When Lady Grace Warren is to be sold by her father as a bride to the debauched Lord Fentington, she knows that only a drastic step can save her from a life of misery. In Victorian England, a woman possesses only one thing of value: her virtue. Once stripped of it, Fentington will no longer want her - and unfortunately, neither will any other man. But at least she would retain her freedom. All she needs is the right partner for that fateful night: a man who asks no questions and makes no further demands. For a woman willing to risk everything, an ordinary man is not good enough. After the painful loss of two wives in childbirth, Vincent Germaine, the Duke of Raeburn, has vowed never to marry again. Tormented by guilt because his desire for an heir has cost several lives, he is determined to seek his pleasure.