In 1815 the European continent and British Isles are
recovering from the Napoleonic Wars. Many soldiers
returned
home injured; one such is Jack Tremain. We meet him
learning to use a damaged arm again at his brother's fine
estate, bitter about his injury and bottling up the stress
of war. THE SOLDIER'S DARK SECRET is kept hidden, and he
resents a houseguest who has come to sketch and paint the
gardens. Celeste Marmion is half English and half French,
and she privately admits that she did not care who won
Waterloo as long as the war would end.
Celeste is in her twenties and chaperones are not so
strictly required in the country, so Jack escorts her
around the grounds where he played as a boy. Celeste
eventually confides that she hopes to learn why her mother
drowned herself, after sending a perplexing letter to
Celeste. Jack offers to help solve the riddle it poses;
he
was the Duke of Wellington's codebreaker.
The tale enjoyably shows us a great deal of the day to day
living in a country home, from swimming in the lake, to
preserving the glut of plums and damsons. As Jack and
Celeste get better acquainted, and admit that they feel
attraction, they also work on resolving the puzzles which
abound in Celeste's life history. Records are often
destroyed during wars, or during the French Revolution
which occurred when she was an infant, so the lady's
memory
and a few small clues are all they can use. I also loved
the gardens, from the topiary and pinery to the fruit
walls. As a complete contrast we partake of a regimental
dinner with the Iron Duke himself and his uniformed staff.
Winding its way from the tensions of the Revolution
through
the Peninsular Wars to Waterloo and what we now call post-
traumatic stress, the journey taken by our characters
highlights a hugely traumatic period in history, but we
see
them from a point of safety. The drama is inward as they
relive the past few decades. Lovers of history and family
tree research will no doubt relish THE SOLDIER'S DARK
SECRET. Author Marguerite Kaye drew on many references
including the book The Man Who Broke Napoleon's Codes,
though her primary characters are invented. Lovers of
historical romance and scandalously adult behaviour will
be
delighted with this adventure of self-discovery and
healing.
The truth behind the hero Officer Jack Trestain may have been one of Wellington's most valued code-breakers, but since Waterloo, he's hung up his uniform. If only he could just as easily put aside the tortured memories he carries deep within… Perhaps enchanting French artist Celeste Marmion might be the distraction he so desperately craves? Except Celeste harbors secrets of her own, and questions that she needs Jack's help to solve! With Celeste's every touch an exquisite temptation, how close can Jack get without revealing his darkest secret of all? Comrades in Arms War heroes, heartbreakers…husbands?
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