Charlotte Engle finds herself on the wrong end of a pistol when her coach is stopped by notorious highwaymen, the Black Trio. Although Charlotte survives the encounter none the worse for wear, her mother, Lady Epping, decides Charlotte is in need of a husband to protect her. Charlotte is inclined to agree only when introduced to Kenley Fairfax. Kenley is charming and handsome, a young lord with a sordid past and a reputation for trouble. He's just the sort to strike Charlotte's fancy—and horrify her mother. When Lady Epping arranges a marriage to an insufferable cad, however, Kenley comes to her rescue declaring she has already agreed to marry him. Kenley charms and excites Charlotte more than any man she has ever met, but can she really marry someone she has known less than a week? A man with secrets in his life he keeps fiercely guarded? Not to mention one her mother despises? The closer Charlotte draws to the truth about Kenley, the more she realizes he might be capable of far more treachery than she had believed possible, and the more she finds herself involved in a web of deceit that includes late-night conspiracies, highway robbery, cold-blooded murder, and—most unexpected of all—love.