Miss Linea Braddock is passionate about drawing and Avery, Lord Hammond--not necessarily in that order. Avery, heir to the Duke of Easton and a spy in His Majesty's service, is passionate about his work and Miss Braddock--definitely not in that order. Between fervid kisses and stolen interludes, they talk of marriage, but Avery stubbornly refuses to propose until he can put his family's famous engagement ring on Linney's finger. When Avery leaves suddenly without even saying goodbye, Linney decides to take things into her own hands and show him they belong together now. But everything changes when an old enemy resurfaces. Napoleon's spymaster wants revenge for the Corsican's defeat, and his ruthless plan is to get even by destroying everyone close to Avery--especially the woman he loves.