A lost rogue...

Dashing naturalist Anthony St. Briac sailed off on a voyage with university friend Charles Darwin to discover the wonders of the world. In the Galápagos Islands, Anthony vanished and is presumed dead. The only person who could have witnessed the mysterious accident claims to have seen nothing...

A noble lady on the run...

Radiantly independent Frederica Redfield was tempted to indulge in romance with just one man, but Anthony St. Briac has gone missing halfway across the world. Now five-and-twenty, Freddie aspires to do scientific research. When her debt-ridden father coerces her to wed an aged, wealthy baron, she plots to escape and assume a bold new identity.

A treasure-filled library...

In disguise as a male professor, Freddie takes a position in Anthony St. Briac's empty Mayfair home, cataloguing the rare fossils sent home during his five-year voyage with Darwin. When, late one night, a threatening yet magnetic stranger appears in the library, Frederica is stunned to discover that her secret, lost love is very much alive, and all her careful plans are in wild disarray.

As Anthony and Freddie join forces, facing peril to solve the mystery behind his near-fatal accident, passion flares white-hot. Yet can these fiercely independent lovers dare to risk their very hearts and discover the treasure of lasting love?