Annette Blair, Scoundrel in Disguise

Scoundrel in Disguise

Annette Blair

Five Star, May 2006, $26.95

ISBN: 1594144834

In 1847, Marcus Fitzalan visits eccentric Jade Smithfield under the pretense of seeking employment as her business affairs manager. He really wants to learn why Jade is trying to prevent the construction of a railroad in the area that his disabled brother owns. Jade rejects Marcus as too handsome for the twelve brittle women and seventeen children that live under her roof. Besides she believes all men are created equally, nasty, abusive and bad.

However she changes her mind when she sees how good he is reaching out to battered reticent little Emily who is taken with Marcus' dog Tweenie. As he continues to display kindness towards her charges, Marcus also begins to convince her some men can be nice. As they fall in love, he fears she will assume the worst in him once she learns why he applied for the job.

This is an interesting complex Victorian romance with a social message starring an eccentric female obsessed with protecting women and children who hates men as being abusive. Marcus originally arrived to stop Jade from sabotaging his sibling's railroad, but soon finds he loves his employer and needs to help her with her charges. Fans will appreciate this Dickensian spin, as "progress" vs. the need of the forgotten downtrodden competes with the hero knowing that he will probably lose his love once she learns of his deception.