But to fulfill a promise made long ago, she has to go back Samuel Wakefield, the earl of Stanmore, is in the search of a son who was taken by his adulterous wife years ago.
Duty alone pushes Stanmore to bring the boy back.
He believes in passion. She believes in love. For him, the child is a cursed reminder. For her, the child is a blessing from heaven. The nervous hand, fluttering across the worktable, knocked over the inkpot, spreading the liquid on the surface and staining the young woman s skirt as she leaned quickly to right the pot.