Book excerpt: The rules for a young English woman in 1799 are simple: Do what you’re told; stay out of the way; and don’t, under any circumstances, ask questions. But Constance Blackchurch is insatiable, headstrong, and complex; and the quest to find her missing mother is too much to resist. . . . . . . as is Alexandre Sans-Nom, the pearl diver who steals her heart, uproots all of her social expectations, and can either ruin or save the family she loves.