Captain Charles Bassington of the 13th Light Dragoons is famed for his good luck, high spirits, and devil-may-care attitude. He escapes serious injury at Waterloo only to succumb to an inflammation of the lungs. When he returns home to recuperate, cracks begin to appear in his cheery facade.
Lady Selena has adored Charles all her life, but when she receives a letter from him suggesting his friend Lord Carteret would make a good husband, she is forced to put aside childish dreams that he might one day love her.
As Charles determines to forge a new career close to his family and friends, Selena opens her mind to the prospect of marrying another.
It is only when two eminently eligible bachelors appear to be vying for her hand that Charles realises his own heart’s desire.
But how can the younger son of a baron ever hope to be worthy of the wealthy daughter of an earl?