The beautiful red-headed Druscilla Morley has been cruelly misused and abused by so-called 'gentlemen' all her young life. And most recently by the lecherous Lord Walden whose children she was appointed the Governess to. Not only had he forced himself upon her. Worse still he has told his wife that Druscilla was the louche philanderer and so she was summarily dismissed from their employment without any reference. Little wonder then that she now dresses in the dowdiest of clothes with her hair in a matronly bun, anything to make herself unattractive to men, all of whom she despises, loathes and fears. Now employed as Governess to another noble household, Druscilla is startled to meet her older second cousin Valdo, the Marquis of Lynche, now a famously dashing and handsome 'ladies' man' in London Society and a considerable catch for ambitious debutantes. And she is even more startled to find that he is engaged in an illicit affair with her employer. Facing likely death in a duel with his lover's furious husband, the Marquis is forced to propose a marriage of convenience to Druscilla, who sees it as an escape from her misery loneliness. They are summarily married with a Special Licence and Druscilla's life now changes completely as she becomes the new Marchioness of Lynche. Little does she know that her audacious adventure means that she risks losing her life – or that she is about to lose her heart.