Wallflower Thomasina Burke is all too happy to entertain Lord Taunton during an otherwise dull season, with a series of increasingly bold wagers to add some fun to the evenings.

There's no harm, and no likelihood of them making a firm attachment.

Alas, a terrible accident catapults Taunton into new responsibilities - he's now a duke, and way out of Thomasina's league.

But Taunton has other ideas about what it means to be a duke, and what it means to have courage. After all, love is worth raising the stakes.