Her Aunt Allegra said, "A young lady with a fortune is subject to all sorts of untoward attentions by the worst sort of vagrants."

It is a lesson Tabitha Timmons, a penniless spinster, has never needed to heed. That is, until she is left a vast fortune payable only upon her marriage to the very respectable Mr. Barkworth - a match that offers little chance of discovering exactly what her aunt means by "untoward attentions."

But the same can't be said when the Duke of Preston happens along Tabitha's path. He spies a rebellious streak in her that matches his own, and he makes it his mission to save her from such a passionless match, interfering in her life at every turn. All too soon, Preston - whose very name spells ruin - has Tabitha caught between the good fortune that guarantees her security, and his kiss, which promises an entirely different kind of happily-ever-after.