White Horses
Veteran romance author Joan Wolf weaves a ragged and disappointing tale from promising raw material. In early 1813, Wellington requires an infusion of money in order to lead his army over the Pyrenees to Napoleon. The War Office arranges for Lord Bradford to retrieve the gold-supplied by the Rothschild banking family in Holland and convey it across France in a wagon belonging to the traveling Cirque Equestre. In Brussels he aligns himself with Gabrielle Robichon, manager of the circus and chief performer. In order to avoid suspicion as they cross France together, Bradford will pose as her new English husband.
The tangled relationships between members of the polyglot circus troupe are marginally more interesting than the romance between Bradford and Gabrielle, who share a bed platonically until the demands of the plot require a consummation. Suspense about whether or not the gold will be safely delivered is negated by a throwaway resolution. Trite and predictable, the story is packed with anachronisms. If not for the references to Napoleon and Wellington, this action could have occurred last year.
