Kate is heading to the castle of the Duke of Manning, where she is to become his future bride. However, while traveling through a forest north of London, her envoy is attacked by bandits, and she is kidnapped for a large ransom. The leader of the bandits is a man in a mask named Shadow, who has gained notoriety for stealing from the rich. Determined to get to the Duke's castle at any cost, Kate attempts to escape from the camp, only to be caught before she can get away. As punishment, she is locked in a cabin every night under close watch by Shadow, a situation she is gradually becoming more comfortable with!