The Imperial Orchid by Nicola Italia

At the end of the Victorian era, Orchid Mania has gripped the wealthy and aristocratic men of England. Collectors are willing to spend a small fortune to obtain the rare flowers from distant lands. Lord Holloway, president of the Royal Horticultural Society in London, has decided to finance an expedition team to Ceylon to capture one of the rarest orchids on earth. Frances Wakefield is an educated woman and a gifted illustrator and has traveled throughout Europe documenting various plants and flowers for the Society. When she is handpicked by Lord Holloway to travel to Ceylon as a member of the expedition team, she is thrilled. When she arrives in Egypt to meet the other members of the team, she comes face-to-face with Miles St. Clair, Lord Holloway’s son and heir. He is the arrogant, handsome, insufferable man she encountered at several soirees in London and also the team's leader. As the team scours Ceylon in search of the orchid, someone has been watching Lord Holloway’s team intent on securing the orchid for themselves at any cost. While the expedition intensifies, so does the growing attraction between Miles and Frances who must work together if they hope to make it out of Ceylon alive.