Frederica, who narrates the story, is not clearly differentiated from most earlier Holt heroines. The character remains nearly unchanged from Mistress of Mellyn (1960) onward. Only the social issues with which she comes into contact change. Frederica Hammond is an independent spirit, not unduly concerned with the opinions of others, and is unwilling to be constricted by limits on her life and happiness. As with earlier Holt heroines, curiosity is a dominant feature of her personality and at one point she must be warned, "Sometimes it can get you into trouble." Frederica is not unshockable, but she recovers quickly from shocks and her practical, compassionate nature takes over. She accepts with only brief surprise the news that Rachel Grey is expecting the child of Gaston Marchmont, who has recently wed their friend Tamarisk. She begins immediately to calculate a way out of this disaster. Within moments she sets the...