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 fiancΓ© 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 fiancΓ© 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 fiancΓ© 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.
A lady in waiting
Phillipa Carstairs is absolutely lovelyβso everyone has said since the hour she entered the world. Any gentleman would thrill to make her his bride, yet Pippa is all alone, waiting for a fiance who disappeared many months ago. She's long forgotten why she loved him, and she's nearly given up hope.
A man of action
At first glance, Maxwell, Lord Montrose, is nothing but a dandyβalbeit a well-chiseled, irresistibly handsome one! But his foppish demeanor hides a keen mind and a steely resolve. A spy for the Crown who knows absolutely everyone, he's the only one who can help Pippa find her missing fiancΓ.
An irresistible desire
Crossing England on the trail of the elusive husband-to-be, Maxwell and Pippa have the best of intentions. But a simmering attraction builds in close quarters . . . with a sinful passion that will be impossible to deny.
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