Her father was a roguish vagabond. She had been educated by a highborn strumpet, and for as long as she could remember, she had lived with old Mrs. Worthing, the housekeeper of Meadowacres.

Her future lay in the servants' hall, until the day Lord Linton arrived. Handsome, arrogant, he took her for a rustic innocent. First he kissed her, then he appointed himself her stern guardian and swept her off to London. Did he mean to make her a lady? She would take to the highroad after her father before she would be any gentleman's toy. Did he mean to find her a husband? She had a mind of her own--and she had already met her match!