Evan Marchman has just inherited a title, lands, and a fortune-but is miserable as the new Duke of Westphal, preferring the intrigue and adventures of the Compass Club to the responsibilities of an estate. More promisingly, he has also gained a ward-a beautiful woman who asks for his aid in unravelling a mystery that will draw them both into a world of hidden pleasures. Headmistress of a ladies academy, Ria Ashby desperately needs West's help to find a student who has disappeared without a trace. Yet she cannot help but be distracted by the promise of passion behind the duke's green eyes and roguish grin. Soon their search for the missing girl leads them to a secret society comprised of the school's board of governors - an inner sanctum where sensuality rules - and power seduces.