Orphaned at an early age and raised by unfeeling cousins, Fleur Hamilton's choices are limited when she murders her cousin's associate. She realizes no one will believe her tale of attempted rape by her cousin, Lord Brocklehurst, and the subsequent fight that left his associate dead. Fleeing to London, Fleur looks for work, but with no references or experience, no offers occur. Finally, left with choosing slow death by starvation or selling herself, Fleur decides on survival and stands outside a fashionable theatre.

Adam Kent, the Duke of Ridgeway, has scars that cover one side of his face and run deep within him. Declared dead at the Battle of Waterloo, he miraculously survived and returned home, only to discover that his cousin replaced him at his estate and took the love of his life -- his wife Sybil. With a young child, Adam and Sybil struggle in their unhappy marriage. Tired of the stares at his disfigurement and the rejection by his wife, Adam strays for the first time with a Drury street whore, only to be haunted later by her thin body, cracked lips and the desperation in her eyes. Trying to relieve his guilt, Adam offers Fleur a position as governess to his young daughter.

Adam and Fleur desperately struggle to overcome their past. Friendship slowly grows and heals their dreadful sorrow, but honor demands that they cannot commit to the all- consuming love between them. Only a miracle can bring these two people together.

First released in 1991, THE SECRET PEARL is one of Mary Balogh's classic Regency romances. Readers can rejoice because it's been reissued with no changes. New readers of Ms. Balogh's work are in for a rare treat in this heartwarming love story, while past readers can again savor this touching tale.