Includes bibliographical references.

"Sophie Dupont assists her father in his studio, and in private paints the picturesque north Devon coast -- popular with artists like handsome Wesley Overtree, who's more interested in Sophie than the landscape. Captain Stephen Overtree is accustomed to taking on his brother's responsibilities. Sent to bring Wesley home, Stephen is stunned to learn he has sailed for Italy and left his host's daughter in trouble. Feeling duty-bound, he proposes to Sophie, who finds herself torn between her first love and this brooding man she barely knows."--Back cover.