Lady Violet Keene has secretly loved Zachariah Barton, the Marquess of Merrifield for a while. The marquess doesn't seem to notice her so she decides to give up on that dream, especially since they bicker more often than not. When a scandal threatens to destroy her reputation she has a decision to make. Live with the ramifications of it or marry the one man she's always adored without a promise of love in return. Zachariah doesn't believe he's good enough for Violet, but that doesn't mean he doesn't care about her or that he'd fail to protect her if necessary. Love doesn't have to be a part of their bargain. They're both better off without that fickle emotion. They both have choices to make, and only time will tell if love will become a part of their lives.