Shadows of the past can either haunt or heal.Ambrose Colin Heathermore, the fourteenth Marquess of Northampton wants to be left alone. Now that he's back in London and has put life as a celebrated spy behind him, he must take up the reins of his real life and attend to his title. Which he will after a quick tryst with an experienced lightskirt at a ball. If it will help him forget the woman he first loved in France, all the better.Lady Mary Clarke, a daughter of the Duke of Tarkington, is tired of proper ton life. She's spent more time as a widow than she has as a wife, so she's ready for excitement and adventure. When she's mistaken for a courtesan by the Marquess of Midnight, she plays along for the hope of causing a scandal. She won't let the farce go too far, but she does intend to enjoy herself.After one passionate night together, Mary is properly ruined and the marquess is in the drink, yet the past won't remain there. Danger stalks his London townhouse, prompting him to flee with Mary to Surrey for safety. They spin multiple threads of fiction to stay one step ahead of a French madman bent on revenge, who will do whatever is necessary to meet that goal. Only quick thinking and a little luck will keep both Colin and Mary alive long enough to grasp the happy ending they both desperately want but are trying hard to deny.