Throughout the previous books in this series we've come to know Lord Richard Vale, the second son of a Marquis, one of the older and wiser heads in the Society of Gentlemen and endlessly dedicated to doing the right thing, and David Cyprian, the best valet in London and the fixer whenever something needs to be done quietly. Lord Richard is firmly against relationships that come with an imbalance of power, which is why he can't bring himself to admit his attraction to his valet, and it's not Cyprian's place to make advances on his master. When they can no longer keep their feelings for each other a secret, they are forced to negotiate what they can be to each other, given their respective positions in the world. In the midst of it all, an old enemy comes back whom only Cyprian can disarm for good.
I didn't love this book quite as much as A Seditious Affair, but that would be a tall order. There was a period between the revelation of their mutual attraction and the beginning of the external crisis where the pacing felt a bit off to me and Lord Richard and Cyprian seemed to be having the same argument over and over. Once things got back underway, it was a wonderful exploration of privilege, perspective, and devotion. I'm sorry to see this series come to an end.
Overall: A-