Alys Middleton is on a journey with her father. Suddenly he suffers an apoplexy and Alys panics. Her father directs Alys to deliver a mysterious letter to a gentleman. Her father loses consciousness before revealing the recipient's whole name. Alys steps out onto the road and desperately hails an approaching carriage. She needs assistance in finding a doctor for her gravely ill father. The marquess's instincts tell him Alys is special. She appears devoted to her father. Moreover, duty weighs heavy on Kenward Dunleigh. He desires a warm, caring lady who appreciates him for himself, not his title or wealth. In his secret job as a government agent, he also needs a wife he can trust not to betray him.