In the dark days after the death of Richard the Lionhearted, lives and lands would fall into upheaval at the hands of a power-hungry British ruler and his violent minions. One victim of the scourge is innocent Gillian, who is a mere child when the cruel and ambitious Baron Alford slaughters her father and tears her family apart. Alford, determined to recover a jeweled box for the despotic King John is furious when the precious treasure slips through his fingers - only to be lost for more than a decade. Now a beautiful young woman who has forged a life for herself, Gillian finds the key to resolving her past in handsome Scottish chieftains Ramsey Sinclair and Brodick Buchanan. With the cunning and courage of the daring Scotsmen to aid her, and finding a bond of trust and friendship with a new ally, Bridgid Kirk Connell, Gillian at last fights the unscrupulous Baron Alford, laying claim to her home, her family, and her father's reputation. But in the presence of the mighty warriors beside them, Gillian and Bridgid will discover that desire can be a weapon of conquest...betrayal can slay trust in a heartbeat... and the greatest risk of all is surrender - to the deep emotions of unexpected love.