Rachel Weston would do anything to help her brother, whose injury from a riding accident has placed his life in danger. He is in need of expensive medical care, but the Westons are a humble farming family. In desperation, Mrs. Weston turns to the Prince Regent; her mother was his nanny when he was a child and he has fond memories of her. He agrees to find a wealthy husband for Rachel; what other options are there for a woman other than marriage?

But Rachel will not submit to a marriage of convenience. Desperate but determined, she answers an advertisement to serve as a cook for an archeological expedition to Egypt. The money that she will earn will provide her family with the funds they need for her brother’s care.

The only problem is that in order to qualify for the job, she must disguise herself as a man.

When the organizer of the expedition, Martin Burchell, the Duke of Dorset, realizes that he has hired on a woman, his first thought is to send her home. But they are far from England, and she has proven her ability to cook for the crew. He keeps her on and keeps her secret.

One day, when he is showing her the jewels from one of the tombs, he is bitten by an asp. Rachel tends to his wounds and realizes that pretending to be a man has not shielded her from having a woman’s heart.

But can a Duke give his heart to a humble farm girl? Find out as we follow Rachel’s high adventure beyond the horizon and toward a new future.