A novel set in Regency London and Brighton. It is in regrettable circumstances that beautiful Judith Taverner and her brother Peregrine first encounter Julian St. John Audley. The man, they both agree, is an insufferably arrogant dandy. But unfortunately for the orphans, he is also the Fifth Earl of Worth, a friend of the Regent and, quite by chance, their legal guardian...

Judith Taverner had captivated all London society. A bevy of elegant bachelors swarmed about her, vying for her favors. But then her brother suddenly vanished, she was forced to seek the aid of her mysterious guardian, the powerful Earl of Worth.

Once Judith had looked upon the Earl as a protector -- and then as something far more. But now she was gown up, worldly-wise... and prey to a chilling suspicion. For Judith was not only a bewitching young lady, but also heiress to a great fortune -- a bewildered creature trying to discover the difference between a man's love and a man's greed.