 Lord of Scoundrels is a Regency romance novel by American author Loretta Chase . Published in 1995 by Avon Books , it is the third installment of her Débauchés series . Set in 1828 , the story follows the Marquess of Dain , a half @-@ English half @-@ Italian aristocrat known as " Lord Beelzebub " and the " Lord of Scoundrels " for his unscrupulous , immoral behavior . Hardened due to a difficult childhood , Dain meets his match in Jessica Trent , a 27 @-@ year @-@ old bluestocking more than capable of trading wits with him . 
