Daria Babcock is a proper English miss who's tired of seeing
her friends get married and have children while she turns
into a spinster. When her grandmother sends a letter from
Scotland saying she needs some money, Daria volunteers to
make the long trip to deliver it. She arrives at her
grandmother's cottage to find that Mamie is no longer the
elegant lady she remembers. Now, Mamie dresses simply, does
her own laundry, and keeps a naked, wounded man in her back
room.
Laird Jamie Campbell believes Mamie bilked his ailing uncle
out of a thousand pounds. He needs the money to care for his
people during the long Scottish winter. He confronts the
older woman about the money, never expecting her to shoot
him in the back. When her lovely granddaughter appears
through his laudanum haze, he realizes she could be the key
to getting his money back. All he has to do is hold her for
ransom.
THE LAST DEBUTANTE is part of Julia London's The Secrets of
Hadley Green series. Hadley Green is the small town where
Daria grew up, and some of those secrets play an important
part in this latest book. The story holds its own, and it's
not necessary to have read the other books, though if you
have, you'll appreciate the ending that much more.
Daria and Jamie are drawn to each other from the beginning,
but they fight the attraction. Jamie knows he should look at
Daria as "the Ransom" and his clan's future, not as a woman.
Daria tries to see Jamie as a savage kidnapper, but she
finds it hard not to appreciate his gentleness, humor and
good looks. The people of Dundavie, Jamie's castle, are
well-drawn characters, most of whom resent the English
interloper. The reasons that Jamie and Daria can't consider
a life together are strong and hold up through the whole
story. I really wondered how they were going to overcome
those obstacles, but Ms. London ties it up neatly.
THE LAST DEBUTANTE will appeal to Regency readers and
Highlander fans.
Daria Babcock believes she is perilously close to being put
on the shelf. With all the young ladies she knows having
found marriage and starting families, Daria feels green with
envy. When a letter comes from her grandmother Mamie in
Scotland asking for help, Daria decides it\'s the perfect
opportunity to get away. The Laird of Dundavie, Jamie
Campbell, has just learned that his uncle has been giving
away the family money and emptying the clan\'s coffers. When
Jamie confronts the culprit responsible for swindling his
uncle, an elderly English woman named Mamie, she shoots him.
And when he wakes up, Mamie\'s beautiful granddaughter is
taking care of him. Jamie kidnaps Daria, holding her for
ransom until he figures out what\'s really going on. And soon
the sparks begin to fly.
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