Griffith, a battle-seasoned warrior and the king' s most trusted emissary, expects to find a shallow, vain, frivolous woman at Wenthaven Castle. After all, as lady-in-waiting to the queen, Lady Marian had been in a position of privilege, yet she had been banished from the court. And the rumors were that she had given birth to an illegitimate child. When he arrives, Griffith realizes that Lady Marian is strong, intelligent and fiercely protective of the young baby in her custody. If he were smart, he would just deliver the message with which he had been entrusted. Instead, he longs to discover what Marian so desperately fears and why he so improperly wants her.