Persephone Lancaster receives a marriage proposal from the Duke of Kielder, a man who is famous for his bad temper. She turns him down, but her family's dire financial situation makes her change her mind. When she arrives at his castle, a place as cold and dark as its owner, she discovers half of his face is disfigured. He has scars on his skin as well as on his soul. She hopes she can change him with her kindness and charm. It is not until she is in danger that he realizes what he has and what he could lose.