At the age of four and twenty, Miss Diana Furness is a confirmed spinster. Not only is she possessed of a nondescript appearance, but a stepmother with two daughters of her own to launch has convinced Diana she's inconsequential. Only one thing has ever given her joy: her artistic talents.

The marriages, one by one, of his circle of friends and siblings has left Sir Elvin Steffington feeling most bereft. Perhaps it's time for him to join their ranks. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a single beauty in Bath for him to woo. Added to that dilemma, his sister, who's married and moved off to Yorkshire, has begged for his portrait as her Christmas present. He bloody well does not want to pose for a portrait, but his love for his sister wins.

A chance encounter convinces him the exceedingly plain Miss Furness is the only person in Bath capable of painting his portrait, but he must first convince this talented amateur. After bribing the stepmother, Elvin and Diana are together on a daily basis while he poses for the portrait. This closeness reveals there's much more to the plain spinster than being a wallflower. Could he fall in love with a woman so vastly different from any woman to whom he's ever been attracted? Could an intelligent woman like her even be attracted to a sport-mad man such as he?