5/5; 5 stars; A+I first read this book many years ago courtesy of my sister Joan's fabulous romance library. I'm not usually one for these really old historicals but I wanted to see if this was as good as I remembered. I found a copy on ebay and, sure enough, its still a 5 star keeper. I think what makes this story is the characters. Constrained by the moral code of their time, they still manage to find a lasting love and a HEA. The both behave with dignity and respect for each other throughout and, in the case of Jessica, with a fair amount of courage!