Married to the unfaithful Earl of Lowry, who disdains her lack of beauty, and scorned by her in-laws for not producing an heir for the earldom, Gertrude "Gertie" Farrington takes out her frustrations in the masked underground world of Madame Botreaux's Cavern of Pleasures. Concealing her identity there as 'Lady Athena,' Gertie is a domineering mistress with a peculiar propensity: she never allows a submissive to bring her to climax. Back from years of exile after a scandalous duel, Sir Phineas Barclay, a notorious rake and seducer of women, becomes instantly intrigued by the Lady Athena on a visit to the Cavern of Pleasures. He poses as a submissive with the intention of seducing the icy mistress and uncovering her true identity. As the Countess of Lowry, Gertie wants nothing to do with Phineas Barclay - a debaucher at best, and a murderer at worst. So why does she find herself hot and flustered in his presence? Phineas Barclay finds himself strangely drawn to the Countess, but every step forward with her seems to be followed by a step back with the Lady Athena. Which woman will he choose to focus his seduction upon - or is it possible to conquer both Lady Athena and the Countess?