Robert Ainsley, the Earl of Hartfield, has a mystery to solve. Years ago, he danced with the charming and vivacious Miss Eveline Parish. However, when he meets her again four years later, she is cold and distant. What happened to turn the lively girl into such a guarded woman, and how is it connected to a certain scandal in which Miss Parish was involved? Robert sets out to discover the lady's secrets… Evie Parish wades through the social events of the ton as if they are a battlefield. Scorned and humiliated, she tries to escape her tormentors – only to stumble into the arms of an earl. Lord Hartfield is just as handsome and kind as she remembered him, but she cannot afford to get close. If he learns the truth about her past, surely, he will never look upon her again… In spite of circumstances, the two are drawn to each other. Will they trust in their attraction, or is the past too difficult to overcome?

Frederick Maxwell, the Earl of Ashmore, is in dire financial straits. Unfortunately, an incident involving a lake and a well-meaning girl had placed him in an impossible situation. When he finds himself suddenly married to the girl of his dreams, he would do anything he can to keep his new wife from learning his secrets. Hannah Stone had sworn to herself that she will never marry. Reality, however, has a cruel sense of not only must she marry, but her betrothed is no other than the arrogant Earl of Ashmore. Hannah has to learn how to comport herself as a countess of the ton, a daunting feat. Not to mention, she needs to learn to live with a husband that she never wanted – even if he is the most intriguing man she'd ever met. Being both attracted and distrustful of one another, Frederick and Hannah must find a way to face their darkest secrets and somehow forge a life together. Will they be able to see beyond their own fears and heed their hearts, or will fear win over love?