Hampshire, England, 1812 to 1815

Fever took Emily Foster's husband and baby daughter, leaving her with an estate to hold for their young son Matt. She could have turned over the management of the estate to her father, Sir Henry Mayne, but she's proven to be an astute manager. Now that the worst of her mourning has passed, she must consider the future. Emily grew up in a large family and would wish the same for Matt. She's not inclined to marry any of her local suitors, however, so she arranges through her lawyer to take in the two motherless children of an active Army officer, Captain Richard Falk of the Fifty-second Light Infantry. Their meeting is not exactly cordial -- Falk is rather gruff and less than forthcoming about his family; though does confess to being illegitimate -- but Emily is enchanted by the little girl who can't be above three. There is a difficulty; the child only speaks and understands Spanish. The boy is not a problem; he's only nine months old and is under the care of an Irish wet nurse -- wife of the captain's batman -- who can also translate when needed.

Falk must return to active duty in Spain almost immediately after seeing Amy and Thomas settled at Wellfield House. With the aid of a Spanish grammar, Emily attempts to communicate with Amy, but the distressed child has not spoken a word since her father left. Once Emily becomes aware of the cause of Amy's deep distress and her father's letters containing a continuation of the stories he made up for her amusement convinces Amy he didn't die, Wellfield House is a happy place. Emily comes to love the children; Matt has companions to keep him from being spoiled, and Sir Henry becomes reconciled to his daughter's "baby-farming." And if Emily falls a bit in love with her correspondent in Spain...

For a romance carried on mainly by letter over several years, BAR SINISTER is exceptionally moving. Amy's little fist is only the first to tug on one's heartstrings. Richard Falk's story is another heartbreaker. He was banished at twelve for being a cuckoo in a nobleman's nest, and though he tried to vanish, he met with incidents no matter where he went, on duty in Egypt, the Peninsula or America, or home in England. He fears for his children after one of his half-sisters finds him and lets slip the fact of their existence. A result of this is the involvement of a good man but unlikely secondary hero, the seemingly mild brother-in-law, Sir Robert Wilson. Another important player of note is Richard's friend Tom Conway, another heartstring tugger.

BAR SINISTER is more than a romance; it's also a book about friendship, loyalty, hard choices, and family relationships. Emily is admirable and easy to empathize with. Her courtship of Richard -- yes, that's what I mean -- is necessarily chaste and fraught with hesitation. Don't let their physical separation deter you from this lovely story. Their relationship and character developments grow apace regardless. The ensemble cast and original plot keep things lively, as well.

This novel was originally published in 1986. If you missed it or a later reissue, don't let it slip by again. BAR SINISTER is a beautiful read.

Jane Bowers.