Tricked by a Duke

Lady Vanessa Templeton, a young woman living under the strict control of her guardians, visits London and encounters an illiterate ex-seaman who she considers for a position as a footman. As their interactions deepen, she begins to see him in a new light, unaware of his true identity and the secrets he keeps. Meanwhile, the man, Marcus Maitland, the Duke of Balfour, has his own reasons for concealing the truth from her.