James Mallory sets sail for America to honor the promise he made to his brothers-in-law: his daughter Jacqueline will make her social debut there. Accompanying her will be her first cousin and best friend Judith, who has convinced her parents to postpone her own debut in London for a few weeks. However, Judith's plans will be upended when she encounters the ghost that has haunted her dreams for years on the ship.
Unbeknownst to them, the Mallorys hire Nathan Tremayne, a sailor and smuggler trying to escape the gallows, on their ship. But the beautiful Judith Mallory will cause him trouble. Somehow, the clever girl knows his secret - and now she's blackmailing him. And as passion ignites, Nathan will fight with all his might to win her heart, fearing that the aristocratic beauty just wants to pass the time with him...