Continuation of Carol Mortimer's novel "The Golden Mask". Gabriel Faulkner, a war hero, an aristocrat and a handsome man, unexpectedly inherited the title of earl, huge capital and... three unmarried daughters of the former earl. After weighing the pros and cons, the newly created Earl of Westbourne decides to marry one of them. The girls, however, refuse him. Moreover, the younger ones fled from the family estate, and the eldest, Lady Diana, came to London without his permission. Gabriel understands why his three charges behaved this way. The reason is his past. And suddenly Diana unexpectedly agrees to become his wife. Gabrielle hides her pain under a mask of arrogance; she hides hers with the brilliance of her beauty and refined manners, like a lace fan. What awaits them in marriage - joy or suffering?