A Tangled Web: Allan's Miscellany 1846. Allan's Miscellany, #3

A secret inheritance, a chance encounter, and two lovers caught in a web of deceit and lies.~~~"Once again [Schwab] weaves brilliantly researched historical details into a story that is not only irresistibly romantic, but also sparkles with wit. To top it off, she has come up with an enchanting couple that truly earns their happy ending."~ Tina Dick, LoveLetter~~~Her whole life Sarah Browne has been told how plain she is, how nondescript, destined to become an old maid.
For years she has been her family's dutiful nursing maid, but now a secret inheritance and an encounter with an artist, the charming Mr. Pelham, seem to offer her a chance to break out of her life of duty and drudgery - if she dares to take it. Yet how could such an interesting, witty man be possibly interested in her boring self? And so, Sarah soon find herself entangled in a web of lies and deceit, which might cost her the love of her life.