For nearly a decade Arabella Caulfield has clung to an ancient gypsy prophecy as the only way to save her family from endless heartbreak. Now she has twelve days to reach a remote French castle and fulfill her destiny: to marry a prince. When the stunning red–haired beauty barters passage onto his ship Lucien Westfall, a decorated naval captain and the new Duke of Lycombe, is immediately suspicious of her intentions. Could she be a spy sent by his conniving family to drag him and his brother back to London? To keep an eye on her, Lucien and his crew accompany Arabella on her journey, but on a lonely stretch of highway they are overtaken by robbers and must rely on Arabella's gypsy heritage to save them. She never expected to fall for a dashing sea captain mere days before meeting her prince charming; but when tragedy strikes and desperate measures must be taken, Arabella finds herself the reluctant widow to a man she barely knew. When the husband she thought to be dead turns up very much alive–and a Duke at that–Arabella must decide whether to follow her destiny or follow her heart.