Jameson Flynn is the secretary to a Marquess but he has ambitions to be so much more. He envisions himself as MP someday. Usually, Lord Tannerton gives him tasks that will facilitate his dreams.

Lord Tannerton lets Flynn do all the hard work; he prefers the ladies and other pursuits. When he can't get close to the woman he currently desires, he gives Flynn the task of finessing the relationship.

Rose O'Keefe is able to get a job singing at Vauxhall through the auspices of her musician father. Rose has ambitions of her own which include singing on the stage at the King's Theatre; following in her deceased mother's footsteps.

She is embarrassed by all the men who try to offer her protection. Having her father and his friend, Letty, push her into the life of a mistress is wearing.

Tannerton and Lord Greythorne set up a competition to see who will win the hand of the lovely Miss O'Keefe. Since Flynn has good ideas of how to approach Rose, Tannerton gives him carte blanche to help him win the contest.

Neither man knows that Lord Greythorne has his own agenda and will do whatever it takes to win Rose.

Ms. Gaston has set up an unusual romance with the heroine being groomed to be a mistress rather than a wife. Then she sets up the competition between two men who get so caught up in the fight that they fail to notice the love blooming between the heroine and her unlikely hero.

As we learn more about Greythorne and his unusual sexual desires, a darker element is introduced which leads to danger for all concerned.

Peopled with interesting characters, Ms. Gaston has given the regency reader a tautly woven plot. Hinting at perversion until near the end, the darkness won't overwhelm the reader. Ms. Gaston's fans won't be disappointed.