Trevor Hunt, the Duke of Ridgely, has been called many things, most of which are true. Reviled by his family, hated by many, he's earned his reputation in the seedy streets of London and more than his fair share of bedchambers. But battling deadly foes and irate husbands failed to prepare the duke for the most troublesome role he's played yet: guardian to one maddening hoyden.

Betrayed by lies told before her birth, Aishlinn is raised by a harsh and cruel stepfather. Her life is forever changed one horrifying night when she is forced to flee England for the safety of the Scottish Highlands. Rescued by a fierce band of highland warriors, Aishlinn soon learns that honorable men do exist. She finds a strength she never knew she possessed and it will be tested to the limits when she is forced to make a heart-wrenching decision…allow the English to kill those she loves, or surrender for the crime she committed.

Nearly killed while trying to win back his ancestral home, Black Richard MacCullough is left scarred and mangled; but some scars run far deeper than mere skin. No longer the handsome devil or kind man of his youth, now he focuses solely on rebuilding everything that was lost to the brutal Chisolms and traitorous MacRays. Revenge - while not nearly as important as keeping his clan from starving - is the only thing that keeps his bruised heart beating.

Lord Robert Dennington, the Marquess of Westfield, has long reveled in the freedom afforded him as the ducal heir. He knows he must someday do right by the Somerset line, but he's in no hurry to give up his carefree existence.Helena Banbury is a bookkeeper in a gentleman's gambling club, adept at analyzing numbers and accounts but helpless for lack of influence.

Grieving from the death of his wife, Lord Colin Campbell listens to the cries of his newborn son while penning a missive to the king. With no marriage prospects, Colin petitions his majesty for help in finding a stepmother. Never again will he fall in love; the death of a woman brings more pain than losing a whole contingent of men on the battlefield.