Lady Calandra has an overprotective brother and no suitors
as a result. At masquerade she meets a Cavalier who
fascinates her. When he rescues her from an assault by
another man, Callie loses her heart.
Her brother, Sinclair, Duke of Rochford, finds her with the
man and threatens both of them to keep away from each other.
Sinclair has always been a loving brother and Callie can't
understand his autocratic behavior. She turns to a family
friend, Francesca, for help and comfort.
Callie contines to meet the Earl of Bromwell on the sly with
Francesca's help. What she doesn't know is that Brom is
seeking revenge on the Duke for his behavior toward his
sister, Daphne, Lady Swithington years before.
As Daphne uses Callie as a pawn in her game of revenge, Brom
realizes that he may not know the entire story of what
happened between Daphne and Sinclair all those years ago.
The conflict between his desire for revenge and his wish to
protect Callie will cause him to question all he ever
believed.
This is an intricately plotted story with a conniving
villainess at the center. We see the heroine being
manipulated on all sides and yet being kept in the dark
about events which lead up to the current time. The reader
will sympathize with Callie even as past events are exposed.
One can only hope that the story of Francesca will be next.
Lady Calandra should have suitors beating down her door. But
her overprotective brother, the Duke of Rochford, has
managed to scare off every suitable gentleman. Every man
except the mysterious Earl of Bromwell, that is. Callie
finds herself drawn to the enigmatic earl, despite her
brother's almost violent protestations.
In defiance of her brother's wishes, Callie devises a plan
to see Bromwell again, enlisting the help of matchmaker
Francesca Haughston. But when shadowy secrets about the duke
and the earl come to light, it may be too late for Callie to
see that she's walked straight into a trap...