When Marcus Blackerby, Earl of Rexford, is sent in search of carrier pigeons to replace those slaughtered by Napoleon's men, he is determined to ruffle no more than a few feathers. His plan is simple: He will secure an invitation with Miss Amanda Langley, owner of the best birds in England, then charm her by feigning interest in her feathered friends. But instead he soon finds himself enchanted by her independent spirit. .