Captain Gibb MacGalloway might be the second son of a duke, but he’s the lord of The Prosperity, one of Britain’s fastest merchant ships. Before he sets sail for America, his ducal brother asks him to provide safe passage to Lady Sophia Harcourt. During the long voyage, the captain comes to know the heiress who has suffered the misfortune of being a mail-order bride. After months of moonlit nights and stolen kisses, Gibb’s heart will never again be the same as he watches from the deck while Her Ladyship is driven away in a shiny black carriage.

When Sophia arrives in Virginia, she discovers the elderly husband to whom she was wed by proxy has not only passed away, he has left her with a fortune. She races back to the captivating Scottish captain, but by the time she reaches the port, The Prosperity has sailed. Once the lady returns to England, she falls into despair when the gazette reports that Lord Gibb MacGalloway is engaged to be married…until their paths cross in a ballroom.