Gospođica čudesna

The protagonist, Alistair Carsington, the third son of the Earl of Hargate, is known for his expensive romances with women that cost him his money and reputation. After another expensive affair, his father gives him an ultimatum: find a useful job or a wealthy heiress to marry within six months, or he will lose his dowry. To prove himself, Alistair accepts the task of exploring the route of a canal that will connect the family estates to the English canal system - a debt he owes to a friend who saved his life at Waterloo. Fleeing the temptations of London and his "worst instincts" towards women, he arrives in peaceful Derbyshire, far from civilization.

There he meets Mirabel Oldridge, the independent and intelligent mistress of the estate, the daughter of an eccentric botanist who has withdrawn from the world to pursue his plant research. After his mother's death, Mirabel takes over the management of the family estate, protecting his father's obsession and saving the estate from decay. She divorced her young lover who wanted to go to London, remaining loyal to the family. Mirabel is headstrong, witty, and practical—the opposite of the fragile ladies of her time—but deeply lonely in her responsibility.

Alistair's canal project threatens the Oldridge estate, as it would cut through the precious botanical gardens. The conflict escalates: Mirabel fiercely opposes, using wit and strategy, while Alistair, captivated by her strength and beauty, tries to negotiate. What is initially antagonism turns into a magnetic attraction—a battle of wills becomes a dance of temptation, revealing the vulnerabilities of both: he seeks purpose beyond the entertainments of the nobility, she seeks freedom beyond the chains of family. Through witty dialogue, walks on the moors, and unexpected encounters, Chase explores themes of female independence, healing trauma, and the magic of "wrong" relationships.