She dreams of the edge of the map. He knows what waits beyond it.
Lady Joanna Rowlandson has never wanted the quiet life expected of an earl's daughter. While Society maidens hunt for eligible husbands, she longs for distant shores, untamed landscapes, and the adventure she's only ever found in books.
Prosperous merchant and naturalist Jack Dewhirst has spent years sailing the world in pursuit of both commerce and discovery. The life he leads has already cost him someone he loved, and he will not pay that price a second time. London's season is merely a brief interlude before his next solo journey to distant shores?that is?until he meets the one woman determined to prove she belongs at his side.
When changing fortunes at sea force Jack's expedition to depart sooner than expected, Joanna is certain she has found the life and husband she has always wanted. He is equally certain she does not yet understand its cost. As the day of departure draws near, Joanna is determined to prove she is equal to the life he leads?and Jack must decide whether the greater error is taking her with him ... or leaving her behind.
