Completing the quartet of Matches Made in Scandal, we find the story of a mysterious lady who set up matches for the ladies in the earlier books. They seemed unlikely at the time -- a London actress sent to Venice, for instance -- but were clearly inspired choices. I was curious to learn who had been behind the arrangements; now we meet her in her own story. Kirstin Blair is called upon to help her one-time friend Cameron Dunbar in the tale of A SCANDALOUS WINTER WEDDING.

London in 1819 is bustling, and somehow Cameron's niece Philippa has disappeared, along with her maid. He doesn't want to involve any authorities, because scandal would attach to the girl's name if she came home safely but had been unchaperoned. This insistence on being above reproach had a lot to do with marriage prospects, and often women were not allowed freedom of movement until they were the property of a husband, or respectably widowed. Perhaps Philippa has eloped? Been kidnapped for ransom? Met with some accident? Kirstin has many contacts at various levels of society, and her first concern is not for repayment but for the girl's safety. Cameron, being a Scot, is practical and makes money from importing overseas goods like spices, wine, dried coconut. I think that's a nice touch.

In between chapters, we get flashbacks to the previous time these two interesting people met. This was while travelling on a coach during a snowstorm; they dined together at a coaching inn. In this way, we get to know the characters better and so see why they are not good friends at this point. On the other hand, the breaks do slow down the current story.

Even as romantic tension builds between our two principals, the work continues of investigating the secrets of rich society, and this is nicely balanced with the fact that Kirstin has been hiding a secret of her own for quite a long time. Marguerite Kaye writes carefully, filling the page with the foods and drinks of the day, the social structures and friendships. I particularly like a section in which the ladies from this quartet of tales meet to talk. A SCANDALOUS WINTER WEDDING keeps us guessing and will be enjoyed by fans of historical romance, although it lacks the exotic locales of the earlier books. Sometimes, romance is found when you least look for love.