"Are you certain you know what you are about with this venture?"
Philippa Cashel is absolutely certain that her current life's calling is to provide a safe haven for young women whose circumstances have forced them into a lifestyle they would have never chosen on their own. Finding a way to do that means negotiating a lease agreement with a churlish landowner whose manor property, while in disrepair, is the perfect setting for what she has in mind. When the Duke of Haverly presents her with an additional opportunity, she decides to let caution be her guide . . .
Sir Bertrand Thorndike's life is at a crossroads. His beloved niece, whom he has chaperoned and trained in the family business while simultaneously serving the Crown in numerous clandestine activities, is about to be married, leaving Bertie to maybe . . . possibly . . . consider . . . purchasing a separate residence, comfortably solidifying his bachelorhood under his own roof. When the Duke of Haverly suggests an uptick in Bertie's responsibilities by assigning him to investigate a rather delicate matter of thievery on behalf of the Prince Regent, he must also begin to reform his public persona by serving on the board of Philippa's school for women in need.
"Murder and mayhem", "to catch a thief", "cloak and dagger" . . . . all appropriate catch phrases for this intriguing case of "things are rarely what they seem", and coincidences? . . . nope, not happening in this story.
Cleverly tucked underneath the frenzy of a "whodunit?", are these resonating reminders . . . an unforgiving heart never harms the one who has committed the wrong but sows a root of bitterness within the one who has experienced it. In all things, God is abundantly able to do far above all that we can ask or think. And maybe just maybe, part of the miracle is that love shows up in the most unexpected places.
"Was she mistaken or . . . did he actually give her a cheeky wink?"
What a brilliant use of much beloved characters from a previous series while featuring minor characters who obviously have a story to tell!
*I purchased a copy and was under no obligation to provide a positive review.
It's the perfect chance for Bertie to step out of his brother's long shadow. Unfortunately, his superior, the Duke of Haverly, has a plan that makes him balk. In order to sell his cover, Bertie must play the part of a man looking for love, ready to reform his rakish ways.
Philippa Cashel escaped a life as one of society's best-known courtesans and now devotes her time to helping other women in dire straits. Her hope is that laboring hard enough at her charity work will allow her to feel worthy of God's forgiveness of her past. So when Sir Bertrand Thorndike approaches her about becoming an agent of the Crown, she is skeptical. Why her? She's focused on getting her school for underprivileged women up and running, not on cloak-and-dagger skullduggery.
But when two of Philippa's rescued girls become targets, Philippa risks partnering with Bertie to find the loot and stop a killer.
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