"There is plenty in this book to enjoy; the images of both Manchester and London, complete with Frost Fair, the rivalry between Rebecca and various other girls as they try to catch (or avoid) Joshua, and the glittering assemblies they all attend. Some Regencies are thin on this sort of description but not this one . . . If you want a nicely crammed Regency (and I certainly do) bursting with descriptive passages, action and general bustle then this is it." - Rachel A Hyde, MyShelf.com

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Extract

Rebecca began to climb the third flight of stairs, but barely had she reached the top when she caught the smell of smoke

It is probably a smell from one of the processes used in spinning the cotton, she told herself, but even as her mind gave her a reasonable explanation for the smell her instincts drove her actions, and picking up the hem of her skirt she began to run up the last flight of stairs.

As she did so she heard a distant thumping noise coming from above.

Her heart began to beat more quickly and she ran fleetly up the last few stairs. As she reached the top the thumping stopped but she could still smell the smoke, more strongly now. She hurried along the corridor, towards the office. She must find Joshua! She opened the office door but by the light of the moon she could see it was empty. She backed out, turning and wondering what she should do next, and then, to her horror, she caught sight of smoke curling from under the door at the very end of the corridor. A moment later she heard renewed thumping coming from the other side of it and her heart lurched. Someone was shut in!

Running towards the door she grasped the large brass knob and turned it. But to no avail. The door was locked.

Her eyes went to the keyhole.

No key.

'Are you all right?' she called. The thumping had stopped and she wanted to know if whoever was inside was still conscious.

'Rebecca?' came a man's surprised voice.

'Josh!' Rebecca was horrified. 'Are you all right? What's happened?'

'No . . . ' He broke off coughing . . . 'no time for that now. I'm locked in and I can't put out the fire. There's a spare set of . . . ' He coughed again . . . 'keys in the office, in the desk. The top drawer on the left hand side.'

'I'll get them.'

Rebecca flew down the corridor, going into the office and searching for the keys by the light of the moon. The top drawer . . . yes! Clutching the keys she ran back to the locked room and began trying them one by one. Her fingers were clumsy with haste and she dropped them with a clatter.

'Which key?' she asked as she picked them up, fumbling with the large bunch.

'The . . . second . . . largest,' called Josh, between coughing. Rebecca found the right key by the dim light and put it in the lock. It turned. She twisted the door knob, and Joshua came stumbling out. He was coughing and choking despite the handkerchief he had held to his face and he stopped for a moment, doubled over, gasping in the cleaner air.

Rebecca put her arms protectively round him. She stroked his dark blond hair. It was pure instinct, and as she felt him relax against her she knew that his response was pure instinct, too. There was a deep, intuitive bond between them, that no amount of disagreements could destroy.