Benedict: A Prequel Novella (The Lords of Good Hope #1)

The Cape of Good Hope, 1816…

Benedict Archer, international man of mystery and spy for the Crown has been living a shadow-existence in the ballrooms of the Cape Town Beau Monde, until Lord Somerset gives Benedict his new assignment with a scandalous stipulation… Find a lady to pose as his wife in order to blend in at a high society garden party.

Gezina de Ruiter dreams of lords and ladies, ballrooms and beaus, far removed from her life as a farmer’s daughter. Then one night a sophisticated stranger kneels at her feet and begs her to masquerade as his wife for a few hours, offering her a glimpse into this world of the elite.

When a plot is discovered to free Napoleon from St Helena and murder the Prince of Lichtenstein, Gezina realizes that more is at stake than her reputation. She will continue to pretend to be Benedict’s wife at a week-long house party to save a life - indeed, to save the free world.