Counterfeit Lady

In 1815 Lady Clara orders her reluctant paid companion Alice to pretend to be her at a masquerade ball. Clara wants confirmation that the man she is to meet Nigel Farnham is as ugly as rumors state; but cannot ignore the toady since her aunt Lady Pembroke insists she must pay attention to him. Nigel dances with the lady he assumes is Clara and finds himself spellbound. However, before everyone unmasks, his dance partner flees. When Clara vanishes, Alice is forced to keep up her masquerade to avoid a scandal. Nigel pursues Alice as Clara while another aristocrat also goes after her. However when Clara returns as if nothing has happened she decides she wants Nigel and if destroying Alice's reputation will achieve her objective so be it as a companion is expendable. Counterfeit Lady is a delightful Regency romantic romp starring a wonderful lead couple and several purposely stereotypical self centered support characters like Clara and Alice's cold Minister dad. The story line is fast-paced from the opening dialogue with a coaxing Clara unaware of her companion's inner debate in which Alice the imp argues with Alice the minister's daughter whether she should or she should not masquerade. Dawn MacTavish provides an amusing historical as readers will relish the imp winning the argument. Harriet Klausner