Sir Henry Ainsley is drowning. Years of debt have piled up, and the only thing keeping him afloat is the need to see his sister secure in marriage. When an unexpected lifeline appears to absolve his debts in return for information on a missing merchant ship, he jumps at the chance—though he thought he'd left such dangerous work behind him. The catch is it comes with attending a house party on the Channel Islands, hosted by Mrs. Alice Seymour. But what's one more gamble, if it could see his sister safely married before his crumbling facade is revealed?

Alice Seymour has no interest in love. Widowed and painfully reserved, she hosts her yearly matchmaking parties more out of duty than delight; it is far easier to help others find their happily ever after. Yet when the inscrutable Sir Henry arrives, his charm and quiet kindness begin to stir feelings she had long believed were too fanciful to be real. But as secrets from his past surface—and pieces of her own begin to fall into place—she is not certain she wishes to open her heart.

But the truth behind the missing ship might be more dangerous than Henry believed, and the possibility of failure threatens to destroy his future and the fragile trust growing between him and his hostess. As the island's shadowy dealings come to light, Henry's options grow limited, and Alice must choose between the comfort of the life she knows... or risk everything for the one man who truly sees her.