One day a letter comes from her aunt and uncle in London, the brother of her missing mother, that Lilly barely knows. The childless relatives come to visit Bedsley Priors with the intent to invite Lilly's brother, Charlie, to live with them and be the heir to their estate, but upon their arrival, find that Charlie is autistic and instead, they fall in love with the vivacious Lilly and requests that she come and live with them in London.
Lilly, sad to leave her father and handicapped brother, but who had always dreamed of adventure, goes to London where she can attends balls and be doted upon learning the fashionable etiquette of London; her name now formally, Lillian. Through her education and rearing, Lilly learns much about the aristocracy, men and more clues with the aid of her uncle about her mother's disappearance.
After nearly two years in London, she receives word his father is ill. Suddenly, she faces the choice to remain in London to the lifestyle she yearns for or to return home. She leaves London for Bedsley Priors and finds her father ailing, the apothecary shop in ruins, her brother now working as a gardener for Sir Henry Marlow, the local landowner. Her best friend, Mary Helen Mimpurse has more epileptic seizures and a brand new apothecary shop in town run by Mr. Shuttleworth.
Soon, Dr. Adam Graves, a once London suitor, leaves London and follows Lilly to Bedsley Priors to be an apprentice for the evil Dr. Foster who is constantly using his influence to put Haswell's out of business. Francis Baylor, more sure of himself, who once apprenticed for Lilly's father is back in the village after leaving to obtain formal study at the apothecary schools in London and now working for the competition. Roderick Marlow, the son of Sir Henry, returns home as well and Roger Bromley spends time visiting Marlow in Bedsley Priors. Lilly once more faces all the eligible men in her life plus one, Mr. Shuttleworth. But, to whom does her heart truly belong?
Dashing Rodger Bromley, the most eligible bachelor in London who has a lady on every arm...
Timid Dr. Adam Graves...the doctor who hardly says a word...
Dastardly Roderick Marlow, the son of Sir Henry, the landowner of Bedsley Priors...
Experienced Lionel Shuttleworth - the newest apothecary in Bedsley Priors...
Young Francis Baylor - the once young apprentice, now returns to Bedsley Priors as a learned apothecary...
WHO will win her heart?
But even among her feelings, Lilly's desire is to know the reason for her mother's disappearance and despite village whisperings, her father refuses to disclose what really happened. And, she also cares for her best friend, Mary Helen Mimpurse, who with her mother, runs the town bakery shop. Or, is she her best friend after all?
On top of salvaging her father's apothecary shop, the evil Dr. Foster, dislikes all apothecaries and sends his goon constable to close down Haswell's shop. With Lilly's father ill, no source of income and using her impeccable memory, Lilly is forced to act in her father's stead to dispense medicines, illegal at the time, giving Dr. Foster reason to shut her down and bring the apothecary society down on her. But, Francis Baylor and Mr. Shuttleworth comes to her aid and helps her stay afloat until, one day, Dr. Foster's co-conspirators, burns down the shop!
With all this going on, she is wooed by each man and I spent every page trying to figure out who she would choose in the end. Each page is filled with romance, friendship, and mystery. The plot has so many twists and turns it's a real masterpiece of a read, especially when I finally found out the details of her mother missing past. I never saw that coming!
I highly recommend the book and know you'll thoroughly enjoy it. It's a 5 Star in my book!
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