Two people hiding secrets. Are they a match made in heaven or will fate drive them apart?

The present day

While on holiday in Cornwall, land of her ancestors, Morvoren Lucas agrees with reluctance to accompany her soon to be ex-boyfriend on a sea-fishing trip. Her morbid fear of the water, despite her name meaning ‘sea maiden' or ‘mermaid' in Cornish, turns out to be justified when a sudden freak wave tosses the fishing boat, flinging her into the sea.

1811

Kit Carlyon takes one last sweep with his nets before heading for home and fishes out what he at first mistakes for a real mermaid. Morvoren. To begin with, he thinks she's dead, but then she revives and he realizes he's stuck with an unwanted visitor just when he and his uncle don't need one. Because Kit and his uncle are smugglers, and they have a shipment from Brittany arriving that night.