Victoria Shelford’s parents hope that she will soon marry, but they are horrified when
they discover just what their daughter has done. Cast out of the family home, she first
finds a place to stay with her relations, but when an opportunity comes up to travel back
to India with a widower, she grabs it eagerly. Soon she meets the mysterious Andrew Wyndham,
a man with a past. But does he also have a future?
Anybody who used to read Victoria Holt is sure to enjoy this author’s tales of adventure
and romance in exotic locations. Not that they are gothic novels—nothing of the
kind—but they satisfy the same craving to read about people in the 19th century when
the world seemed a much bigger place having adventures. Victoria’s exploits do not even all
take place in India, but once there, the reader is treated to some delightful descriptions
of Kashmiri scenery, as well as what life was like for the English settlers. In short, the
pages turn fast when you read this book, and not for the first time I wished that this author
wrote them more often.