Twelve years ago Diana Hillard's heart was broken when her stern father broke up her illicit
romance with a common man, Tom Cole. Cole was forced to emigrate to America with his
mother. Diana had her Season in society and married her distant cousin. She has become a
widow and has never forgotten her love for Tom.
She attends a house party at the estate of the Dowager Vicountess Ransome with her
shy sister, Charlotte. Diana is ushering Charlotte through her Season, determined that
Charlotte should marry her heart's desire, not just a social marriage. Diana gets a second
chance at love when one of the guests at the party is Tom, who has returned as a wealthy
American. It is hoped that Tom can forget the brutal treatment by her family. Their future
is troubled by Tom's mother, who is determined that he marry Lady Caroline Reid, who wants
to marry Lord Edward Sutton who loves Charlotte who is fascinated by rake Roland. These
tangled webs can only lead to passions, tempers, misunderstandings and treachery.
This is a delightful Regency comedy set in a spacious country estate. The characters
are true to life with sparkling dialogue. The story is full of intrigue and match-making
plots...many too humorous to mention. It is well written and is a pleasant read. There
is no real challenge in the story, but it will help pass a few hours quickly.