Dancing at Midnight

by Julia Quinn Book 2 in the Splendid Trilogy series.

First published 1995

Amazon

2.5(5)

Lady Arabella Blydon returns to the country after the events of Splendid and encounters Lord John Blackwood, a veteran whose injuries and guilt have left him isolated. Belle’s direct interest unsettles a man convinced that his past makes him unfit for intimacy.

Their romance develops around the psychological consequences of war rather than the glamour of military service. Belle must distinguish John’s reserve from rejection, while he must confront memories he has hidden and accept that survival does not require permanent withdrawal from family and affection.