LADY IN WAITING

For most proper young ladies of the Regency era, a London "Season" of glittering balls, royal court presentations and flirtations with marriageable gentlemen would be a dream come true. But Circe Hill—reluctantly returning to England after two years abroad following her dream of becoming an artist—is not a proper young lady. She wants more out of life, and she gets it. Before even departing Calais, Circe has rescued an Italian peasant girl from the Austrian secret police. Once in England, she becomes steeped up to the neck of her painter's smock in diplomatic scandals, smuggling, international wars, forgery, kidnapping, attempted murders and the theft of one of Europe's great treasures. Meanwhile, Circe's other childhood dream—to have a passionate yet equal romance with David Lydford, the earl of Westbury—is proceeding much more slowly, since the once rebellious rake seems to have reformed into a colorless milksop who's set on a submissive wife. Still, things are not always what they seem, as is illustrated by some highly unseemly but enjoyable plot turns: a striptease (his); several swashbuckling street fights (hers); a swooning fit (his); and much more. A profusion of period detail somehow makes it all believable, and Byrd's unpretentious writing style and sense of humor render this a delicious read. (May)