In Restoration England, smart and determined Meriel St. Thomas, orphaned ward and lowly servant, is thrust into a game of international intrigue and the adventure of a lifetime.
 
It seems Meriel—called Merry—looks exactly like the wife of Lord Giles, Earl of Warborough, whose legendary heroism has long sent a thrill down Merry’s spine. Giles’s cold, unfaithful wife is known to be a spy for the Dutch. Coerced by the king’s spymaster, Merry takes the traitor’s place as a double-agent—with the aim of delivering false intelligence to the waiting Dutch.
 
But Merry’s dangerous mission only fans the flames of her smoldering desire for Giles—even as Giles is overtaken by passion for a “wife” who’s suddenly become all he ever wanted.