Emily Gray knows she's selfish and conceited, but she didn't realize how much that would ruin her chances of a good marriage until she was released from her courtship with Jeremy Tobler. Now she's the subject of gossip and of pity, and she fears she'll never have the kind of life she desires and deserves. When Jeremy finds himself in trouble and turns to the Pinkertons for help, Emily is in the perfect position to help him, but she's not sure she should. After all, he was the cause of her great embarrassment, but she's willing to put that to the side—for a price. Agent Todd Wilcox has been brought in from the New York office to help on this case, and he finds himself stuck in the middle of this battle of wills. It would be easy for him to do his job and move on, and yet there's something about Miss Gray that appeals to him. A lavish house party, a missing guest, and ten thousand dollars at stake . . . just another day at the Pinkerton office, it would seem.