Lord August Valentine does not care for Christmas in the least, which is why he heads for his hunting lodge - mistress in tow - to avoid this most un-merry of seasons.Unfortunately a carriage accident and a snowstorm find him seeking shelter with the Weatherings, a most peculiar family who all simply adore Christmas. Lord Valentine is in a pickle; he must pretend that his mistress is his cousin and that he is not in the least bit attracted to Miss Charlotte Weathering, a young lady addicted to Gothic romance novels. Charlie is convinced that she has come across her very own hero who has a dark and direful secret.