Margaret Huxtable put her life on hold as she fulfilled her promise to her dying father to raise her younger siblings. Her pledge completed, Margaret begins to look to her future. At 30-years-old, she knows the difficulty of finding a husband and starting her own family. Her plans dissolve as she comes face-to-face with a former faithless suitor. Unable to contain her pride, Margaret lies, telling him she is secretly betrothed. Then Margaret's lie takes on a life of its own and sets in motion a ridiculous chain of events.

Five years ago, Duncan Pennethorne, the Earl of Sheringford, fled London with his future brother-in-law's wife on the eve of his own wedding leaving his bride at the altar. Duncan returns after his lover's death to stop his grandfather from disinheriting him. His cagey grandfather demands a stiff price to reinstate him. Duncan must wed an acceptable bride in two weeks. Desperate to find a bride, Duncan slips into a ball, bumping into a lady fleeing the ballroom. Having imbibed a few drinks for courage, Duncan opens his mouth and asks the complete stranger to marry him. Instead of receiving a slap in the face, the lady grabs Duncan and introduces him as her betrothed to the gentleman trailing behind her.

Duncan feels like he's fallen into a bizarre dream. Not believing his luck, Duncan sets out to woo Margaret, who accepts her stupidity, but refrains from exposing her lie. Since meeting Duncan, she has crammed more living in a few days than in months of her normal life. Maybe coincidence (or fate) is giving each of them another chance at happiness.

The incomparable and gifted storyteller Mary Balogh continues her Huxtable family saga with an exceptional love story of two people who had given up on love. She elegantly portrays Margaret and Duncan overcoming the obstacles in their paths as they struggle to reconcile the past with hope of a bright future.