This is such a good series and I'm a little sad to say goodbye to the Dornings, though I'm guessing we'll get glimpses of them in the future, much like the Windhams, etc.
Sycamore Dorning is the youngest male of the large Dorning family. He runs a gaming hall and is very popular, but has been fascinated with Jeanette, the widowed Marchioness of Tavistock, since they both attended a house party together. Jeanette, like most of these ladies who had a bad marriage, has no intention of remarrying, but there's something about Sycamore that intrigues her.
So she asks him to show her how to throw a knife.
Not the usual flirtation method but it works lol. Ms. Burrowes is a wonderful author, able to get to the heart of her characters. She delves into both Sycamore and Jeanette's background to flesh out fully why they act the way they do. The secondary characters are great (lots of Dornings naturally) but I especially liked Trevor, Jeanette's stepson and the current Marquis of Tavistock, and Orion, Jeanette's brother. It looks like Orion is in the next series, but I hope to see Trevor again (I am crossing my fingers for a possible future bride for him once she's out of school).
A fitting ending to a great series. ( )