It wasn't easy to be a young female painter in 1839...and having a horrid father, only complicated matters for Adelaide Fairfax. When her parents send her to stay with her aunt in London to snag a husband, Adelaide sees it as her chance to escape from her father's manipulations. She could never dream of what she found there...

Before giving herself over the the inevitable marriage mart that is the London Season, Lily Beresford is determined to make a clandestine foray out into the real world. Desperate for a sense of purpose and autonomy before she marries, Lily creates a pseudonym and applies for work as a secretary to an Irish merchant. What starts as a simple ruse for a taste of independence quickly becomes complicated as Lily gets to know her new employer, rivals emerge, and trust is ultimately tested. Lily is about to learn the true meaning of "be careful what you wish for".