The last woman Thomas, Lord Avondale, expected to fall in love with was the wife he betrayed and abandoned six years ago. When Rose doesn't accept his apology, however, he loses all hope of a happy future together. Yet he's thankful she has agreed to come to his bed to beget an heir. Known as the Ice Maiden at Queen Elizabeth I's court, Rose has been trying to forget the man she once loved—a love she thought destroyed after he spent their wedding night with his mistress. Withstanding Thomas' charms, however, is proving more difficult than she expected. Can she forgive the ultimate betrayal? Can he ever atone for what he did?