Caught in a Trap

Caught in the glittering trap of Victorian London's high society, two friends reveal themselves to be enemies in disguise. Tom Hartshorne, an honorable young officer, trusts implicitly in his companion Allynne Markworth, never suspecting that the charming gentleman is quietly spiraling into ruinous debt. Markworth sees only one escape: Tom's sister Susan, a wealthy heiress whose gentle vulnerability makes her the perfect target for a mercenary's affection. As the noose of debt tightens, Markworth pursues Susan with calculated precision, while the formidable Dowager Mrs. Hartshorne and a enigmatic governess Miss Kingscott watch with suspicions that may prove too late. This is a darkly compelling study of the predator concealed within the drawing room, where fortune hunters circle the financially vulnerable and the mask of respectability conceals desperate men willing to sacrifice anything for status and security.