WhentheBalkanPrinceStanislausdemandedanEnglishbride,QueenVictoriadecidedtosendhimLadyLavina,whosefamilyhadaslightconnectionwithroyalty.Determinedtoavoidthisfate,LavinathrewherselfonthemercyoftheMarquisofElswick,adisagreeablemanwhohadturnedhisbackontheworldfollowingbetrayalbythewomanhehadloved.Surprisingly,heagreedtohelpbypretendingtobeengagedtoLavina,and,withherfather,theylefttovisitherrelativesinScotland.InthehighlandsLavinabegantofindherselfattractedtotheMarquis.Beneathhisharshmannershehadaheartaheartthatperhapsshecouldwin.ButnearbywastheQueen'scountryhome,Balmoral,andwhenHerMajestyarrivedwithPrinceStanislaus,theyknewthattherewasstillabattletobefought.NowLavinalearnedtheshatteringsecretthatwastherealreasontheMarquishadagreedtohelpher.Andthatsecretwastothreatentotakefromherthemansheloved.Howshediscoveredthetruthinawaythatnearlycosthimhislife,istoldinthisromanticnovel,byBARBARACARTLAND.