Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsFrom scared lady to invisible maid; fly on wall viewpoint enlightens, but secrets don't keep
Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2019
clean romance; privileged Lady Margaret Macy flees the attention of Marcus Benton, nephew of Sterling Benton who married Margaret's mother. Joan, Margaret's former maid, gives Margaret some help. Margaret's timely warning to Russell and Nathaniel Upchurch causes yet another flight. Joan and Margaret find employment as maids in different places. Margaret finds herself as Nora Garrett, a maid, in the household of Lewis, Nathaniel, and Helen Upchurch. Nora learns to appreciate the hard work of a servant and observes the playboy nature of Lewis whom she had pursued earlier after turning down Nathaniel, a true gentleman returned from family ship duty. The story has a rich supporting cast. Fiona is a maid who lost a gentleman suitor. Betty teaches Nora but suffers loss of income when she drops a vase. Nora sells a prize necklace to recover Betty's heirloom. Helen sees through Margaret's disguise as Nora. Sterling hires a runner to find Margaret Macy who is due to inherit on her 25th birthday. Nathaniel also sees through Margaret's disguise eventually especially once he finds a mysterious blond hair that came from a brunette Nora who is blond Margaret Macy wearing a wig. It is fortunate that Helen and Nathaniel saw through Margaret's disguise. They help Margaret evade Sterling Benton at a masquerade ball. There is also a servants' ball later in the story where we learn about Joan. The newspaper carries new of Caroline Macy's betrothal to Marcus Benton. Margaret heads back to London to save her sister. However, Marcus has married an American heiress. So Margaret Macy's return is somewhat anticlimatic. Nathaniel finds Margaret at home to propose to her. There are other exciting subplots such as the attempted murder of Lewis. A Poet Pirate, Abel Preston, is responsible for the injury of Nathaniel at the beginning of the story. Emily Lathrop is Margaret Macy's friend in London. Connor is the valet of Lewis. There is even a French chef in love with the housekeeper. The story has a rich detail of servant life and subplots. Even so, the staff is actually quite small, but the author mercifully cut the size to reduce the number of characters.
