Graham, Lord Wharton, is bored with life in London society…until he meets a mysterious woman in a green dress who has slipped away from a couple thugs pursuing her and hidden by the houseplants in a fancy ballroom. Even though he is able to provide the woman assistance, Kit seems determined to evade him as well. When the sister of Graham’s best friend disappears, Graham journeys to the countryside to search for her. He is surprised to see Kit again, living on a farm estate with two other women and a dozen children who don’t seem to belong to any of them. Intrigued by the unusual circumstances, Graham can’t resist trying to find out just how Kit is connected to the missing woman, and just why such a beautiful woman has turned her back on London society.
This book was an interesting look at the fates of compromised aristocratic women and their illegitimate children. The plot of the novel was unique, and Graham was a sympathetic hero. On the other hand, the number of coincidental meetings early on in the book felt contrived, and the requisite misunderstanding at the end to force the hero and heroine apart was not my favorite. Over all, I enjoyed this book, but I did find myself skimming at parts when I was more interested in finding out what was going to happen next than what was happening at the current moment.
Rosanne E. Lortz 