After spending three years and a small fortune transforming promiscuous street waif Ducia Marsh into a stylish young lady of heightened sensuality, Zachery Quint decides to collect on his anonymous benefactor's investment by making her his own personal whore.

So the libidinous financier might think, but Ducia has other plans. From unschooled orphan to factory girl to sophisticated entrepreneur, it's a Pygmalion fantasy come true for Ducia, all due to a benefactor's generosity. And nothing, not even her unwise passion for the wealthy and arrogant Quint, will stand in the way of her ambitions.

Shoes. Not just the wearing of them — the creation of them, from drawing board to their cobbling. Producing a line of fine ladies footwear is all she dreams about...when she's not dreaming about Quint.

1883. The bustle returns. A curled fringe remains ever popular. Shoes sport higher heels and narrower toes. And Quint learns the meaning of love from a designing woman who refuses to settle for anything less...regardless of what is fashionable.