When a visit from a duke and an exiled painter ends in murder, Judith and Louisa-Margaretta must find the culprit before the magistrate hauls them away.
Miss Louisa-Margaretta Haddington is set on repairing her reputation in society. She's determined to make her first love, Isaac, regret his choice to marry another. Previously an indifferent hostess, she sets about giving a visiting duke the house party of his life while making sure that his prized portrait is not stolen. The duke's portraits have been going missing, and he hopes that the Haddingtons' mansion in Derbyshire will provide both scenery and security. But Wycliff Castle is not as safe as it seems, at least not for one of its visitors.
Miss Judith St Clair, entertaining a marriage proposal that could break up her family, tries not to take on Louisa-Margaretta's troubles. And Louisa-Margaretta's mother, blaming Judith for her daughter's foul mood, no longer welcomes the pious young woman as a guest. But when a murder throws the house party into disarray, the local magistrate suspects both young ladies.
Soon, the two friends must find a way to save their reputations and their lives. And with Louisa-Margaretta's troubled recklessness and Judith's natural reticence, saving their hearts will be nearly as difficult.
This Regency murder mystery will transport you to the unblemished beauty of Derbyshire.