In this first compelling tale from Patricia Veryan Time's Fool, Captain Gideon Rossiter returns to England after a six-year absence with one goal in mind: to marry and settle down with his betrothed, the enchanting Lady Naomi Lutonville, the thought of whom has sustained him through many a trial of war.

It is not, however, a happy homecoming that waits the captain. Rossiter is shocked to find his fortune lost, his father accused of fraud, and his family name disgraced entirely. Worst of all misfortunes, Lady Naomi's family has dissolved the engagement, and the lady herself is of no mind to ask that it be reinstated...