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What Lies Between Espionage and Elegance [EDITED]
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Last published Thu, Jul 16, 2026
Book One of The Crown's Cipher Series
London, 1814.
In a society where reputations are carefully crafted and every whispered conversation may carry the weight of a kingdom, secrets are the most valuable currency of all.
Lady Catherine Ellingham has spent years being underestimated. Quiet, observant, and brilliant with ciphers, she serves the Crown in a role few know exists, unraveling coded messages before they become political disasters. When a series of troubling diplomatic irregularities begins to surface, she's quietly dispatched to investigate.
Nathaniel Blackthorne, the charming second son of a marquess, has built a reputation for effortless wit and easy smiles. Beneath that carefully cultivated charm, however, he serves the Prince Regent as one of his most trusted intelligence agents. His newest assignment is simple in theory: uncover the traitor operating within Britain's highest circles before they can disappear into the coming social season.
Their investigations lead them to the same destination.
Once every five years, Greymount opens its doors. Part country estate, part social institution, it is England's most celebrated courtship gathering, where the nation's most influential families spend weeks forging friendships, alliances... and occasionally marriages.
Surrounded by elegant dinners, moonlit gardens, whispered rumors, and watchful eyes, Cate and Nate find themselves pursuing the same mystery without realizing they're serving the same master.
At Greymount, every dance is watched, every conversation is remembered and every courtship hides a purpose.
The only question is which secrets will be discovered first.
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