A locked tower　a battle-scarred Earl　a lady in disguise

1296 A.D. Kitty's titled mother is dead. Her father　once a humble fisherman　has emptied the family coin chests seeking solace in the local alehouse and Kitty now works like a drudge in their crumbling home. All they have left is a handful of glittering gemstones　the Answick Jewels.

Jewels which Kitty has set aside for her younger sister's dowry.

When their feckless father loses the jewels in an ill-judged wager with the infamous Earl of Rossfarne, Kitty resolves to put things right. But the next morning, she learns that she too belongs to the Earl. Pushing her fears aside, she disguises herself as a servant and sets out for the castle, determined to recover the jewels and escape before her true identity is discovered.

Guy has recently inherited his uncle's title and estate　a wild, desolate castle reached only by a causeway at low tide. He was injured and robbed while serving the King in battle, and has come to Rossfarne to convalesce. Trusting no one since the theft of his hard-earned coin, he relishes the fearsome reputation reaped by the old Earl. But after months of isolation, his lonely heart quickens at the arrival of a new serving wench with an enigmatic smile and the grace of a high-born lady.