Misleading title and cover, good novella

Lady Charlotte Beaumont has been overlooked and ignored by her family for her entire life. Generally isolated at a remote country estate, she’s had the opportunity to hone her artistic skills, way past the bland watercolours ladies of her station are normally allowed to paint. She’s also become quite a talented forger, and tries to use her skills to negotiate a deal with the infamous King of the London Underworld. He acknowledges her skill, but also calls her bluff. Nevertheless impressed, he agrees to help her, in return for the original painting she’s trying to sell him a forgery of, and a favour to be called in at a later date. This is how Lady Charlotte is introduced to Lady Clara Hayward and her prestigious boarding school, Haverhall School for Young Ladies. Lady Clara and her sister help Lady Charlotte become “Charlie” Beaumont, a promising young painter.

Flynn Rutledge has worked very hard to be one of the two painters to restore the murals at the Church of St. Michael, and initially feels both threatened and a bit offended when he meets the other young man who’s been accepted to the job. It doesn’t take him long to realise that Charlie Beaumont, despite being young, is extremely talented. Soon they are working well together and developing a slow friendship until a fateful evening when they are set upon by bandits, and Charlie jumps into the fray to defend Flynn, ending up being stabbed as a result. When Flynn removes Charlie’s shirt, he realises why his workmate has been so secretive.

The two painters soon become lovers, but Charlotte still keeps certain things secret from Flynn, knowing that the man hates and distrusts nobility because of his history. He didn’t mind that Charlie turned out to be a woman, but how will he react if he discovers that his lover is of noble birth?

Full review on my blog.