Christopher Masters is a first class rake. Having retired as a spy, he thinks he may spend the next year or two gambling and drinking as a way to forget the horrors of his past. Quite suddenly, he is thrown into a new role entirely when he inherits the title and properties of the Earl of Winthrop. He has no desire for such a role but even more distressing is the ward that accompanies the estate.

Lady Elizabeth knows that her future is uncertain. But when a handsome new earl arrives and announces that the will requires her to marry within the year, all hope is lost. Having cared for her father these past months, she is less than a wallflower. At least those ladies attended the ball. But if she doesn't marry, a new Earl might take Chris' place, Bernard Sinclair. She can't explain it, but his attention frightens her more than she can express.

As Chris attempts to help Lizzie find a suitable husband, his attraction for her cannot be denied. Will his past cripple his future or can Lizzie tame the rake into a lord?