Mr Jonathon Fordham, the most eligible bachelor in Sydney and heir to a noble title in England, treats matters of the heart like a game. Living in the newly forged Australian Colony in 1844, Jack Fordham buries his past beneath an indifferent facade. Despite

his rakish reputation, Jack's dashing smile and suave flattery would melt any woman's heart. Any that is, it seems, except for Miss Margaret Wingrove.

The beautiful governess is strangely unmoved by the nonpareil's many attractions, nor his beguiling charm. When Meg does not fall into his arms as he presumes she will, his game of pursuit begins in earnest. As Meg continues to resist his advances, Jack's determination to win her intensifies. But can he risk exposing his true heart to find the love he desires before his game unravels? And can he embrace, or will he simply deny the obstacle which stands between them ... her faith?

Winner of the 2010 CALEB Prize for Fiction