Discovery of Desire

Lord builds a charming Victorian-era tale of romantic destiny on a subplot from her novel In Search of Scandal. Shakespeare-loving explorer Seth Mayhew and caretaking “venture girl” Wilhelmina “Mina” Adams are both traveling from England to India. Their journeys intersect when they are met by the same man at the Bombay port. Seth employs Tom Grant to assist in translation as he seeks his missing sister, Georgiana; Mina is looking for the security of a contracted marriage, with Tom as her intended. Seth charms Mina and her sister Emma, but he struggles, even with Tom’s assistance, to acquire actionable information on Georgie’s location from the local men. Fortunately, Mina is on hand to interview their far more helpful fiancées and wives. Despite Seth and Mina’s immediate attraction, their responsibilities to their respective siblings and concerns about financial stability present a significant barrier to their fated blissful union. Lord incorporates entertaining and evocative period language while crafting an original story that transcends the historical-romance formula. The action soon returns to England for a tangled but satisfying finale. Agent: Kristin Nelson, Nelson Literary Agency. (Sept.)