Angelique Latham has been lovingly raised at Belgrave Castle by her father, the death of her aristocratic French mother. At eighteen she is her father's most trusted child, schooled in managing their magnificent estate. But when he dies, her half-brothers brutally turn her out. To survive, Angelique will need all her resources-her keen mind and remarkable beauty-and one bold stroke of fortune. Unable to secure employment after losing her first job as a nanny, Angelique desperately makes her way to Paris, where she rescue a young woman fleeing an abusive madam-and sees a possibility: Open an elegant house of pleasure that will protect its women and serve only the best clients. With her father's modest bequest, which he left her in secret, and her impeccable style, Angelique creates Le Boudoir, a sensation establishment where powerful men, secret desires, and sophisticated women come together. But living on the edge of scandal, can she ever make a life of her own- or regain her rightful place?