Vespera Wynette was once the jewel of the court, but one scandalous mistake has stripped her of her dignity and sent her into a cold, lonely exile. Now a ward at the remote and imposing Combe Magna, she finds herself under the unyielding thumb of Lord Clay Amesbury. Clay is a man of unusual tastes, determined to correct Vespera's wayward nature through a rigorous curriculum of absolute obedience. But Clay is not the only one who wants her total devotion. When His Royal Highness Omari Jennings arrives, Vespera is caught between two powerful men who intend to share the task of her refinement.