Straight-laced, imperious and morally rigid, Benedict Rutland - the darkly handsome Earl of Rothay - gained his title too young. Responsible for a large family of younger siblings that his frivolous parents have brought to bankruptcy, his youth was spent clawing back the family fortunes. Now a man in his prime and financially secure he is betrothed to a strict, sensible and cool-headed woman who will never upset the balance of his life or disturb his emotions ... But then Miss Skeffington-Fox arrives. Brought up solely by her rake of a step-father, Benedict is scandalised by everything about the dashing Miss. But as family members in line for the dukedom begin to die at an alarming rate, all fingers point at Benedict, and Miss Skeffington-Fox may be the only one who can save him.

Harry Browning was a motherless guttersnipe, and the morning he came across the elderly Lord Preston clinging to a sheer rock face he didn't believe in fate. But the fates have plans for Harry whether he believes or not, and he's not entirely sure he likes them. As a reward for his bravery, and in an unusual moment of charity, miserly Lord Preston takes him on. He is taught to read, to manage the vast and crumbling estate, and to behave like a gentleman, but Harry knows that is something he will never truly be. Already running from a dark past, his future is becoming increasingly complex as he finds himself caught in a tangled web of jealousy and revenge. Temptation, in the form of the lovely Lady Clarinda Bow, is a constant threat to his peace of mind, enticing him to be something he isn't. But when the old man dies his will makes a surprising demand, and the fates might just give Harry the chance to have everything he ever desired, including Clara, if only he dares. And as those close to the Preston family begin to die, Harry may not have any choice.

Lady Keziah Todd is bored to death. Surely the daughter of a Viscount, even an impoverished one, ought to be able to live a little? But her father, Lord Rennard, is a tyrant, and one that is hard to thwart, as he harshly restricts Keziah's society. But when Keziah learns of her father's plans to marry the recently widowed and fabulously wealthy Lady Ashwicke, it doesn't take the lovely Lady Todd long to figure out that the woman's only son, Horatio—the new Duke of Chartley, is a fly in her father's ointment. Horatio might be a pink of the ton, but feisty Keziah believes he has more hair than wit and is no match for her cunning father. Deciding that saving a Duke's life ought to be adventure enough for any young woman, Keziah takes a risk, and Horatio's life in her hands.