This novel is set in Spain in 1812 during the Peninsular Campaign, in the period between the Siege of Badajoz and the Battle of Salamanca. The Napoleonic Wars provide a colourful and exciting backdrop for the central love story, as does Spain itself. The country is geographically diverse and often dramatic; its culture rich and its history fascinating. I was once lucky enough to live in Madrid for a while, a beautiful city which provided a perfect base for exploring the rest of Iberia. Of course I didn’t see it all, but I did cover a fair bit of ground one way and another. The impressions and experiences from that time have remained with me ever since, and from them I have drawn much of the local material for this book.
When her father is captured by the French, Sabrina Huntley’s one thought is to obtain his release. To facilitate this she agrees to go on a dangerous mission into occupied territory to retrieve military plans from a Spanish government agent. Her confederate is Major Robert Falconbridge, the most provoking man she has ever met and the very last person she would have chosen. For his part, Sabrina is a liability he could have done without. However, if they are to have a hope of success, they must work together and each will have to trust the other. Given their respective experiences of the opposite sex, trust is the last thing they feel.
