Series:
Society's Most Scandalous (Book 2)
His plans to fool the ton…
Thwarted by a country debutante!
George Claremont, Marquess of Curran, has cultivated his
rakish reputation to enable his covert work helping children in England's
workhouses. Now the destruction of these institutions hinges on a well-laid
marriage proposal. But stepping into the wrong room at a ball -- and into a
compromising situation with the prim Kitty Fitzroy -- threatens his plan to
cheat the marriage mart… Or might he have found the perfect accomplice?
Good story about two people who have more in common than
they realize. Kitty is an eighteen-year-old debutante during this London Season,
which isn't going well for her. Her new guardians are kind, but Kitty feels out
of place in a society that pays no attention to the problems of those beneath
them. Kitty's father had been a socially conscious man and raised her to be the
same way. She was accustomed to country life and how villagers cared for each
other. She is disgusted by the ton's uncaring attitude and frequently finds
herself trying to convince others of problems such as child labor. As a result,
she has become a wallflower, which doesn't bother her as much as she thinks it
should.
George is a nobleman with the reputation of a foolish,
shallow rake known for his drunkenness and womanizing. Nobody knows that this
is a carefully cultivated façade used to hide his true purpose of investigating
those guilty of crimes against children. His reasons for this are heartbreaking
and have driven his actions for many years. When he isn't playing the fool, he
has a successful shipping business that funds his covert activities.
The initial meetings between Kitty and George are antagonistic.
She makes no secret of her disapproval of him, and he mocks her zealousness.
Under the antagonism are sparks of attraction that both try to ignore. Kitty
because she disapproves of him, and George because he has plans that include
proposing to another woman. But George and Kitty frequently encounter each
other, and the sparks don't diminish. Then George steps into the wrong room at
a ball, expecting to see one woman and encountering Kitty instead. A moment of
ill-advised action and the inconvenient arrival of a pair of gossips ensures a
rapid marriage.
I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Kitty
and George. George is well aware of Kitty's opinions about child labor and that
his match hers, but he refuses to tell her about his undercover activities. One
thing they can both admit is the attraction between them, and there is nothing
to stop them from giving in. It was interesting to see that their physical
intimacy helped open Kitty's eyes to the fact that there is more to George than
she had previously realized. Many of his actions don't reconcile with his
public persona. It isn't until she confronts him about his sneaking out at
night that he confesses all.
I loved Kitty's determination to help. She has fallen
deeply in love with her unexpectedly honorable husband and wants to be part of
his mission. But Kitty's confession of her love comes up against George's fears
of risking his heart. The scene with the young girl George rescues is
heartbreaking, and I could feel his pain. Kitty's attempts to help him only
bring their differing views on the best way to help into the open. I hurt for
Kitty as George's refusal to admit his love drove her away. After some soul
searching, and in George's case, facing his past, each realized they had been
protecting their hearts. I liked the ending, and the epilogue was a good story
wrap-up.
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