After being summoned by the Duke, a woman faces his unexpected marriage proposal, which includes a lavish monthly stipend and properties. He reveals he knows her history with her former betrothed, Michael Sloan, and offers this union as a mutually beneficial contract for revenge and convenience. She rejects the wealth, proposing a strictly one-year marriage term after which they part with no obligations. He agrees and seals the deal, but when he places a ring on her hand, its sudden, unnatural warmth leaves her stunned.