Hannah's introduction to society is a disappointment. Her healthy dowry attracts fortune hunters, but Hannah wants what her sister has: a man whose presence heats her blood and makes her heartbeat race.

Frustrated that Hannah refuses all offers, Lady Farnsworth finds a wealthy French count to marry Hannah. The man her mother has chosen for her has an unsavoury reputation, and when Hannah refuses to accept her mother's arrangement, the count and Lady Farnsworth develop a plot to trap Hannah. Learning of the plot, Hannah flees.

After a nighttime carriage ride, Hannah hides at the home of her rescuer's aunt until it is safe for her to travel to stay with Rose. Her family and friends agree that the only way to keep Hannah safe is for her to marry. A former friend of Wolfe and Chad agrees to meet Hannah and consider marrying her. The marriage stirs up resentment with her mother and her jilted count, and an attack forces Hannah to defend herself and her husband.

The repercussions of the attack are widespread and devastating. Can Hannah and William find their way back to each other, or will their shared love be lost forever?