Lady Cassandra Phillips' terms for her inheritance are simple: marry the man her father has chosen and she can keep her fortune and her family estate. However, if Cassie refuses to comply, she will lose everything she has come to know and treasure as her own. Julian, the elder brother of the estimable Stewart family, whom Cassie's father mandated she will marry into, values family duty and honor above all else. He can wield a pen in business matters and keep his respected, long-established family financially secure, but he knows nothing of love. He will ensure that Cassie adheres to the marriage agreement proposed by their fathers, though it means uniting her with his capricious younger brother, Edward. Dashing Edward Stewart has the charm and talent to win the heart of any young woman he chooses. The arrangement between the two families seems happily settled, but Cassie's misplaced affection makes her believe that it will be impossible to have both her heart s desire and the man she loves.