Do people prove their self-worth by strength, or by character? A Romany leader confronts the English heritage he has denied when he lands, beaten and powerless, in the path of a high-spirited young widow. Will the prim countess agree to hide the charismatic rogue in her home and jeopardize her safety while her stepson accuses her of murdering her elderly husband? Patience Blakwell is not beautiful. As a dutiful young countess in Regency England, she endures her husband's cruelty. She struggles with her faith, trying to understand why God is not following the plan she had for her life-to be loved and cherished by her husband. After her husband's unexpected death, her grown stepson charges her with her late husband's murder. Luca Bolder, more Gypsy than English, is determined to prove that he is strong and capable and doesn't need anyone. But once he is forced to depend on Lady Patience Blakwell, a woman who represents all he loathes, he must decide whether he should turn away when she needs him, or risk his most vulnerable, forgiving self to keep her safe. By denying his English heritage, has he denied a part of himself?