At twenty-three, Charlotte Grenville has resigned herself to spinsterhood. With no dowry, she works as a lady's companion to support her widowed mother and younger siblings who live in the country town of Marlborough in Wiltshire. When family friend Anthony Wallace proposes to her out of the blue, she is perplexed. Not only does Anthony have the habit of ordering everyone around, convinced it is in their best interests, but he is also devoted to his Anglo-Indian partner and estate manager, Simon Walker. Lottie is aware this prospective marriage is purely a business arrangement to rescue her and her family from financial hardship. But should she accept? And will her growing attraction to Simon destroy the delicate balance between the trio?