Alice Prout, the Dowager Duchess Montfrey, has never shied from her less than stellar reputation. In fact, she embraced it for her own purposes. Life has a way of changing plans, and eventually, Alice wishes for a more sedate, normal lifestyle. But is it too late to find acceptance?

John Smythe, Viscount Hornbeck, is trying to recover from the death of his wife, Eleanor in childbirth. He knows that eventually he will need to remarry, not only for himself but for his daughter's sake. Little Ella will need a guiding hand to help her grow into the role she was meant to have. Quite by accident, John finds himself intrigued more and more by the one lady whom society has deemed unacceptable for the role.

Even as Alice tries to convince the widower that he should avoid her to protect his chances of finding a suitable wife, she can't help but wish that she could allow herself to dare dream of such a good match. Can John convince her that she is worth more than she believes?