Her Only Desire
In 1817, Ian Prescott, Marquess of Griffith, arrives in India on a peace mission from the British government. Before he reaches the coach sent by an old friend with whom he plans to stay, he encounters a runaway horse ridden by an Indian maiden on her way to stop a young widow from throwing herself on her husband’s funeral pyre. Much to his surprise, the Indian maiden turns out to be Georgiana Knight, daughter of his host. In reflection, Ian realizes he shouldn’t have been surprised because this Georgiana was named for her aunt who had been the center of many scandals when she was alive. From exotic India to the ballrooms of London, Georgiana and Ian are pursued by an assassin-kidnapper bent on revenge for an incident that occurred during Ian’s diplomatic visit to the Maharajah of Janpur.
Ms. Foley paints a beautiful picture of India. Her hero is stalwart and intelligent. The heroine is impulsive. Almost instantly she falls deeply in love, although she hates everything the hero stands for. Throughout the story Georgiana does 180-degree emotional turns. This is an interesting story despite the heroine’s emotional immaturity.
