<i>Affairs of the state will soon give way to affairs of the heart.</i><BR><BR>Althea Markham shoulders many burdens of being an unattached countess-wading through the collection of gold-diggers and rogues to find a suitable husband, providing her family with a male heir, and most of all, protecting her mother, who tends to acts more debutante than dowager. As she sneaks away for illicit meetings with a mysterious stranger, Althea is determined to unveil his identity-and his intentions.<BR><BR>Desperate to escape from beneath the shadow of his older brother, John Ridley takes part in a daring game of espionage against the French. Posing as a smuggler, he engages with the charming Celeste Markham. But despite her winsome allure, it is her daughter, Althea, who seizes John's attention.<BR><BR>As affairs of the state give way to affairs of heart, John must convince Althea that she can trust him with her future, and her love.