Verity Scott's life turned into a nightmare after the death of her father. Her immediate family, the Faringtons, took away her name and reduced her to the position of a servant. Hoping to finally escape from captivity, the former Verity, and now Selina Dering, even agreed to become the mistress of Earl Blakehurst. But when Max Blakehurst learned that the maid with the manners of a lady was the daughter of his dead commander Verity Scott, he decided that he had fallen into a trap. He married Verity, despising her, and had no idea that she had dreamed of him since the day he consoled her at her father's grave.