Living a quiet life with her grandparents in the country, Phillipa Carstair falls for a young gentleman who is visiting her grandfather. After a whirlwind courtship, she accepts his proposal and begins planning her wedding. Unexpectedly her fiancé departs on business and never returns. It leaves Phillipa neither a widow nor a jilted woman. She wants the uncertainty addressed and the reasons for his fleeing. Her grandfather recommends Lord Montrose, who has success locating people. When she meets him, Phillipa sees a bored popinjay.

Maxwell, Lord Montrose, takes on many guises as he gathers information for the crown. His title prevents him from battle and Maxwell feels restless being on the sidelines. Finding a runaway fiancé does not interest him, except Phillipa does appeal to him. After witnessing his father's disastrous luck with wives, Maxwell has no intention of marrying until he is much older and wiser.

Phillipa and her slightly dotty grandmother join the search and travel from Brighton to Paris. Phillipa returns Maxwell's interest, but before she can start anew, she needs to confront her missing fiancé and end it with him. Complications arise when her grandmother's increasing bizarre behavior puts them in danger in Paris as peace crumbles between England and France.

It was extremely difficult reading Ms. Layton's final book. Memories of her previous books from Signet Regency to her longer historicals invade my thoughts and all the pleasure I received reading them. Ms. Layton knew the time period and her characters always caught readers' imagination. She was a fine storyteller and will be greatly missed.