Chance Becket has spent all of his thirty years hiding his unsavoury youth behind a society marriage and a prestigious position with the War Office. But now the widower must confront his past and return to the coast, where the ghosts of his childhood still linger.

Governess Julia Carruthers is delighted to be in charge of Chance's young daughter and eager to escape the confines of London. But when Julia sees something she should not, she wonders if Chance's sudden intentions are prompted by desire or his need to protect his family's secrets.