Indiscretions

Despite her dark secret, Lady Elise Barrett has finally found peace and safety as Daphne Hobbs, owner of a patisserie on the Caribbean island of St. Claire. Her beloved son, William, is safe in a boarding school in the U.S. Reginald Hunter, sixth Earl of Lockwood, has just tendered his resignation to the Home Office. However, when he is approached by the Foreign Office to root out a spy leaking information to pirates, he reluctantly accepts the assignment. Thus, the stage is set for a tale of love, betrayal and priacy spanning the globe in the early 19th century. Daphne's cozy niche as the proprietor of the Patisserie is disrupted by the arrival of Hunt, to whom she is drawn despite the risk of betraying her secret. He, too, is drawn to the beautiful tradeswoman who he first regards as suitable only for an affair, although he senses hidden depths. This book is a roller coaster of plots uncovered, deceptions revealed and real danger to the protagonists. Gail Ranstrom is known for her mastery of the peiod and as always gets the historical details right. So in addition to a deeply satisfying love story, readers will learn about the real issues and dangers confronting British trade in the early part of the last century. Fleury Sommers