Wounded in the war, Lord Huntington returns to his family estate only to find his father ill and the duchy in dire straits. Little does Nicholas know that the young nurse tending his father is capable of unlocking the burdens that plague his soul. Yet when he takes Miss Charlotte Kittridge in his arms and tastes desire, all chance of lasting happiness is dashed by the secret promise he's vowed to keep.A spinster with seven and twenty years in her dish and no dowry, Charlotte Kittridge knows that her life will be devoted to duty. But as the daughter of an aristocratic French mother lost during the revolution, and a respected doctor, Charlotte cannot help but fall in the love with Lord Huntington during their passionate endeavor to change the course of his fate. Charlotte and Nicholas must wager all and come to terms with their secrets and desires if they are to succeed in their quest for love and happiness.