Baron Rothewell lives a dark, shuttered existence by day, and a life of reckless abandon by night. Scarred by a childhood filled with torment and deprivation, Rothewell cares very little for anyone or anything. His life on the edge of ruin suits him - until he meets a man who just might be his nemesis. The Comte de Valigny likes to play dangerously, but Rothewell's recklessness is undeterred. Until one night when de Valigny wagers something just a little more valuable than gold: his bastard daughter. Mademoiselle Marchand is a desperate woman in a strange land, and her pleading eyes seem to swallow Lord Rothewell body and soul - assuming he still has one. Now the baron must play his hand with the utmost care, for at last something meaningful is at stake...