Hiding a terrible secret, Miracle Heather has no desire to be rescued--especially by a virile young aristocrat. Yet upon seeing Miracle in a foundering boat, Lord Ryderbourne drags her to shore and carries her to a nearby inn, where he insists on taking care of her. A skilled courtesan, she knows of only one way to repay his gallantry, and Ryder is helpless to resist her seduction. The ensuing night of passion shakes them both to the core. No honorable future is possible for a duke's son and a lady of the night, so they agree to travel north together on England's hidden byways as comrades, not lovers. Yet even as their journey leads them both into the unknown, desire threatens to defeat principle.