To London Society, they were a group of well-educated ladies who gather to discuss literature, exchange needlework techniques, and gossip about the bachelors of the ton. But, behind closed doors at the Lavender House, these ladies are so much more Ella St. James is worried about her friend who has been having clandestine meetings with a stranger. Then the woman turns up dead, and Ella is determined to discover the truth. But, Sir Thomas Drake seems to be everywhere she turns, and for a woman who believes that love is not only blind but also stupid, Ella's attraction to him is inexplicable. Thomas has secrets of his own and he cannot afford to become distracted by a young beauty no matter what his heart tells him.