Ruined

For years Jessie Warburton has nursed a hopeless passion for the Earl of Ashbourne, a notorious rake who seldom notices her. Eventually her patience runs out, and she agrees to marry the Reverend Henry Lusty instead. Before the wedding she travels to London to lodge with his sister, Mrs Machin, who secretly pens sensational novels and sees in Jessie's connection to a rake a useful source of material.

Jessie soon throws herself into the city's social whirl to supply her hostess with inspiration. The Earl, who once treated her as part of the furniture, now finds himself cast in the role of protector, obliged to keep a close eye on her. Away from the countryside, Jessie flourishes, and Ashbourne begins to feel a real attraction. He is not the only man vying for her attention, however, and Jessie must decide where her heart truly lies.