Sibling rivalry has never been so dangerous. Every great family has a few secrets best left unspoken. The wild Randalls of Hampshire excel at them. A duchess should be regal, aloof and the image of calm elegance. But those words have never applied to Mercy, Duchess of Romsey. A widow and mother of a young duke, Mercy is lonely and floundering to keep the estate afloat. When she discovers the existence of Leopold Randall, her husband's estranged cousin, Mercy commits to help him locate his missing siblings if he'll return the estate to order. Although cautioned against trusting a man who would inherit everything should her son die, she impetuously hands over the estate to Leopold's care in the hope of keeping him near. Leopold Randall, heir to the young duke, has returned to Hampshire to demand information regarding the fate of his missing siblings. Unfortunately, the Duchess of Romsey is clueless about them, yet her struggle to maintain the estate tugs at Leopold's sense of duty. At her insistence, he steps in to bring order to chaos while searching for hints to his family's whereabouts amongst the old duke's papers. Yet the duchess tempts him in ways best unspoken. He fights to hide his weakness for her and a shameful past that could see him banished again. But when Leopold discovers a threat against the duchess and young duke's life, he must join forces with the temptress to protect his last known relative.