Whispering

When Caterina Gomez returns to her beloved home of Oporto, Portugal, her troubles have only just begun. For the country is at war with France, and, even though Oporto is no longer in French hands, it is a shadow of its former self. The scandalous cloud she left under is still not forgotten, and her cruel and distant father insists on a hasty marriage or the convent. Half English and half Portuguese, she must walk a fine line between both societies, which is all made near impossible considering her troubled past.
Thankfully, her dear friend Miss Harriet Brown and cousin Jeremy Craddock have accompanied her from England. But Harriet can only offer comfort whilst sharing in her fate, and Jeremy – who is seeking treatment for his ill health ¬– becomes distracted by his fair and pretty healer. Then Caterina's past resurfaces in a most confusing manner in the shape of Luiz, her childhood sweetheart, drawing her further into the tangles of political intrigue. Romantic as the adventure is, Caterina must try to keep a cool head on her shoulders in order to find out quickly those who can be trusted, and those who are not what they appear. For she has a secret, one that must be guarded at all costs...

Whispering, first published in 1995, is another great historical romance from the master of the genre – Jane Aiken Hodge.