Kevin Rawling is finally the Earl of Lockport, now that his eccentric and reclusive uncle has at last stuck his spoon in the wall. But when Kevin goes to inspect his country estate, he finds that he has inherited more than a huge, ramshackle old mansion.
Gilly Fortune grew up as a servant on the estate, the bastard child of the late earl, and she's none too thrilled to see Kevin come riding up to the door. Neither of them are happy to learn the conditions of the late earl's will, that has a lot to do with the two near combatants marrying in order to release estate funds badly needed by Kevin...and then there's this business about a hidden fortune. But all of this pales when Kevin and Gilly begin to realize that there's more between them than either could have supposed.