Escapade – Jane Aiken Hodge

The novel centers on the 17-year-old protagonist, Charlotte Comyn, who runs away to London to escape a marriage proposal from her childhood companion, John Thornton. Her flight leads her to the home of Beth Prior, an actress and old friend of Charlotte’s mother. Despite her questionable reputation, Beth is beautiful, talented, and smart. The British Foreign Secretary has tasked Beth with a secret mission: to travel to Sicily and convince the exiled Hapsburg queen, Maria Carolina, to ally with Britain against Napoleon.

Charlotte accompanies Beth to Palermo, Sicily, where the two are drawn into a world of glamour, aristocratic games, and dangerous political maneuvering. Along the way, both women find adventure and love. The novel combines elements of romance, history, and mystery, with a satisfying conclusion for both heroines.