Ravishing in Red by Madeline Hunter

     Audrianna Kelmsleigh's father was the last man between the supplies of gun powder and the British troops fighting the French.  When bad powder reached the troops and they were massacred, Audrianna's father was held responsible and his name and reputation were ruined.  When he committed suicide, it certainly seemed that he was guilty.  Audrianna, however, can not believe that her father could knowingly do such a thing and she sets out to clear her name.
      When she sees a notice in the paper for her father to meet the "Domino" in a certain country inn, she immediately sets up a meeting.  Knowing that a lady is always prepared, she takes along a gun.  When a very handsome man does indeed show up for the meeting, Audrianna doesn't know that the man is Lord Sebastian Summerhays nor does he know that she is the daughter of the very man he is trying to implicate in the bad powder scandal.
     The gun discharges and suddenly the very private meeting between an unescorted lady and a lord becomes very public.  The more Audrianna and Sebastian try to keep the whole affair quiet and away from the rumor mill, the more public and scandalous it becomes.  Of course, by now Audrianna is aware that Sebastian thinks her father was at fault and Sebastian isn't sure that her faith in her father is justified.
     Ravishing in Red is a good read with a slightly off-beat plot and it is the first book in the series, The Rarest Blooms.  Audrianna is not really a member of the ton but Sebastian is a second son so all does end well.  If you like your romance about 19th century England, then be sure to pick up Madeline Hunter often.

The Rarest Blooms series

Ravishing in Red (c2010)
Provocative in Pearls (c2010)
Sinful in Satin (c2010)