Riding into the arena under the furling blazon of the blue falcon, Sir Conan de Corbney accepts a token from the young beauty, Lady Chandra, sparking a romance foretold long ago. That is, unless Conan’s mother can help it. Colluding with her son’s rival, Sir Tedric, Lady Udele secretly arranges a more lucrative marriage for her son and weds him to Edwina--Chandra’s older sister--while Sir Tedric claims the fiery Chandra for himself.

New to the Windsor court, beautiful and quick-witted Felise Scelfton instantly becomes the coveted object of desire. Spurred on by her flirtatious manner and rumors of her dowry, knights brandish their swords for her hand in marriage, but King Henry II has already decided her fate—His royal command gives her hand to Sir Royce Leighton, the scarred and brooding lord of Segeland, in order to seal a political alliance. Despite a tempestuous beginning, their arranged marriage gives way to desire, and Royce’s bitter memories are soothed by his alluring young wife.

Widowed at thirty-three with two small kids, Beverly Simpson wants someone to blame. Angry, hurt, and full of regret for what she’s lost, she rails against a once trusted God and hides her loneliness behind a sassy exterior. Joe Clark, intrigued by Bev’s irreverent approach to life, stubbornly pursues her. However, the pair have two very different outlooks on life. Joe is a dedicated preacher, while Bev insists she no longer even believes in God.

Blessed with great beauty and wealth, Emily Armstrong had the highest privileges that youth can bestow. But all that is behind her now. Pregnant and abandoned by the man she loved, she struggles to survive in the slums of Philadelphia after the Civil War. Vowing never to be fooled by love again, she builds a new life as the mistress of a boardinghouse, known for her morals, virtue, and strictly guarded heart. But when a traveler from out West visits for the Centennial Exhibition and checks into Emily's lodging, something stirs within her.

Anne Gifford's dowry—or lack thereof—is of no concern to Sir Dylan DeFrayne. Wrapped in each other's arms, what more could they possibly need? Yet the young lovers' passion can never be sanctioned—the DeFraynes and Giffords have been sworn enemies for decades. Lest more blood be shed, the two must keep their affair a secret…and plot their elopement. Clad in threadbare hand-me-downs, Anne never expects the powerful and aged Brennan Forbes to remember her face, let alone propose marriage.