In this sequel to These Old Shades, Leonie and the Duke of Avon are long married, with a son – the Marquis of Vidal – who’s all grown up, and stepping into his father’s former rakish ways.
When a duel goes wrong, Vidal’s strongly advised to leave the country until it’s clear if his opponent will live or die. He’s been paying court to a very silly girl named Sophia, and convinces her to run away with him. But it’s Sophia’s older sister, Mary, that receives his message of where to meet, and determined to save her sister, she takes her place.
Vidal’s initially furious, and thinking her as loose as her sister, brings her along to France, but he quickly discovers that she’s actually a lady of some quality, and he’s now ruined her reputation, and needs to do something about it.
Honestly, this story reads pretty badly if you stop and think about it all. You really need to suspend disbelief and go into this as a sort of fantasy, because the characters are sparkling, and are enjoying themselves. If you can keep that in your mind, it’s a fun story. If you can’t take things written a while ago with a grain of salt, avoid this book.
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