A former prisoner, Major Guy Michael Mathers, fifth Viscount Kantwell wants only to spare the world from his troublesome nightmares. But how can he know that as he rides through the blizzard - back to the confines of his estate - he might find just what he needs to make life worth living: someone who needs him . . . Lady Alissa Alana Collington is in quite a bind. To escape the clutches of her unscrupulous uncle, she has decided to hazard the storm - only to get her carriage caught in an icy ditch. But when the handsome Kantwell comes to her aid, he may be just the man she needs to prevail over her family - and just the man she desires to one day start her own . . .