Masqueraders By Georgette Heyer

This is one of Heyer's earlier novels, and is set in Georgian England shortly after the 1745 rebellion which attempted to put Charles Edward Stuart on the throne. The two main characters, Robin and Prudence are brother and sister and Robin has fought for the Stuarts so he is a wanted man. So he and Prudence disguise themselves. Robin is small and slender and he passes as a pretty woman and Prue who is bigger and sturdier, dresses as a man. She can look after herself, has learn to fight with a sword and to carry off an imitation of a male. The siblings have come to London, to hide out, and they take part in society. Robin rescues a young upper class girl, Letitia Grayson from someone trying to abduct her, and he falls in love with her. Prue becomes friendly with a young man, Sir Antony Fanshawe, who was supposed to marry Letty, but he is not in love with her. The siblings are called Merriott, and they have lived mostly abroad with their eccentric adventurer father who has engaged in all sorts of different professions. But then he tells them that their name is not really Merriott - it is Tremaine and he is the heir to a viscountcy. He puts forward a claim to be Viscount Barham, and his children are shocked to learn that they are not penniless adventurers of dubious origin but relatives of a noble family. There is another claimant to the viscountcy, a distant relative whose claim is actually very poor. Tremaine knows all about the family and their estate and he is accepted as the Viscount. Robin defends Letty when she is being forced to elope with her previous suitor. She had agreed to elope with him because he had some evidence that her father, Sir Humphry Grayson had sympathised with the Rebellion.. She is not very clever and is easily fooled by a weak piece of evidence. Robin saves her and fights a duel on her behalf and they fall in love. Prue has become close to Sir Anthony, and he knows her secret and asks her to marry him. Tremaine is now Viscount Barham and is delighted that his children have made good matches. I've never been keen on cross dressing romances but I quite enjoyed this one. However its not one I re read.