Scarred in the terrible accident that took his wife, gruff Lord Kirk has hidden himself from Society. When he meets his neighbor, Dahlia Balfour—a young beauty who shares his love for poetry and books—he realizes she is the one woman who could make him forget the past.

Why anyone would show a fervent interest in purchasing the rundown property -- particularly the arrogant Viscount Bonham, who clearly could afford the finest of homes -- is a puzzle to Cornelia. His charms are undeniable, though -- and Cornelia finds her resistance to this mysterious stranger falling away.