Lady Julia Delerue is on a trip to America from England in the 1840s when she finds her family's business in disarray. Their main man of business has suddenly passed away and something is wrong with the books, suggesting someone is doing some smuggling and stealing from the company. Far from her family's restraining hand, Julia decides she must look into it herself by going under-cover at her disreputable Uncle's Tavern. Things get way out of hand when she's kidnapped for her cooking and cleaning abilities by two not very bright farm-boys who want to please a friend. The friend is the mysterious Rand Washburn, who is recovering from an illness. He may be a smuggler with connections the farm-boys would love to be a part of, so Julia tries to make the best of the situation, hoping that she'll find answers to what's going on with her company.
Rand can tell Julia is lying a mile off (it doesn't help that she can't get her assumed name straight). They both suspect each other of the worst. But a man and a woman on their own in a small house in the almost-wilderness... Things take their natural course.
Both characters were fun and sympathetic. Rand's folksy appeal seemed a bit much to me, however, even though he was certainly sexy and intelligent enough. And Julia was quite obviously not all that up to working under-cover to save the company from theft. And her desire to have an adventure like her parents played a part in her actions, but it still seemed like unlikely behavior from an English Lady. I'm not sure I understood Rand's reasoning for keeping Julia, who was obviously Trouble, around to begin with. BUT, despite that, their interactions were fun to read and the resolution was moving and romantic.
