These Old Shades - Georgette Heyer - Bog

When the Duke of Avon encounters a mistreated young boy on the streets of Paris, he employs the lad as his page. As the duke's closest friends ponder his actions, the precocious Léon soon becomes the talk of the aristocracy. Léon cannot believe his good fortune after being saved from a brutal beating by his older brother. He follows the duke around like a loyal puppy, a constant source of amusement for the duke, who is seen by himself-and by society-as a devious scoundrel, well deserving of his nickname, Satanas. But when Avon uncovers Léon's biggest secret-that the boy is in fact a girl named Léonie-he acts honorably, taking her to his sister in London to learn the ways of the fairer sex, before he can adopt her. For Avon can't believe his luck. A trump card has fallen into his hands. If Léonie is who the duke suspects she is, she'll be the perfect weapon to use against his greatest nemesis. He embarks on his quest for revenge, never foreseeing just how Léonie's transformation will change the game.