Crissa and Owena Macleod, auburn-haired twins who are impossible to tell apart, have always been close. As children, one of their favorite games was to pretend to be each other to confuse their family and friends.

Crissa thinks she may never recover from losing both her husband and her darling child, and spends her days quietly in the Maclean Keep—until one day her twin, Owena, comes to her begging for help.

Owena has fallen in love with a dashing young man who does mysterious work for the King. To her dismay, her father has arranged her betrothal to Kenrik Maclean. With tears in her eyes, Owena exerts all her wiles to persuade Crissa to take her place. Can she not remember what it was like to love someone so deeply? Surely she will do this for her sister? After all, she says, as a widow, Crissa can marry whomever she likes!

Crissa finally gives in, but although the wedding passes without the groom being any the wiser, neither twin could possibly have foreseen where their deception would lead.…