Plain Jane by M.C. Beaton

"Oh, to be as beautiful as Euphemia!" plain Jane heart sighs when she joins her sister Euphemia at number 67 for the season. Then Lord Tregarthan might notice her...as she had noticed him and forever lost her heart to the most eligible bachelor of the ton.

But Euphemia's fate is to flirt through balls and into the arms of a marquis, while Jane's is to stay home, amusing herself with snooping into the strange death of Miss Clara Vere-Saxton, a former number 67 tenant...until the downstairs staff transforms a plain miss and sends her waltzing dangerously close to the secret of Clara's demise...and into a daring liaison with the lord of her dreams.

This is the second book in the series and joins the staff of 67 Clarges Street for another Season, a year after the events of The Miser of Mayfair.

The Lovers
In this instalment there is a murder mystery mised in with the romance, and as I like a good who-dunnit I did enjoy this aspect of the book.

Jane takes an interest in the death of an ex-tennant of 67 and decides to find out for herself just what happened to the young woman.

The hero decides to lend a hand because it amuses him to do so and he needs something to divert him from the boredom of the Season.

Jane was lovely and so human. She would make spur of the moment decisions and then instantly regret them. She fell in love with the hero when she was ten years old and suffers a severe reality check when she sees him in the flesh as an adult. I got a giggle out of Jane (18) thinking that 30 is old - specially as in her mind she had never thought of him as aging. She admits her own silliness though which made me like her even more.

The Staff
I love Lizzie the scullery maid. She is a sweetheart who is in love with Joseph the fickle footman who sees himself as being above her and only pays attention to her and he feels like being fawned over.She is a darling and I am sure that Joseph will never be good enough for her.

There is a wee romance involving Mr Rainbird the butler which added a new (if a bit annoying) side to the story.

All in All
A fun instalment to the series with a likeable heroine. I am really enjoying getting to know the regular character more too.