mayfair, the house at 67 Clarges Street is often rented out for the social season, and the latest master is a single gentleman, the handsome, rich, and notorious rake Lord Guy Carlton. After years of fighting in the wars against Napoleon, the dashing lord is determined to kick up his heels with wine, women, and song, undeterred by anyone's appalled reaction.

Never before have the Clarges Street servants earned so much money or eaten so well-but their pleasure-loving master seems liable to die of dissipation. In desperation, the staff, led by the witty and resourceful butler, Rainbird, sets out to find a good woman who can calm the lord's boisterous spirit and save his black soul. Their search ends with the discovery of Miss Esther Jones of Berkeley Square, a prim and righteous woman who seems the perfect reformer. But complications lie ahead and chaos reigns both above and below the stairs, as no one, not even Miss Jones herself, is prepared for the transformation that ultimately takes place. . . .

Originally published under the name Marion Chesney, this delightful tale of romance and scheming comes from a New York Times-bestselling author who "adroitly manipulates the floating upstairs population that keeps the downstairs on its toes" ( Publishers Weekly).