God Save the Queen - Coyle, H W

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Résumé :
Inspired by Anthony Hope's The Prisoner of Zenda, God Save the Queen retells the story, but with a twist. A tiny Alpine kingdom is plunged into crisis following the death of its King when Crown Princess Fredericka is abducted while returning from England where she had been a lady in waiting to Alexandra, Princess of Wales. The former King's spymaster, Colonel Ernst Hartmann, suspects Duke Michael, the Crown Princess' cousin is behind the abduction in a bid to seize the crown for himself. Desperate to play for time, he devises a royal deception, one involving a most unlikely hero, Lieutenant Rupert Woodson of Her Majesty's White Hussars, a soldier who is as brave and daring as he is unconventional. In the wake of a desperate rescue mission on the Northwest Frontier, Rupert, along with Sergeant William Bryce and Bugler Neil Hayes, find they have become heroes. Recalled home to be decorated, Rupert takes advantage of this opportunity to indulge his passion for mountaineering only to come face to face with Colonel Hartmann who is stunned by the young officer's resemblance to the Crown Princess. Hartmann manages to convince the British government to offer him Rupert's services to play a role for which he is uniquely qualified, taking on the guise of Crown Princess Fredericka von Hoehental. Unwilling to abandon their officer, both Bryce and Hayes also manage to work their way into von Hartmann's deception. Ably assisting Hartmann is his dutiful daughter Gabriela, a woman who is appalled by Rupert's capricious manner and irreverent humor. Only slowly does she come to appreciate his behavior is yet another disguise, one carefully crafted to hide a deeper secret that Rupert is desperately unwilling to face. The sudden appearance of Rupert, where all believe he is the true Crown Princess, forces Duke Michael to resort to increasingly desperate measures in an effort to undo von Hartmann's counterplot. This leads to him abducting Gabriela and results in yet another daring rescue by Lieutenant Woodson of the White Hussars....

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