An orphan since she was eighteen, Minerva todd has been responsible for the care and raising of her younger brother, Neville. After reaching his majority and receiving the family fortune, Neville ran away to fight with Dalton's Dozen in America, horrifying his older sister. And when Dalton, now Earl of Rathsmere returns to England without Neville, Minerva vows to find her brother, whatever the cost.
A reformed rake, Dalton MacIain, the Earl of Rathsmere, has become a recluse since his return from fighting in America. Unprepared for the title that once belonged to his brother, he has retreated away from society. On meeting the bold and intriguing Minerva, she stirs not only his conscience at the fate of the men who accompanied him to America, but also his heart.
After breaking into his home determined to find the whearabouts of her missing brother, Minerva accepts a scandalous offer from Dalton: Become his mistress and learn everything he knows. She accepts-to help her brother, she tells herself-but neither of them can escape the overwhelming force of their desire for each other.
Mysteries unravel, dangerous plots are uncovered, and two people discover how much they will risk for love in this sweeping historical tale.