Tossed upon a beach after a storm at sea, Colin, Viscount Spalding, awakens next to a mysterious young lady on the sandy shore. She's unable to tell him anything more than her name, Cassandra Franklin. As Spalding strives to help her find her family, he loses his heart to her. His family objects?the heir to the earldom can't marry a woman who could be illegitimate, for all anyone knows. Cassandra's family secret is much worse than she fears, and she's afraid to lose him by revealing the truth. Is Spalding's love strong enough to face the truth?