John Herring: A West of England Romance. Volume 2 (of 3)

Mirelle has lost Captain Trecarrel to Orange Tramplara, her elegant and favoured rival. As the West of England season reaches its climax with an upcoming ball, she finds herself increasingly isolated, her claims to the Captain's heart growing colder by the day. Yet her difficulties multiply beyond a mere lovers' triangle: Sampson Tramplara's unwanted attentions press upon her, and her hidden past threatens to surface at the worst possible moment. This second volume of the romance builds toward a reckoning where loyalty and betrayal will collide with social expectations, and where Mirelle must decide whether to fight for her place in the world or be swept aside by those who wield privilege more freely. The novel captures the particular cruelty of Victorian social hierarchies, where a woman's worth is measured in romantic conquests and a single misstep can ruin her forever. For readers who relish the complicated hearts of Georgette Heyer or the thorny negotiations of Anthony Trollope, this is a portrait of one woman's struggle to claim happiness against a society determined to deny it to her.