The most dishonorable thing Dr. Orlando Valentine could do was fall in love with a married woman. But when he witnesses Lady Blythe Clay being auctioned by her husband, he could not stand by and let another soldier claim her. Though she may be his, Blythe was still married in the eyes of the church, and he would not be a participant in adultery. When Orlando learns that her husband has been killed, he is determined to win Blythe's heart only to find her gone when he is finally free from treating the wounded of Waterloo.

Lady Blythe Clay had suffered the ultimate humiliation when her husband decided to sell her to one of his fellow soldiers. Thankfully it was Dr. Orlando Valentine, a captain and physician in Wellington's army, who won her. Unfortunately, Orlando treated her more as friend and never a wife, so when she learns that her husband was killed in battle, Blythe returns to England a widow, and never speaks of what happened. She had also hoped to mend her heart and forget Orlando, but when she comes face to face with him three years later, Blythe realizes that her heart has never healed she knows exactly what to do.