In Regency England an advantageous match could set up a lady for life. Julia knows Matthew Blake, copper mine owner and very eligible bachelor, is the gentleman she should set her eyes upon. But why can't she steal her gaze away from his younger brother, Isaac?
Cornwall, England, 1818: Julia Twethewey needs a diversion to mend her broken heart, so when her aunt invites her to Lanwyn Manor to be a companion to her pregnant cousin, she quickly accepts. Lanwyn Manor is at the heart of Cornwall's thriving mining industry, and as a guest Julia is instantly swept into its world of balls and parties. Despite her initial enchantment with her new surroundings, she soon realizes something dark is lurking in the ancient halls.
As a respected mine owner's younger son, Isaac Blake is determined to keep his late father's legacy alive through the family business, despite his brother's careless attitude. In order to save their livelihood--and that of the people around them--the brothers approach the master of Lanwyn Manor with plans to help the floundering local industry. Isaac can't deny his attraction to the man's charming niece, but his brother has made clear his intentions to court the lovely visitor. And Isaac knows his place.
When tragedy strikes, mysteries arise, and valuables go missing, Julia and Isaac find they are pulled together in a swirl of strange circumstances, but despite their best efforts to bow to social expectations, their hearts aren't so keen to surrender.
- Full-length, clean Regency romance set in the same time period as Poldark and Bridgerton
- Book 2 in the Cornwall novels (The Governess of Penwythe Hall, The Thief of Lanwyn Manor, and The Light at Wyndcliff), but can be read as a stand-alone story
- Book length: 85,000 words
- Includes discussion questions for book clubs