Sarita, the Carlist

Madrid, 1860s. Ferdinand Carbonnell arrives in the capital expecting a simple family visit, only to find himself thrust into a world of political danger and buried secrets. His impoverished family has engineered a match with a wealthy widow to restore their fortunes, but when Ferdinand is mistakenly identified as a Carlist leader, he nearly pays with his life. It is Sarita Castelar, his striking cousin, of the prominent Castelar family, who rescues him from the gallows, setting in motion a romance that defies both family loyalty and political allegiance. As Ferdinand uncovers the troubling legacy of his uncle and the true nature of the Quesada family's entanglement with Carlist conspiracy, he must choose between personal happiness and a cause that has already destroyed so many. This is political intrigue at its most intimate: a story of mistaken identity, forbidden love, and the impossible compromises demanded of those caught between history's opposing forces.