The heroine of this novel, Sparrow Harvey, is a young woman who knows her own mind and has been brought up to ignore conventions. When Sparrow first encounters the hero, Simon Adair, he is accosting a young urchin to whom Sparrow has just dropped a wrapped parcel. Needless to say, it sets Simon and Sparrow off on a path of banter and bickering over each others' behavior. When Sparrow's father breaks his leg trying to ride an untamed stallion, Sparrow learns that this incident is only the latest in a series of bad luck and she is determined to find employment to help pay their creditors. Sparrow first thinks she'll earn her living as a temporary governess, but has difficulty finding a position that would meet her terms. Then Sparrow comes across a young woman in distress; Marie Sinclair has lost her lover - literally! Adam Stuart left Marie to visit his great-uncle in Scotland and hasn't been heard from since. Marie hires Sparrow to go undercover to Scotland and find Adam. Sparrow lies to her family and to Simon about her real reasons for going to Scotland and heads off to the wild moors and is taken in as a companion for Lady Agnes Stuart. Sparrow uncovers some terrible family history and tries to figure out who Marie's Adam is and how the handsome, flirtatious young tutor Charles Roe fits in. Soon she discovers a plot that extends beyond a mere romance and threatens the monarchy