Lord Gabriel's crumbling estate requires he marry a wealthy woman. A pulse, a womb, and a healthy English dowry are what he needs. Still, he can't help but linger in the company of Miss Elise Sauveterre—a penniless Frenchwoman employed as his mother's companion. Elise wants to join her estranged mother in Montreal, and she's so close to having funds for the passage. She shouldn't dally in the library with his lordship. A fallen noblewoman, her days in exalted circles are long gone. But, Lord Gabriel shares her love of books and higher ideas, and his kisses melt her. They can never be. Yet, love crashes barriers and forces a stunning sacrifice...that will change history.