This book is a reprint of one of the author's earliest books, written in 1988. It is a wonderful character-driven story of a young French émigré who finds herself working as a lady's maid in the household of a Royal Navy captain. Their journey to a future together is not easy, with social expectations, secrets, and miscommunications to overcome.
Christa began life as the daughter of a French comte and his wife and a comtesse in her own right. But the French Revolution ended the aristocracy and cost her father his life. Christa and her mother, Marie, led a simple and quiet life until they learned their lives were also in danger. Christa's English half-brother, Charles, Lord Radcliffe, came to France to smuggle his mother and sister to England. Unfortunately, they ran into trouble, and Christa was the only one to escape. She went to Charles's uncle, the new Lord Radcliffe, mourning her losses for a year. When the year was up, she vowed to live as they wanted her to and made plans to go to London Society. However, Lord Radcliffe told her that her fortune was gone thanks to the revolution, and she was penniless. He offered to marry her himself, which Christa found unacceptable. She ran away to London, planning to find a job as a governess, but ended up as a ladies' maid when that was all that was available.
Christa was a unique young woman. Her parents raised her to be self-sufficient, emphasizing the importance of being able to do anything she asked of her people. She was very well educated, especially for a woman. Her first post as a ladies' maid was short-lived, as the lady of the house was mean-spirited, and her husband was lecherous. When Christa was forcibly ejected from the house after fighting back against his advances, she landed in a passing stranger's arms.
Captain Lord Alexander Kingsley has just returned to England after fifteen years serving in the Navy. He is on medical leave, and after learning of his mother's death decided it was time to take his place as head of the household. He's worried about his younger sister, Annabelle, and younger brother, Jonathan, who he left in the hands of their cruel, selfish, and narcissistic mother. I ached for him and his worry about how they would feel about him after all these years. I loved their reaction to seeing him, but he was horrified to see the damage that their mother caused to their confidence. He's thinking about what he must do when he finds his arms full of the woman thrown from the house he's passing. I loved his concern for her and his swift action when he discovered her circumstances.
Christa has undoubtedly ended up in the perfect household for her. Alex, Suzanne, and Jon are not your typical high-society aristocrats; they are warm and loving with each other and respect and are respected by those who work for them. Christa has a lot of freedom when interacting with the Kingsleys and soon finds herself fast friends with Annabelle. I loved how she used the skills she learned as a popular young comtesse to help Annabelle gain self-confidence. There are fun scenes as she assists Alex and Jon in learning to dance, teaches Annabelle how to flirt, and encourages Jon to share his dreams with his brother, all without doing anything inappropriate. Christa is equally at home below stairs and makes friends with the Kingsley servants, especially their French cook.
Neither she nor Alex expected the sparks of attraction that flared between them. Both are conscious of the social divide between them and do their best to ignore their feelings. They mostly succeed, limiting themselves to a cautious friendship. That friendship plays an important role when Annabelle is targeted by an unscrupulous fortune hunter who tricks her into eloping with him. The pursuit scene was outstanding, and I loved the confrontation.
Unfortunately, Annabelle is not the only target of a fortune hunter. We get a good look at a young woman determined to capture Alex for herself. After spending all his adult life at sea, Alex has no idea what he is up against and finds himself compromised into offering for the young woman in question. I ached for him because she was the worst possible choice for him, but honor won't let him back out.
The feelings between Alex and Christa continue to grow, but neither believes anything can come of it. Forced proximity and irresistible attraction have them taking a step neither anticipated. But the social divide is still there, and Christa refuses to ruin his life by giving in to her dearest wish. Secrets and a lack of communication send Christa running while Alex finally realizes his feelings. But obstacles remain the same in keeping them apart.
A surprising development changes Christa's life in ways she couldn't have imagined, but her heart is still broken. Alex is still stuck with his fiancée and resigned to his fate. But Annabelle wants Alex to be happy and finds a willing co-conspirator to help make it happen. I loved watching the drama play out to free him, then reconnect him with Christa. Their reunion first must get past a misunderstanding where Alex makes a total idiot out of himself. Being locked in a room together is a unique way to make it happen, but you can't argue with success. I loved that Christa didn't stand back and take it and gave as good as she got. I loved how that storm cleared the air between them, and all the truth came out. Alex's reaction is fun to watch as he processes what he's learned and is finally able to put words to his feelings.
The secondary characters were well done. The two schemers were more selfish than evil, and I had to laugh at what became of them. Annabelle was a sweet young woman suffering from the effects of an emotionally abusive mother. Her transformation into a confident young woman was a believable journey orchestrated by Christa. I loved her close relationship with Alex. We don't see as much of Jonathan, but his changes are also evident. I liked the teasing between him and Alex regarding the superiority of the navy versus the army. Uncle Lewis creeped me out initially but redeemed himself somewhat at the end.
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