Lady Fiona Tumbridge is a fair, green-eyed beauty with a soft spot for injured animals - which is how she arrived on the doorstep of the tall, dark, and handsome Lord Ian Cabott, Duke of Dunsford, at midnight with an injured cat in one hand...and a pistol in her other. Ian, a former military surgeon with a cool demeanor yet uncommon good sense, is willing to help a damsel in distress - no matter how unladylike her behavior. Still, he has needs, too...and, in exchange for his efforts, he could use Fiona's assistance with the young ward in his care. Ever since the sickly Charlotte moved into his home, Ian's efforts to rehabilitate her have been met with sinister curiosity among his peers. But if Fiona were to move into the Dunsford estate, surely scandal could be averted. Now all he has to do is convince both women that his humanitarian heart is true - and perhaps find love along the way...