In 1876 a British cavalryman returns home from India to claim his dukedom. As a young man Edgar Hamilton was forced to flee his home and join the military attempting to escape an unwanted marriage and his father's tyranny. Ironically, his return to England a decade later, necessitates he get married, and in a hurry in order to claim his inheritance and fortune. Unbeknownst to him, his meddling brother Rupert has conceived a secret plan to marry him off. The unsuspecting and unwilling candidate, Lady Marjory Tate, a woman of business and a confirmed Blue Stocking. Against a backdrop of lavish opulence and social privilege, Edgar and Marjorie face hostility, prejudice and near death, allowing them to discover an extraordinary passion and a lifelong, enduring love.