A dreadful poem inspires a treasure hunt and wicked temptation… When a lame young officer presents widow Eve Cramond with an atrocious love poem penned by her late husband, she knows John is trying to tell her something from beyond the grave—namely, the location of valuable jewels stolen from his mother. With the help of Captain Lawrence, she tries to decipher his meaning and discover the treasure that could save her children from penury and release her from the unwelcome duty of begging financial help from her husband's cousin, the Earl of Braithwaite. But, of course, life isn't so simple. Lawrence proves to be a dangerous distraction in his own right, and for the first time ever, Eve contemplates taking a lover… Still recovering from a serious war injury, the easy going and reckless Lawrence is in Blackhaven for a reunion with his old friends. He anticipates a great deal of long-missed carousing, though he does not expect to play the highwayman or to fall in love with his late colonel's lady. Worse, Bonaparte is back in Paris, and the allies are massing to defeat him once and for all. Lawrence refuses to let his injury stand in the way of fighting in this last battle, but there are other obstacles, including prison—and Eve, whom he can—t bear to leave.