After ten years of adventure, Colin Smith, the bastard son of a viscount, returns to the place he most despises --London. But only until he can sell off some of his treasures. He has no use for the stifling rules of the ton, but he's more than happy to play the game if it gets him what he wants.

Lady Claire, daughter of a marquess, is everything Colin loathes about the ton, but she is determined to win him over. Her life is a catalogue of dances and evening gowns, and thanks to an eidetic memory, she can remember every blasted, boring second of it. A treasure hunt for the Cleopatra Emerald promises adventure, but Claire wants more. If she can convince Colin Smith to take her with him as he travels the world, then she'll have the life she's always dreamed of. There's just one problem, he doesn't seem to like her much.

But Lady Claire loves a good challenge and the intellectual beauty may be on her way to the grandest adventure of all.