Dreadful circumstance drove Cecily Dunstan from the familiar comforts of her beloved Scottish hill to the glittering, treacherous court of Elizabeth Regina, where secret schemes and deadly intrigues whispered down the gilded halls, and virtue went to the highest bidder.

Her stunning golden beauty was Cecily's only dowry, and even the compassionate protection of the powerful Sir Walter Raleigh could not shield her from the violent lusts of ruthless courtiers. Then, suddenly, came the the simple, surprising truth of love. A love as tender and tempestuous as Thom Caedamon himself, the darkly handsome sailor wed to the roaring ocean.

Soon, two honorable lovers shared a desperate charade of dishonor. Two proud hearts struggling to trust the passion in their flesh, a passion as strong as life itself, as mighty as the beckoning sea that was Thom's fierce joy -- and Cecily's pitiless ritual.