Jane Lowndes is ready to do anything to avoid getting married. In society she is considered a “bluestocking”, and she also wears glasses. But one day Jane, wearing a luxurious dress and hiding her face under a mask, goes to a masquerade... where she immediately attracts the attention of Lord Garrett Appleton, a hero of the Napoleonic wars and an incorrigible rake. A mysterious stranger has won Garrett’s heart, but what will he do when he finds out who she is? really a mysterious beauty? Will he turn away from Jane - or will he recognize, under the guise of a sharp-tongued old maid, a passionate and gentle soul worthy of love?..