Lady Jane Ashford has been known as "Plain Jane" for as long as she can remember. Never a favorite with the gentlemen of the ton, she has remained on the fringes of ballrooms for years until one night at the height of the season, she encounters a man who is everything she has ever desired - Lord Sebastian St. Giles, the dashing and much-sought-after Earl of Covington - and in an instant, her heart is lost.

Captivated by Lady Jane, Sebastian is determined to make her his, at least until business calls him out of London. When he returns, he is dismayed to discover that in his absence, his mother has taken it upon herself to select his bride, and she has chosen the worst possible candidate, Jane's half-sister, Lady Elizabeth.

Now as Christmas fast approaches, Sebastian is forced to attend a house party where he is expected to announce his betrothal to Lady Elizabeth. Except that he cannot forget about Jane, the woman he truly desires. Unable to resist her, he finds himself spending every spare moment in her company, often times in the dark of night. Will he find a way to make Jane his by the time the clock strikes midnight on Christmas Eve or will their fairy tale romance end before it even begins?