Wednesday 18 October 2017

Regency



Reviewed by Fran.


Set in London 1821, the Unmasking of Lady Helen is a sweet tale of the young lady Helen who fears an incident in her past has lessened her chances of gaining a suitor, and at twenty-four years of age it seems wise to put one’s energies into other more interesting subjects than seeking a husband. Besides, her father is an Egyptologist, his work infinitely pleasing and intriguing, and Lady Helen is quite happy to become a rather studious blue-stocking and forego marriage for a safe spinster existence. Albeit social gatherings and coming -out balls must be attended for the sake of her sister, an unexpected incident closer to home intrigues both her and her sister Diana, and the object of their scrutiny is equally unaware he will be stepping across their threshold on official and private business shortly. Hence, Jason Lord Peyton, a man of covert play within the underworld of military spies soon finds himself caught up within a case of Industrial espionage and new inventions. 

A man with his own inner disquiet in respect of a failed love match, similarly to Lady Helen, he is in no great shakes to beget a wife for the ubiquitous heir to his title and estate. One could say two kindred spirits have entered centre stage and both equally intrigued and a little shocked by turn events, both equally bent on solving the crime, and neither aware danger is closer at hand than envisaged, until it is almost too late. Thus Lord Peyton’s greatest worry Lady Helen will come to harm if she pokes her nose too deep into dark corners, both discover dark corners can prove very intimate and steal attention from matters at hand. And of course, for two people averse to marriage, though most definitely attracted one to the other, decorum precludes any notions of love and romance: or does it? 

This is a lovely sweet romance with likeable characters, an intriguing plot, lots of little asides, and enough background details to make for pleasant escapism to the past.