Saronna Maynard never expected to be sold into an off-world household, anymore than Duncan Trushenko expected to return from a business trip to find that his father had bought a companion for him. Saronna is grateful, in many ways. Her new protector is too horrified by the customs of Krueger’s World to wonder why her father could never find a husband for her. And off-worlders don’t believe in witches. The more time Saronna spends with Duncan, the harder it is for her to believe all men are as evil as her mother taught her. But safer or not, Saronna is still intent on keeping her secrets, because after all, she’s still on Krueger’s World.

As Duncan and Saronna learn more about each other’s culture, they come to like each other more and more. But the differences in their manners, mores, and educational backgrounds make for a rocky path to deeper feelings. The story has the feel of a historical romance. Imagine if Georgette Heyer had written science fiction!