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Christian Sauvage, the new Earl of Egremont has come from Australia and upset the lives of his cousin Hammond Sauvage and his fiancée Sophie Wiley. Hammond was led to believe he was to inherit the title and estate since his cousins were presumed dead in the penal colony at Botany Bay. The former Earl and his heirs died in a series of accidents and Christian was notified by mail that he had inherited.
But Hammond and Sophie are not going to give up the inheritance without a fight. There’s no real proof that Christian is the true Earl, or so they believe. In addition, Christian, his father and brothers were all convicted of theft and transported. His word is not especially trustworthy as a result. The Egremont estate has many treasures as well as a healthy bank account, and perhaps this scoundrel intercepted the letter meant for Geoffrey Sauvage.
Sophie’s parents try to come up with anyone who knew Christian as a young boy before he was convicted. They think of a distant cousin, Jonathan Lowell, but remember that he died at Salmanca during the War. However, his younger sister, Julianne might remember Christian as a child. They send her an invitation for a visit, intending to see if she can prove the man is an imposter.
Julianne is in her early twenties, and thus close to being on the shelf. Her family sees the invitation as a chance for her to find a husband, and Julianne is hopeful as she goes to visit. But her hopes are dashed when she learns what her cousins have in mind. Being a fair minded person, Julianne tries to learn the truth.
Julianne and Christian are thrown together by the Wileys who hope she will be able to save their daughter’s title and estate from the pretender. The more time they spend together, the more Julianne falls under his spell. The person who had Geoffrey and his sons arrested and convicted is still lurking out there somewhere, and it seems the person is still plotting against Christian.
This was an interesting book, and I enjoyed the interaction between the characters. Ms. Layton draws the suspense out as the novel continues. Is he or isn’t he the true Earl of Egremont? The author is skilled at maintaining the pace of the story, and her resolution of the situation was surprising. I highly recommend this novel to those who enjoy suspense, history and romance.
Reviewed by Nancy Riggins-Hume
for The Road to Romance
February 16, 2005
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