'1740s France and England. Abandoned to fend for herself at the court of Versailles, Antonia turns to her distant cousin, the all-powerful Duke of Roxton, to help her escape the attentions of a lecherous nobleman. Roxton is an unlikely savior—arrogant, promiscuous, and sinister. Antonia's unquestioning belief in him may just be his salvation, and her undoing. This award-winning historical pays homage to Georgette Heyer's These Old Shades.' (Publication summary)
The Comte de Salvan, with his painted pock-marked face and penchant for girls just out of the convent, is determined to marry Antonia to his opium-addicted son, then take the girl for his own.
Antonia throws herself on the mercy of the arrogant Duke of Roxton, a man famous for his debauchery. Spirited, educated and very beautiful, Antonia falls in love with Roxton, who is old enough to be her father.
But the Comte wants Antonia and is prepared to do anything to get her. The Duke of Roxton will protect the innocent girl to the end.
The dangerous game has begun.
A colourful romp through the glittering and corrupt court of 18th century Versailles to the imposing ancestral homes of Georgian England, The Dangerous Game is alive with the sexual intrigue of the period.' (Publisher's blurb)