Daffodil Farthingale, known as Dillie to her friends and family, is horrified to learn the man she has just rescued from ruffians outside the Farthingale townhouse is none other than Ian Markham, the notorious Duke of Edgeware.

War-torn veteran, Lord Drake devotes himself to forgetting his days on the Peninsula through an endless round of meaningless associations. He no longer wants to feel anything, but Lady Emmaline is making it hard to maintain a state of numbness. With her zest for life, she awakens his passion and desire for love.