When Emily Grace Hughes, a poetess with an aversion to marriage, proposes a convenient pretense of courtship to Lord Marcus Deming during the London Season, Marcus sees it as a perfect solution to his matchmaking aunt's interference. While the ruse ends in emotional turmoil and misconceptions, a more devious pretense brews at the Hughes' estate, threatening all that Emily holds dear. Will Marcus' unspoken love for Emily drive him to uncover the truth behind both pretenses or will the more malicious deceiver become the victor?