Captain Alex Woodward was fighting Napoleonic troops on the Peninsula, until his wounds forced him to retire. Now he travels to an estate of his former comrade, killed by the enemies, to fulfill his promise and help the slain officer's sisters any way he could. The estate is entailed, but the eldest sister Rebecca comes up with an ingenious solution to their problem. Although Rebecca's idea is highly irregular and somewhat illegal, Alex's promise wouldn't let him to back off. It could've been easy, if their mutual attraction didn't complicate matters. And then, Rebecca's brother's secret past comes to light, and a worse entanglement ensues.

Sunlight blazes on an empty canvas. Arctic winds gather snowflakes on a frosty window ledge as a statuesqueform appears. She moves past a table littered with papers. Headlines splash news of murder, but it’s the photo of another young woman with features mirroring her own that draws her attention. A different headline peeks from underneath the Anchorage Times. Wealthy Businessman Dies in Car Crash … BLACK WIDOW SUSPECTED! Graphic images swirl through her head and a tear rolls down her cheek. She drifts toward an easel and a trembling hand dips a sable brush into a palette of paint. The Westminster doorbell chimes. The brush slips and blood-red paint stains the floor. Detective Steven Quaid waits. His Tlingit, Indian features carved from granite, mask his Irish passion … Will he arrest her this time? All fingers point to her guilt. But, is she guilty of this cunning plot? Or, just a victim of circumstantial evidence? The door opens … His eyes lock on hers … His heart races … Hers skips a beat.