At eighteen, Lady Emily Fitzgerald has seen her fair share of scandal. So when this Season's prime catch proposes to her on a wager, she makes a decision. Rather than face the whispers and stares of London society yet again, she picks up and departs for Scotland, full of romantic images evoked by poetry and her own imagination. Cousin to the laird, Jamie MacLaughlin is nonetheless a simple man, content with the honest pursuit of living in the bonny wilds of the Scottish Highlands. A simple man he may be, but one with deep emotions and a quick temper. So when an impertinent English lass crosses his path, it's no surprise that the two engage in sparring matches with words as their weapons. First there's a misunderstanding over an item of luggage. Then there's an indecent swimming incident, followed by a muddy pigsty mishap. But what finally threatens to undo them both is a sudden - and unexpectedly delicious - kiss.