Daniel Gerrard is a successful businessman who had learned from an early age that entry into the world of the aristocracy would not be easy for those not born to it. A fatal accident sees Daniel inheriting a title that he doesn't want and he is forced into the world that once rejected him. Penelope Hall has been under pressure since the age of fourteen to marry the Earl of Rivington. Determined to only marry for love, she refuses to do as her father wishes. When Daniel inherits his title and arrives in the area, she finally meets someone that she can love. Her father's inappropriate behaviour and the motives of those wishing to destroy any chance of happiness, cause Daniel to reject Penelope publicly. With insecurities and misunderstandings the couple are destined to remain apart, but there is unknown danger for Penelope lurking in the form of an old adversary of Daniel's. Can Penelope forgive? Can Daniel accept who he is?