The Secrets of Lord Lynford (The Cornish Dukes)
As heir to a duke, Lord Lynford might be expected to marry an aristocratic heiress. Certainly not a widow who is not only older and has a young daughter, but, more to the point, is herself the daughter of a mine owner and runs her own mines. Lynford, however, is impotent after contracting measles as a youth, and he has a brother and nephews to secure the succession. Why not marry where he chooses?
Well, Eliza Blaxland has her own views on the subject. Though she shares their attraction, she is determined to preserve her independence. Will she recognize that they can forge a partnership of equals before her business partners carry out their plot to take over control of the mines? Or even worse?
Though her reluctance to wed is understandable, it persists longer than one would expect, given the evidence of Lynford’s conduct; by contrast, she continues to trust Miles Detford longer than she should, and it nearly costs her her life. The conclusion strays into the realm of melodrama, but the predicament of a woman trying to run a business amidst ruthless, bigoted men resonates as powerfully today as in 1823 Cornwall. Recommended.
