Lady Arabella Warwick possesses a passion for cuneiform, a wish to never marry, and an empty reticule. Unfortunately, she also has an ailing mother who needs expensive care. In Victorian England, there is only one way for a lady to raise much needed funds: marriage.

Gabriel, Baron Brynley, knows his nefarious cousin, the Viscount Justin Manning, would never court an impoverished bluestocking like Lady Arabella, no matter how lovely. She must figure into the lawsuit Gabriel has brought to claim his relative's titles. But how? He's determined to find out.

Soon Arabella and Gabriel bond over an obsession with the Epic of Gilgamesh. As their attraction to each other grows, so does the danger from those who oppose them. With so much at stake, do they dare risk love?