Robert, Earl of Roxburghe and laird of the MacKinnon clan is normally a reasonable man. but this time the arrogant English marquis has gone too far. First, he kidnaps Robert’s sister, Flora, then he seduces her. Finally, in a last, tragic twist, Robert’s beloved sister dies in childbirth. The man responsible is going to pay dearly for his ill-treatment of Flora MacKinnon. But when he confronts his nemesis, Robert finds matters are not quite as they had seemed, and he is strangely intrigued by the dark-haired beauty who shares the marquis’s home. What is more, he is in need of a countess to manage his own household, so, why not the lovely Lady Katherine?Katherine Bramwell faces a bleak future. Unmarried, without family or a home of her own, her only option seems to be the cloister. So, when an unexpected offer comes her way, even though she finds the prospect of marriage to the handsome, stern Scot daunting to say the least, she seizes the opportunity without truly considering the consequences. Will Robert’s stern brand of discipline prove too much? Will Katherine regret her impulsive decision to marry the fierce Scottish laird? And can Robert protect his bride in the face of his people’s deep-seated hatred of the English?