Book excerpt: West London, Nineteenth Century. Rebecca Standish is enraged when she hears about her former friend Drumond Thornville returning from the military. Though as a child she admired and respected the strong and beautiful Drum, she wants revenge for him sequestering her for four years. It has been several years since they last spoke and Rebecca has matured from a tomboy into a gorgeous lady. Not knowing this, Drum returns home and is shocked by her transformation; not just by her appearance but by her cold attitude toward him…