Sir Robert Harley needs an heir. Unfortunately, to beget one, he has need of a wife as well. But past experience has taught Sir Robert not to trust wives. So, sight unseen, he marries the most pious woman he can find. All seems to be well with his plan until the night Sir Robert takes Brilliana Conway to his bed.

Brilliana Conway believes she has, at last, found a man with whom she can find love. From the wilds of the English marches to the opulent splendor of the Jacobean Court, Brilliana is determined to prove to Sir Robert they are meant for one another. And she is certain her ardor in his bedchamber is the key to razing the walls the has erected around his heart.