It is 1812 and Amanda Brewster does not belong to polite society. She has few accomplishments except breeding sheep and balancing ledgers, both rather common skills. Her father, a wealthy merchant with a thick Scottish accent, insinuates himself with the families who matter, aiming to negotiate good marriages for his two daughters. It takes moral strength and a fearless heart to be snubbed, especially when her younger sister, Isabella, is embraced by the important people for her beauty and talent. Still,Amanda hopes there is a nice gentleman somewhere willing to settle for less.Thomas Morgan, whose family has bred fast horses for generations, is a widower, content with his tobacco plantation and two beautiful children until he meets Amanda Brewster. Something about her stirs a dying ember in his heart, but her father’s financial scheming creates a grudge between the two families that cannott be breached.When British Admiral Cockburn (pronounced Co-burn) and his fleet of warships invade the Chesapeake Bay, Thomas forms a secret society of patriots called the Oxford Triangle to help the militia track enemy armaments and movements. Amanda is a victim of a British raid and organizes a Chester Town Tea Party fundraiser to support the militia.To please her father, Amanda becomes engaged to Senator Lowell Weston. When the Oxford Triangle learns the senator is secretly aiding Admiral Cockburn, Amanda is forced to spy on Lowell. Conspiracies, murder, and suspicions abound in the land of pleasant living as Amanda and Thomas reawaken their desire, wondering if their love will survive the perilous fight.Amanda and her sister visit the British encampment in a desperate attempt to free Isabella’s husband. The escape plan includes a rollicking fiddle player, arson, death threats, and a water escape that nearly ends in disaster due to a smuggled ram, but love endures as Amanda learns that she belongs to Thomas, the best and only society she will ever need.
