Forced into a life of serving the wretched orphan keeper and her two daughters after being found in the woods as a child, Ellie yearns for freedom. She hopes to become a governess, but Mrs. Bitterworth has no intention of writing any letter of recommendation for her. Stuck with life as an unwilling servant, Ellie follows the Bitterworths into a curiosity shop, where a handsome count searches for an engagement gift. When he asks for something in Spanish, and no one can translate, Ellie steps forth to assist him. This interlude only angers Mrs. Bitterworth, who feels Ellie is interfering with her daughter's chance to impress a nobleman. Life after this becomes even more unbearable, but her options at this point are nonexistent. Will she ever be free of her untenable situation?
Mateo Montevista, Count of Manila, is about to lose his home if he cannot find a suitable wife within the month. His betrothed died when he was seven, and he can no longer rely on his deceased father's name to keep his inheritance. He leaves Spain for London, stopping at a shop to purchase an engagement gift. When a servant girl helps translate the tale behind the cursed brooch he wishes to buy, Mateo is enchanted and positive he knows her. When he learns this Ellie has no family, he undertakes a quest to discover her roots, for he is certain he knows her, but how? Despite being warned the brooch must be given in love, Mateo purchases it. But when he asks Ellie to return it after his marriage rejection to another woman, the results are catastrophic. Mateo finally discovers who Ellie really is... but did his actions truly cause her death?
