The Gentleman and the Maid by Martha Keyes

She needs his help—almost as much as she needs to get rid of him.

Glenna Douglas may be the daughter of a humble crofter, but she dreams of becoming the innkeeper of Glengour Inn, where she has worked for years. Her problems are two-fold: first, she cannot read or write; second, the landlord has chosen a gentleman who has never set foot in Glengour to manage the inn. She is determined to prove herself more capable than the newcomer—but she may need a bit of help from him to do it.

With confidence, charm, and a bit of assistance from his good looks, Alistair Innes has found achieving his goals fairly straightforward thus far in life. His next ambition is somewhat more daunting: return his childhood home and birthright to its former glory so he can inhabit it himself—hopefully with a genteel wife at his side. His plans are temporarily foiled, though, when those capable of financing his venture require him to prove himself first. The challenge? Turn a Highland inn to a higher profit.

Alistair and Glenna are not the only ones concerned with the future of Glengour, though. Indeed, Angus MacKinnon—newly appointed justice of the peace—seems in turns determined to help and hinder them. With the vision of Alistair’s future at stake and the desires of Glenna’s heart rapidly expanding far beyond a simple inn, they must determine how far they are willing to go for their dreams—and exactly who those dreams include.