Lance Wayland has a secret purpose for becoming Stanton Castle's new master smith. He and his three closest friends are the founding members of the Order of the Broken Blade, formed to blunt the power of King John, whose outrageous taxes and unjust laws have taken a toll on the country they love. To succeed, they need money and men, both of which they can get from the Earl of Stanton. Lance's mission is of vital importance, and can only be waylaid by one thing--his interest in the earl's lovely daughter. Idalia knows better than to think she'll be allowed to marry a smith, yet Lance Wayland is the most compelling man she's ever met--a welcome diversion from the stresses of running Stanton Castle and her mother's illness. Although she knows the entanglement can go nowhere, their connection grows stronger each time they see each other, until she begins to forget all the reasons they should stay apart. Although fate seems determined to keep them apart, Lance and Idalia are drawn together like moths to a flame. But can Lance pursue the woman he loves without betraying the order to which he's pledged his troth?