Captain Hugh Fanshawe is retired from duty in the British army. He still keeps his commission, but serves as a secretarial aide in the Horse Guards since sustaining a battle injury which has left him lame in one leg. Hugh suffers the ignominy of shuttling his younger sister and widowed mother about the parties and balls of London as an escort, knowing he's damaged goods and not nearly as socially adept as his two elder brothers. 
 Also, Hugh is gay. It is during the time of the Napoleonic wars and Hugh cannot come clean about his sexuality, nor can he feel adequate in his clerical role. Still, he works hard at his position, earning the ire of his compatriot, Officer Courtenay. One day Hugh meets a dashing Col. Theo Lindsay, and he's taken. He suspects that Col. Lindsay is of the same sexual persuasion, on account of seeing him in a molly-house on Hugh's first occasion of visiting one. But, Theo is bombarded by women at every turn, and Hugh can't bring up homosexual predilections in polite conversation. 
 The two strike up an acquaintance, and this slowly progresses into physical realms. Hugh knows he's losing his heart, but he nearly loses his mind when Theo is accused as a French spy. The twists and turns of the story make for an interesting tale of intrigue and espionage. I felt the world was well-realized and the complications of Hugh's familial obligations were true-to-life. If anything, I wished there had been a bit more passion in the pages. 
 Each time Hugh and Theo were to be together there was a huge build-up and a quiet occurrence. These two had great chemistry, so it seemed a let-down for there to be less-then-smoking relations. Otherwise, a great historical.