His Grace, the Duke of Devenish, has given up on love. He's been burned more than once, and only recently had to give up a woman he was very fond of to another. He's happy enough otherwise, despite the concerns of his family and friends, so why ruin a perfectly stable, organised world with affairs of the heart? His disabled mother needs his support and help, and he’s content enough with his lot.

Cassandra Scott has spent her adult life caring for her older brother as he battles a mysterious illness that has sapped his strength and vitality over the years. As a result, she’s never left the countryside, but at the insistence of their friend Doctor Lacey, the Scotts have relocated to Bath in the hope of easing some of her brother’s worst symptoms.

As a new life has opened her eyes, Cassandra is determined to love everything she sees and learn everything she can about the world. She seeks out anyone who has travelled, desperate to learn more about the cultures and places she’s only experienced in books.

When a chance meeting brings Devenish and Cassandra together, they both discover a friend who, despite their differences in life and station, understands the pressures of family and the pain of heartbreak. It's all they can hope for, considering the obligations and baggage they each hold. Cassandra will always put her brother before her own interests, and Devenish would never commit to a woman when he cannot give her what he thinks she wants.