A daring rescue, a secret love, and a conspiracy that threatens them all . . . The masquerade ball should have been an evening of harmless intrigue. Instead, on the dark roads of Hounslow Heath, highwaymen attack Miss Leah Crauford's carriage. Leah escapes, but her dearest friend, Miss Susanna Talbot, is not so fortunate. Refusing to abandon Susanna to an unknown fate, Leah partners with Sir William Talbot, Susanna's brother, to hunt for her missing friend. With guidance from Mr. Harcourt and Miss Beaumont-who are pursuing a dangerous investigation of their own-Leah and William follow a trail of cryptic clues through Regency London's glittering ballrooms and shadowed countryside. But the deeper they dig, the more troubling questions emerge. Why were they targeted? Who among London society cannot be trusted? And why does every lead circle back to the same chilling truth-someone planned this. Someone who knows them. Someone who may be watching still. As the investigation draws Leah and William closer together, Leah faces an impossible conflict: her heart belongs to William, but her hand has been promised to another man. And the closer they get to finding Susanna, the clearer it becomes that the danger surrounding them is far more personal-and deadly-than they ever imagined. With time running out and enemies closing in, Leah must decide what she's willing to risk-for friendship, for love, and for the truth.
