They were an ill-assorted pair -- Stella Percy, cool, aloof lady of leisure, with every quality needed to live a life of luxurious elegance except money; and Matthew Armstrong, bluff, honest Yorkshire, who believed in calling a spade a spade, but had plenty of 'brass' which he was proud to think had all been earned by his own hard work.

From the first he had made no secret of his attraction to Stella, and when she accepted his proposal she was at least honest enough to admit that it was for the sake of his money. So began their curious relationship.

With so much honesty all round, it might well have succeeded -- and as Matthew had hoped, love might have grown between them eventually -- if Stella could only escape from the memory of Charles Heyward, the symbol of her former life.