At eighteen, Emmeline Ballentine’s father splashed out on one London season to introduce his daughter to polite society. Sadly, for Emmeline, polite society was not terribly receptive to a city trader’s daughter. She only ever caught one gentleman’s fancy, the dishonorable and gorgeous Jeremy Vance who made her head spin as he singled her out for attention at the balls and assemblies. Her worldly chaperone warned her he was making a May game of her, but Emmeline had not listened to Mrs. Laverdale’s warnings, or the titters of her fellow debutantes. Consequently, her dreams were dashed into pieces, when at the close of the season, Jeremy announced his engagement to another. Ten years later, their paths cross again in Bath. Emmeline is older and wiser, and a good deal poorer, and Jeremy is divorced. There is absolutely no chance of him making a fool of her again with his shocking offer of marriage. Is there?

Caroline Halperston is used to the residents of Penarth talking badly about her. How could they fail to, when her own mama spends her days endlessly telling tales of her daughter’s cruelty and wickedness? She has long since been resigned to her fate as neighborhood pariah until an unexpected incident sends her fleeing into arms of Gervaise Langdon, Earl of Atherton, who carries her off to London with him. Gervaise is very far from being a knight in shining armor, and Caroline absolutely should not trust him, however charming and affable he may appear. One shocking proposition later, and they set up an impromptu household in the attic of a gin palace with a pair of cats for company… It is not long before Gervaise realizes he has made a severe miscalculation where Caroline is concerned. Has he left it too late, or can he convince her of the sincerity of his feelings before the secrets which would threaten Caroline’s life emerge and engulf her in terrible danger?