Lady Virginia Macon, the recently widowed Baroness of Heatherton, has an impossible decision to make. Her late husband’s unscrupulous brother wants to take her sons away from her, and the British courts are on his side, unless she marries a man willing to be the boys’ guardian. Locking her heart away and devoting herself to her children is the only way Virginia can countenance such a decision. Wearied by the world, Lucas Calvert, Earl of Annesbury, is tired of being alone. His wife’s passing, years ago, has left his outlook gray and empty. His only recourse has been to make life better for those around him, using his considerable wealth and influence. When he learns of Virginia’s plight, he knows he can save her and her sons. Time spent in each other’s company, sharing the joys and pains of a long English summer, makes them question this marriage of convenience. Neither of them expect their hearts to be touched, for how could they hope to find love a second time?