Anne Jewell has learned to live with the stigma of being an unwed mother. Despite the fact that her pregnancy was the result of a rape, she was ostracized by her family and polite society. Still, she loves her son, David, now nine years old, and has a good position teaching at Miss Martin's School for Girls. She's content, if at times somewhat lonely. When Joshua Moore, Marquess of Hallmere, who's been a good friend to Anne and David, invites them to visit the Bedwyn estate in Wales for the summer, Anne's first impulse is to refuse. She wants nothing to do with people of wealth and privilege. But she knows David needs male companionship, so she decides to go, planning to spend her time with the servants or taking care of the children. Anne is pleasantly surprised to be warmly welcomed by the large Bedwyn family.

Sydnam Butler, steward of the estate, isn't looking forward to a houseful of visitors. Severely wounded in the Peninsular Wars, he lost his right arm and right eye and knows that his appearance unsettles people who aren't used to him. He's made a life for himself here and has become familiar to the people who live in the area, but he knows that visitors and children will be shocked by his appearance. Despite his efforts to stay out of the way, Sydnam goes out walking one evening and encounters a beautiful stranger -- who flees from him in horror.

Anne is mortified at her reaction to Sydnam and becomes determined to show him that she isn't repulsed by his scars. She seeks out his company, and they begin a tentative friendship that becomes something deeper. Just before Anne must go back to the school, they make love. When she finds herself pregnant, she and Sydnam marry to protect the child. Both accept that it's not a love match, but they are friends and hope to find happiness together. What they find is so much more.

I'm a sucker for a "Beauty and the Beast" theme, and in the hands of the extraordinary Mary Balogh, this story transcends the genre. Sydnam and Anne are both scarred, lonely people who've survived great tragedies and learned to expect nothing from the world. Their story is tragic yet ultimately triumphant -- a tale of how love can lead to healing our deepest, hidden wounds. Have a lot of time, and some tissues nearby, because you won't want to put this book down once you've started.