A most intriguing lady : a novel

Summary: Victorian London. Even in the country houses of the elite, gentleman burglars, art thieves and con men preyed on the rich and titled. Wealthy victims, with their pride and reputation at stake, would never go to the police. They needed one of their own, a person of discretion and finely tuned powers of observation, adept at navigating intrigue. That person was Lady Mary Montagu Douglas Scott, the youngest child of Queen Victoria's close friends the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch. Fiercely intelligent, and a keen observer, Mary has cultivated a mousey persona that allows her to remain overlooked and significantly underestimated by all. During a house party hosted by her parents at their stately Scottish home, Drumlanrig Castle, Lady Mary tries to assist a close friend. She also meets Colonel Walter Trefusis, a distinguished and extremely handsome war veteran. He also lives a double life: his desk job in Whitehall provides a front for his role in the British Intelligence Service. The two form an unlikely alliance to solve a series of audacious crimes-- and indulge in a highly charged romance. -- adapted from jacket.