Abandoned by the man she thought loved her, Claire Denham is left with very few options as she faces the prospect of being disgraced for falling pregnant out of wedlock. In fact, she is left with one. Lord Jack Beresford, the younger son of the late Duke of Ashwood, and often considered "the spare" in comparison to his older brother, has long held a torch for the pretty Claire Denham. When fate throws them together, Jack extends a favour to Claire, and she takes it, turning the lives of their families upside down. As they navigate a marriage of convenience, jealousy, betrayal, old lovers, and the fear of being second best all pose dangerous threats to an already shaky relationship ...