Lady of a Thousand Treasures

Miss Eleanor Sheffield is a talented evaluator of antiquities, trained to know the difference between a genuine artifact and a fraud. But with her father?s passing and her uncle?s decline into dementia, the family business is at risk. In the Victorian era, unmarried Eleanor cannot run Sheffield Brothers alone.The death of a longtime client, Baron Lydney, offers an unexpected complication when Eleanor is appointed the temporary trustee of the baron?s legendary collection. She must choose whether to donate the priceless treasures to a museum or allow them to pass to the baron?s only living son, Harry?the man who broke Eleanor?s heart.Eleanor distrusts the baron?s motives and her own ability to be unbiased regarding Harry?s future. Harry claims to still love her and Eleanor yearns to believe him, but his mysterious comments and actions fuel her doubts. When she learns an Italian beauty accompanied him on his return to England, her lingering hope for a future with Harry dims.With the threat of debtor?s prison closing in, Eleanor knows that donating the baron?s collection would win her favor among potential clients, saving Sheffield Brothers. But the more time she spends with Harry, the more her faith in him grows. Might Harry be worthy of his inheritance, and her heart, after all? As pressures mount and time runs out, Eleanor must decide whom she can trust?who in her life is false or true, brass or gold?and what is meant to be treasured. Review Top Pick in RomanceA most intriguing romance is found in the pages ofLady of a Thousand Treasures (Tyndale House, 464 pages) by Sandra Byrd. In Victorian England, Eleanor Sheffield continues the family business of appraising art and antiquities. But times are hard?her father has died, her uncle is ailing, an employee seems deceptive, and the man she thought she loved, Harry Lydney, has been in Italy far longer than expected. But Eleanor is determined to earn the trust of her clients and to repair her relationship with Harry when he finally returns from Europe.Told in first person, this standout romance is spiced with fascinating descriptions of treasures and the details of how such items are evaluated. Cameos by real historical characters add another layer of interest. Eleanor is a stalwart heroine who works through the steadily compounding tension as she wrestles with her Christian faith. Readers will root for Eleanor to overcome her difficulties and for Harry and her to find their ultimate reward in each other.BookPage Review ?A thousand treasures for a reader indeed! Sandra Byrd?s new, highly-anticipated novel presents a determined, realistic heroine to care for and to root for. An amazing cast of characters and Victorian settings pull the reader right into the story. And an appealing hero is ripe for redemption. I became happily lost in this compelling, lovely book.?Karen Harper, New York Times bestselling author of The Royal Nanny?Eleanor Sheffield is desperate to save the family business. Skilled in valuing antiques and separating the authentic from the fraudulent, she must search for clues?and her heart?to decide whom to trust. Is her old love telling the truth or currying her favor for his own selfish ends?Lady of a Thousand Treasures delivers mystery, romance, and suspense in a well-researched Victorian setting.?Julie Klassen, bestselling author?Lady of a Thousand Treasures by Sandra Byrd is another adventure into history and the human spirit. Sandra gives us a rich, page-turning plot, golden threads of mystery, a sparkle of romance and a treasure trove of detail about nineteenth-century collections of porcelains and paintings and the role a lady appraiser played in the collections of the English wealthy. You?ll be drawn into many vivid images and precious insights about life and faith applicable to this present moment. What a grand book! I?m always swept away by a Sandra Byrd novel, andLady of a Thousand Treasure