Stephen Chaplin, a barrister and younger son of a baronet, arrived at the Horse and Cart Inn to return a wayward daughter to her grateful mother. He had nothing to do with the girl's misbehavior; to the contrary he was always a perfect gentleman to every woman he met. There had been a tragedy in his life-the death of the woman he loved at the hands of her abusive husband-which made him vow never again to fail a female in distress.

It was only natural for him to assist the veiled woman who had just learned that there was no transportation from the inn to London. His interest increased when the breeze lifted the lady's veil, revealing an ugly bruise. Despite his kindness, the lady would tell him only that she was Mrs. Brown, a seamstress on her way to London to work for a dressmaker. Stephen felt a real attraction to this mysterious seamstress, who had the manners and speech of a well-born lady.

Mrs. Brown was really Lady Elinor, the unmarried daughter of the Earl of Ashworth. Her father was with the Army in Portugal. He had placed Elinor with his sister, who, because of tragedy in her own life, soon began a descent into madness. She became violent, abusing Elinor and even threatening her with a pistol. Elinor knew she must flee, but was terrified that her aunt would find her.

Even when she was safely delivered to Mimi LaTour's shop, Elinor continued to keep her identity a deep secret. Though she wanted to see Stephen Chaplin again, she refused to let him call on her. Using his sister's new wardrobe as an excuse, Stephen found reasons to call on the dress shop. Over time, he and Ellie Brown developed a close friendship.

One night, in a desperate attempt to get a letter delivered to her father, Elinor went to a masquerade ball where she knew that she would find an important official from the Foreign Office. Stephen was also there; Elinor recognized him in spite of his costume. She took advantage of her own disguise as Cinderella, boldly flirted with him and even let him kiss her passionately. Then, like the real Cinderella, she left quickly, and accidentally dropped her ivory fan.

Stephen was dismayed that he could be so attracted to Cinderella when he was beginning to give his heart to Ellie. But since he had found the lady's fan, he was determined to find her. ...

LADY ELINOR'S ESCAPE is a short book, perfect for a brief escape to Regency London. It has all the charm and delicacy that is traditionally associated with Regency romances, and a sufficiently intricate plot to keep the reader's interest from start to finish.

Reviewed by Margaret Grantham
Copyright July 2004