Rory has always known he's the illegitimate son of a duke's father, a secret that has kept him an outsider in the world he longs to claim. As a sailor, he's found a life of purpose, but a brutal storm at sea shatters his world and leaves him clinging to life. It is in the care of Anya, a compassionate military nurse, that his carefully guarded secret finally spills out. Meanwhile, Gabriel, the stoic Duke of Northwood and devoted husband to Eleanor, is drawn to the hospital by a sense of duty, only to discover a young man who bears a shocking resemblance to his late father. Unbeknownst to Rory, his secret has been entrusted to both the woman he has come to love and the powerful Duke. As he recovers, Rory is faced with an invitation that could change his life forever—a chance to step out of the shadows and into the world of nobility, a world that will test Gabriel and Eleanor's steadfast marriage.