A marriage offered out of obligation—an acceptance compelled by desperation.

At the urging of her dying brother, Philomena Pomfrett reluctantly agrees to attend a London Season. With no money or family besides him, if she fails to acquire a husband, her future is perilous. Betrayed once by Bradford, Viscount Kingsley, as well as scarred from a horrific fire, Philomena entertains no notions of a love-match. Hers will be a marriage of convenience. If she can find man who will have her.

When the woman he loves dies, Bradford leaves England and its painful memories behind. After a three-year absence, he returns home but doesn’t recognize his first love when he stumbles upon her hiding in a shadowy arbor during a ball. Something about the mysterious woman enthralls him, and he steals a moonlit kiss. Caught in the act by Philomena’s brother, Bradford is issued an ultimatum—a duel or marry her.

Bradford refuses to duel with a gravely-ill man and offers marriage. But Philomena rejects his half-hearted proposal, convinced he’d grow to despise her when he sees her disfiguring scars. Then her brother collapses, and desperate to provide the medical care he needs, she’s faced with marrying a man who deserted her once already.