Book excerpt: Miss Evangeline Payne has not lived the charmed life she would have liked. Her father is mean and neglectful at best. He sends her to stay with her aunt who plans to marry her off to an old man. Sebastian, the Earl of Somerset has been pretending to be unintelligent most of his life. The subterfuge has aided his spying activities. Bas has one mission left and he can then do as he wishes. Eva and Bas cross paths at a house party. He has his mission, and she has hers. If luck and love have their way those two things will collide for both of them.