May 2012
Miss Araminta Galsworthy travels to the home of her new guardian, Baron Julian Rochefort, an inventor like her father, only to find herself confronted by strange machines, hastily married, shot at, and attacked by those who consider her husband’s airship, Aurora, the work of the devil. She is also expected to play hostess to a bevy of guests, all of whom seem to be engaged in treason. Their intent: restore the monarchy, a shocking concept to Minta, who was only ten when the Duke of Wellington seized the government. Lord Rochefort’s enemies are legion: rival aeronauts from the continent, rival monarchists who want to place the Duke of Cumberland on the throne (or possibly the Duke of Cambridge). And a wily Wellington, who has allowed an already autocratic nature to grow into despotism over the course of his reign.
Minta struggles to adjust to a new husband, new enemies, and new friends—one a princess who must rise above her rivals for the throne. Minta must also adjust to the concept of being an integral part of a revolution, not an easy task for a girl raised to government by Britain’s most famous general. Yet when the day of revolution arrives, Minta plays a vital role, but comes perilously close to losing her chance to live a life where she, not Aurora, is the center of her husband’s universe.
