When evil lurks, the best way to draw it out is to cloak yourself with shadows. Hugh Cavendish, Earl of Sundringham, is a man disillusioned about life. After spending three years imprisoned in Botany Bay for crimes he committed against a peer, even though doing so was the right choice, he’s returned to London with revenge on his mind and a black mark against his name. However, it’s a sticky wicket, for in bringing retribution to a certain duke’s doorstep, he would destroy the life of his enemy’s sister—the woman he’d loved and lost. Lady Roslyn Kenton, sister to the Duke of Innesford, is wary of men, for they’ve certainly proved untrustworthy. Though her brother is high on the instep, the power he wields is often dark and treacherous, and she’d rather not have her name associated with him, but when the repercussions of his misdeeds come home to roost, they bring with them the one man she never hoped to see again—her former fiancé, Hugh Cavendish. They get on like oil and water at first, but when underlying sparks set desire ablaze, secrets are revealed that shift their perceptions and challenge their thinking. While a forbidden romance blooms once more between them, and they work to overcome lingering obstacles, danger moves within the ton, and its sights are set on permanently keeping Hugh from restoring his honor. Only by bringing long-held prejudices in the peerage to light, and calling upon a few friends who are fighting social injustices, will Hugh and Roslyn have the freedom to grasp the happily ever after denied to them years ago.