When his uncle is killed by French spy Jean Boiselle, Lord Adam St. Peters seeks revenge. Hearing the spy is an actor in a local theatre troupe, Lord Adam changes his focus from financial concerns and Parliamentary business, to become a critic of the arts. Yet at every turn, family friend Miss Mary Jane Watson interferes. Is she working for the spy? If not, he'll encourage her to pretend to be his fiancé to give him even more access to Boiselle.

Believing she's found the only man who can appreciate her passion for the stage, Mary Jane eagerly accepts Lord Adam's request to help him expose Boiselle. At first, the young lord appears shy and unassuming, but the more time they spend together, the more he seems to be falling in love. A younger son of a duke would never be allowed to marry an actress, but Mary Jane has never spent much time worrying about what Polite Society says. Unable to hide her feelings any longer, she pushes him to declare his attachment to her.

Once he realizes the game has changed, can Lord Adam elude this beautiful distraction, or will their pretend romance trap Lord Adam in the silky web of love?