Just as You Are: A Novella — Mindy Burbidge Strunk

A London Season might be more than she can handle unless she doesn't have to handle it alone.

Honora Pemberton's life has changed, and not for the better. Over the last six months, nearly all her hair has fallen out, forcing her to hide beneath bonnets and wigs. The last place she wants to be is under the scrutinizing gaze of London Society. When her father surprises her with a London Season, Nora is less than enthusiastic. If her secret is to be discovered, surely London is where it will happen.

Jeremy Fagan has been promoted to Rear-Admiral in the British Navy. But it comes at a price. He must assume a post in the far reaches of the world and take a wife with him. As a man who has rarely lived in England, the latter requirement is daunting. What kind of woman willingly leaves her homeland to take up residence in a primitive land? A special kind of woman. But how is Jeremy to find such a lady in his limited time frame?

As Jeremy and Nora spend more time together, he realizes she may just be the woman he is looking for. But she knows her secret will surely change his mind. Can Jeremy convince her there is more to her than what she sees in the mirror? Or will her insecurities allow the man she loves to sail out of her life forever?