James McCarran has no plans to wed but his grandmother has given him an ultimatum – marry or forfeit his inheritance. When he meets Elspeth MacArthur, he sees her as the only woman he would wed. She does not want to leave her Highland home and James’ home is in England.

There is another reason Elspeth does not want to marry – there is a mystery in her past that she does not want James to learn. As the story progresses and James and Elspeth fall even deeper in love, the reader is swept along in the mystery and is kept wondering if the two can finally overcome their differences.