Sometimes, the romance of a lifetime starts with one perfect night. It's the year 1885 and the world has just begun giving up its ancient secrets. Miss Charlotte Blakely is a librarian in Rome. She's researching evidence of the fabled Veil of Veronica, but her time abroad is drawing to a close. Her viscount father is dying and has called his children home, yet a chance encounter with a stranger one balmy night might change her direction. Mr. Everett Desmond is the English ambassador to Rome. He's dashing and would have been daring had he gone down a different path, but being jilted at the altar sent him far from England and sordid memories. Now, life has grown staid and boring. When he literally crashes into a pretty lady on the street, he's intrigued enough to further an acquaintance. Desire flares after a couple of moonlit strolls, and a kiss at the Trevi fountain irrevocably changes both of their lives. Budding romance blooms beneath the heat and they find themselves enchanted enough to land into potential scandal. Is it a love to last a lifetime or is it merely a moonlight indiscretion? Only they can decide what they truly want for the future.
Holidays are best spent with the ones you love, especially when adventure is in the offing. It's the Christmastide season, and the Hawkins family is at their country estate in Kent. Emmaline, the Countess of Archewyne, is excited, for it's her first Christmas with her little family as well as one of the few she's spent in England. Passing his leisure time with his loved ones gives Miles Lawrence Hawkins, the fifth Earl of Archewyne, great pleasure, as does anticipating their faces when they open his gifts. And he's found the most splendid thing for his wife-a fresh archeological dig of ancient Roman origin on his property. When plans for Christmas Eve preparations go awry and Miles is taken hostage at gunpoint, Emmaline is at her wit's end. Heartsick and worried, only a clue from some overly affectionate geese will be able to save her beloved's life. If she can reach him in time, they'll both find themselves beguiled on a Christmas morning.
As long as a lady has hope in her heart, it doesn't matter the obstacles she faces on the path to love. Miss Evelina Aston is the youngest child of a viscount. Through no fault of her own, she's fallen headfirst into the scandal of the Season. With her father on the brink of bankruptcy, when she's caught alone and in a compromising position with an earl, he calls for an immediate proposal. It doesn't matter that the man she's being forced to wed is a rake high on the instep, she has no say in the proceedings. Charles Bowling, Earl of Ethersham-and heir to the Duke of Tarkington-is in rather a spot of bother. Caught literally with his pants down in a lady's retiring room at a ball, he's mired in further disgrace when a woman-not the one he was waiting for-comes flying into the room, trips, and lands at his feet. Parental outrage ensues, and before he can protest, he's wedded to the shy lady, and they're bound for his father's country estate in the Lake District to begin their life of married inconvenience. With tarnished reputations and gossip trailing in their wake, both Evelina and Charles are forced to endure each other's company. As the July days go by, desire flares as hot as the summer sun while they explore the woodlands and fells, but differences and misunderstandings keep widening the gulf in their relationship. Unless they find trust and compromise, they'll never be able to build something worthy of the future and perhaps love.
Surviving the wilds of Cornwall is more life changing than they thought. Miss Caroline Sloane is on her way to Poughill, Cornwall. In highhanded fashion, her estranged grandfather has arranged a marriage for her to a sea captain she's met but once, and she wishes to convince him otherwise. She'll marry for love or not at all, but an accident with the crowded mail coach on which she's traveling throws her existence into chaos. Alan Blackmore, the Earl of St. Clair, has been summoned to his Devon estate by his ducal father. His engagement, designed by the duke years ago, has now come due and he must wed to merge holdings. The last thing he wants is a leg-shackling, for he enjoys his life of a rake too much, and he means to tell his father off, but one dark, rainy night on mud-slick roads changes his course forever. Lost and injured in windswept and rugged Cornwall, the first order of business is survival. As their wounds heal, Caroline and Alan come to know each other while living a simple, uncomplicated life. A friendship of necessity slowly grows into something passionate and scandalous, but when reality returns to rescue them, they both must decide what is more important: duty, tradition, or an unexpected love.
What happens in London after midnight doesn't always remain a secret. Baldwin Benedict Loverly, Duke of Broadmoor, wants nothing to do with society in general or women specifically. His stint in the military during the war broke him in mind and spirit. Now he can barely leave his townhouse without suffering from crushing bouts of fear and anxiety, but when he meets an unconventional woman who planned his aging aunt's birthday celebration, he might strive to overcome his challenges. Outgoing and sunny Miss Georgianna Abernathy, step-daughter of the Earl of Dirkenstead knows how people want to celebrate. When a pair of valuable emerald and diamond earbobs, directly off the ears of one of the beau monde's popular duchesses, is found inside a cake she ordered, she panics. With scandal looming, she barely hides the jewelry in her skirts before the handsome duke comes upon her and makes her yearn for dreams she'd let go. Once he temporarily subdues the alleged thief, the situation forces him to forget about his woes. Though he makes it his mission to prove her innocence, something about the story niggles at him. Discovered in a compromising situation, he puts forth the story of their engagement to lend her protection, and Georgianna objects-strenuously-which deepens the mystery surrounding her, but as they give into passion during the investigation, life grows more complicated. Unless they can find the real thief, both of them might be arrested with no chance for the romance neither of them expected to find.
Sometimes fate doesn't give you what you want because something better is in the offing. Captain Elias Frampton is a man without purpose. Five months after being jilted, he's ready for a new chapter of his life. Undecided about whether he should return to the sea or find a position in England, he embarks on a trip up the Cornwall coast, but his coach is caught in a winter storm squall, forcing him to take the last room at a posting inn of a fishing village. It's just the place for him to gain a new perspective. Miss Helen Everly's dreams for her life are all but forgotten. She cares for her ailing father as well as running the Brown Hart Inn he owns because that's all she's known. It's a good life and a happy one as long as she can find something positive in each day. Yet it's also a lonely life. Men in the small Cornish village keep the sea as a mistress and aren't the marrying type. Yet Christmastide is a time for miracles, and she's not above sending up a prayer for hers. As Elias and Helen are thrown together by unique circumstances and they enter into an odd friendship, they both try to ignore the sparks flying between them due to past disappointments. But during traditional Christmastide entertainments and a few stolen kisses, they come to discover everything they'd previously believed about romance had been wrong and that love is so much sweeter when it arrives unexpectedly.
Self-confirmed spinster Miss Anne Deighton wants to match her younger sister to a gentleman and see her happily married before settling into her fate... for her own previous two engagements failed. Quiet Reginald Marleigh, Viscount Ingleby, has come to the Wiltshire countryside to attend May Day festivities... and to turn his attention to the responsibilities of his title. Yet during the four days of the country festival, there are all too many opportunities for mischief and stolen kisses... and perhaps reckless danger. If the two of them let themselves, they'll see there is magic in Mayflowers, and it might just encourage love to bloom.
Lily Henderson's greatest passion is knowledge. Christopher Farnsworth thrives on order and decorum. But her penchant for Suffragette rallies and logical reasoning soon clashes with his quiet, controlled ex-military lifestyle over a bowl of potato soup.The two agree to a wager and matchmaking-or rather romance-is the intended outcome. The premise? A suitable match by Easter. If he loses, he'll attend Easter church services dressed in one of his aunt's outrageously-colored and beaded gowns. If she loses, she'll ride, Lady Godiva-style, around the heart of Indianapolis, which is the height of scandal for 1904. The problem is neither Christopher nor Lily can find matches as good as themselves. Romantic sabotage becomes the order of the day. The original wager is forgotten when the only thing the pair gambles with is their hearts.
Sometimes love needs a few wagers to stick the second time around.Pleasure is his only pursuit... Colin Rowley, Viscount Hartsford, has been given an offer too good to ignore: if he comes home to Lancaster Hall and his family by Christmas morning, he'll win a coveted racehorse as well as an estate. Trouble is, recollections attached to his ducal father's castle leave him haunted, especially those regarding the first girl he's ever loved, the one who rejected him.Faced with reduced circumstances... Widow Lucy Ashbrook is leaving London for the last time. Now that her husband's savings have dried up, she can no longer afford her lifestyle, so after she attends the Christmas house party at Lancaster Hall-the site of so many delicious memories-she'll return to her parents on the neighboring property. Too bad the man who first won her heart, and who accompanies her on the journey to Derbyshire, hasn't changed his selfish ways.The magic of the holiday season... When a series of mysterious events continually throw Colin and Lucy together, they can't help but revisit the past, and rediscover the joy made during those long-ago winters. Happiness will elude them both unless they find the Yuletide wonder and give themselves over to a love that has waited... with the help of a few, secret Christmas wagers working behind the scenes.
When in doubt, always do the right thing, especially when love is in the offing.As the year 1818 comes to an end, Lady Theodosia Cavendish, only daughter to the Marquess of Armestead, pretends to enjoy society's glittering ballrooms and endless rounds of parties, for she has other, more interesting projects to fulfill her. An opponent to the men who build their fortunes on the backs of the slave trade, she makes certain social injustice is always at the forefront in London... even at the expense of her life.Mr. Samuel Johansen, son of an English lord and a high-born Jamaican lady, is a glassblower by trade and a pugilist by recreation. He's as handsome as sin, which helps in navigating society, for he adores the life of a gentleman, but what he truly desires is a seat in the House of Commons, to fight discrimination, poverty, and class separation by helping to change laws... no matter his own personal battles.While holiday gaiety mingles with dark hatred, one chance meeting between Theodosia and Samuel spark not only an unlikely romance but also conflict in their world. As their relationship deepens, they court intrigue and danger, and in the process provoke powerful men who wish their secrets to remain just that. When happiness is in their grasp, it's dashed away in an egregious plan by a black hearted peer that changes their lives. Only with hope and love can they finally have their happily ever after.
Sometimes long-held secrets are the very things that will eventually lead to freedom.Lady Amelia Jane Coventry-Smythe wants nothing more than to shut herself away to mourn in private all the people she lost from her life over the years. Unfortunately, peace is not hers, for the one man she never hoped to see again has just landed in her parlor by mysterious circumstances, with an invitation to her Christmastide house party in hand... and her addiction to him flares anew.Cornelius Matthew Edgerton, Marquess of Winchester, is perplexed thanks to the arrival of holiday invitation. He hasn't heard from Lady Amelia in thirteen years... not since he abruptly left her bed during an affair that he never forgot. Encouraged to attend by her cousin-his best friend-when he arrives at the manor house, his reception is decidedly cool, even though the heat between him and the lady still lingers.Underlying polite public interactions, desire builds and explodes into frantic need, but while the two of them draw closer in new understanding and friendship, danger threatens both of their lives. As Christmas morning arrives, emotions boil over to sour the blooming romance. Only a miracle-and perhaps forgiveness-can help them find the happily ever after they never had the first time around.
Love at Christmastide is wonderful... if the couple in question believes in the magic. Alistair Forsythe, the 12th Earl of Reardon, is the most sought-after man in the ton this Christmastide season. Handsome, of good character, and possessing a large fortune, he finally intends to do his duty to his title after being in India for years. In the market for a wife, he can now easily have his pick of any woman, yet none of them have snared his interest-not since Carole-but she is beyond his reach. Miss Carole Hazelton doesn't give two farthings about a man's position within the ton or his looks. In fact, she's not thought about the beau monde since that horribly embarrassing day five years ago when Alistair left her standing alone at the altar. Now making her living as a governess, she's both dismayed and furious to discover the neighbor who's returned to the townhouse next door is the man who'd jilted her-Alistair. As that old scandal recirculates, it throws their reputations into question. To repair the damage, the earl and Carole must practice forgiveness. While she's not quick to forget, he's not above employing charm and mistletoe to his advantage or drawing on their past romance, but when the feelings they both thought long dead come rushing back, that love just might ruin them both... or provide a second chance they never knew they needed.
Searching for answers... Widowed Lady Elizabeth Dunston, daughter of the Earl of Hallewell, has lived a quiet life for years at her father's country estate, for it was her beloved husband's last request that she find peace. The last thing she wants is an attraction to the intriguing former soldier asking for work. Too bad anxiety continues to bedevil her and makes tranquility-and indifference-impossible. Distracted by forbidden desire... Captain Christopher Mowbray is down on his luck. After an injury put an end to his cavalry career, he's knocked about England searching for purpose. Now, needing a paying job, he stuck around a rich nob's property hoping to become a jack of all trades. What he didn't expect was the instant desire for the pretty widow or the need to play father to her boy, and it's damn hard to hide his interest in both. Dodging threats to their lives... While they struggle to deny the tension between them, danger has the couple in its sights, and when two attempts on their lives fail, Christopher must do something to protect the little family. As forced proximity gives way to passionate meetings, they try to puzzle out who wants to harm them. Aren't they already broken enough? Answers come during a May Day ball and put the fragile, budding romance into jeopardy. If they stay strong, they might just grasp the dream they never knew they wanted. If they survive.
A proper gentleman. A desperate lady. One little indiscretion that will change their lives. Carew Harcourt Fitzwilliam-Duke of Edenthorpe-is dreadfully dissatisfied with his life. Engaged since childhood to a woman unsuited to him, he feels trapped and hopeless. What he needs is a distraction, which comes in the form of a possible jewelry heist. Too bad it has arrived with his best friend's sister, now a beauty he can't banish from his mind. Miss Leah Haddington, only daughter of Baron Langley, can square with being overlooked by men in the ton due to her auburn hair and freckles, but being left penniless by her father's gambling is beyond the pale. There's only one man who can help retrieve a stolen bauble-her deceased brother's best friend. It matters not that a forbidden attraction is brewing between them. He's engaged to another, so where is the harm in a partnership? As they plot and plan their way through ton ballrooms and a practice theft in a bid to snag a missing tiara, that desire ignites. A heated, passionate mistake, to be sure, for he's to wed someone else in mere days, but the need to belong was too strong to ignore. When the theft goes awry and danger is brought to bear, they must both decide what they want more from life-staid security based in expectation and tradition or unpredictable scandal born out of unexpected love.
In the hunt for relics of infinite value, perhaps the greatest treasure of all is family. Three months after the birth of his son, Miles Lawrence Hawkins, the fifth Earl of Archewyne, is attempting to acclimate to fatherhood, but he longs for adventure. Someone is masquerading as the heir to a powerful and ancient ducal title with the anonymous backing of other members of the ton, and Miles is asked to investigate. It would mean leaving his wife and child, yet he refuses to return to London without them. Emmaline Hawkins, the new Countess of Archewyne, is torn between wanting to be a good mother and wishing to recapture the excitement digging up relics and hunting treasures brings. Just as she thinks her adventuring days are over, she meets a young pawn broker questing after the legendary Lancelot Stone. Determined to retain the thrill of the chase, she stumbles upon solid proof the relic is in Paris, and convinces her husband they should investigate. As Miles and Emmaline chase shadows and investigate macabre sites, their steps are dogged by unsavory characters. The closer they move toward unmasking the duke's imposter heir as well as finding the fabled relic, the bolder a killer grows in attempts on their lives. As an unbelievable plot unfolds, their only recourse is to fight, side by side, and hope that leaving staid domesticity behind was the right choice.
A man rejected by society and cursed for life... Alexander Laurence Hayes-6th Duke of Everington has a horrible secret: he's forced to become a beast each night. But when he stumbles upon a secret gentleman's club in London that caters to men of his affliction, perhaps he'll finally have some answers. It matters not that a meeting with a beautiful woman might have sparked his desire, he has more urgent interests than bedding her. Perhaps. A woman who dreams of love but is skeptical of magic... Eleanor Riverton is not easily given to fancy. The sister of a Bow Street Runner, she relies on facts not fairy stories. So when she's chased through the Mayfair streets by what she assumes is a wolf and then meets a man who claims he's a duke in the same night, her curiosity is triggered. The fact he is stark naked and gorgeous makes no difference, or that her first instinct is to shoot him. Possibly. Opposites attract while fear and hope collide... With the new knowledge that experiencing the kiss of true love will break the curse, Alexander sets out to charm the woman he'd chased. While attraction flares hot and immediate, his beast won't go down without a fight, and Eleanor is livid when she discovers the duke's secret. Only by working together will they gain the freedom they both seek... unless they kill each other first. Definitely.
A stolen jewel. An inappropriate attraction. One secret wish that complicates everything. Leopold Bollinger, 11th Earl of St. Vincent, is suffering from ennui. On the verge of turning forty-two, he's bored. Ten years retired from the spy life, the responsibilities his title demands are not enough to hold his attention. Unfortunately, neither do the ladies within the beau monde. All that changes when the widow of one of his best friends attends the same society event he does, and damn if she's not more attractive than she's ever been, which reignites the torch he's carried for years. Rachel Balfour-Lady Cavanagh-has been without purpose since her husband's death. Though she wants to hide from wagging tongues, keeping her dead husband's secret is of paramount importance. Upon a scandalous meeting with his best friend at a ball, her spirits change as does her mindset when he puts forth a completely madcap plan to reclaim an expensive jewel. Despite the fact his devilish grin tipped her acquiescence, being courted by his rival might sour a second chance at romance. While the unlikely pair scheme through summertime London, forced proximity turns the simmering passion between them into an inferno. As the bauble they chase eventually falls into the hands of a dangerous enemy of the earl's past, life quickly turns complicated, and sacrifices are made. Time counts down, and more than the treasure will be lost if they don't fight for the love they both need so desperately.
Sometimes, the greatest truths of life come on a midnight clear.Major Cecil Stapleton is struggling with his new life as a civilian after nearly twenty years in the military. Wounds received in the Battle of Toulouse left him angry, disfigured, and sent him home to England. All he wants now is to retire to the country and be left alone, especially since it's the Christmastide season. Finding his old lover in his cottage leaves him at sixes and sevens... and perhaps wanting more.Widow Sarah Presley has worked hard to conceal her existence in the Buckinghamshire countryside. She's looking forward to giving her seven-year-old son a special holiday, but that idyllic intention is shattered when a knock upon her door reveals the man she'd shared a night of exquisite passion with eight years ago-her son's father... and the man she never forgot.With no other choice, a tentative peace is struck, but memories intrude, as do new and confusing feelings, for their future is just as entwined. When a dangerous secret from Sarah's past comes back to haunt her, the dynamic with her and Cecil shifts once again. For the love of their son, as well as the sweet romance brewing between them, they'll need to work together to survive... and a Christmas miracle wouldn't hurt either.
Fighting against circumstances can usher in the greatest freedom.Peter Sammerson, Viscount Bingham, is a man tortured by his past. No matter that he wishes the beau monde would forget what he's done, he can't, and for that there's no peace, and definitely no future. During a walk to a friend's townhouse, he has a heated exchange in the rain with an interesting woman who might change his mind about wanting to avoid the ton altogether.Miss Katherine Davies is in London to attend her sister's wedding. Confined to a Bath chair due to an accident that left her lower half paralyzed, she still has her independence. A chance encounter with one of London's most scandalous rakes leaves her incensed, but the secrets in his eyes intrigues her and makes her wonder. Yet England's upper crust demands nothing less than perfection, and she is most certainly not.Despite the chaos from their initial meeting, Peter recognizes a kindred spirit, but he's terrified that when she hears of his terrible past, she'll hate him. While Kate begins to learn about the broken man, her emotions are engaged, yet does he view her as a whole woman? Acceptance, heat, and friendship springs between them, and if fate is kind, two rejects from society might find something more valuable than either of them had ever hoped for.
If you're lucky, the mysterious something missing from life is found right in front of you despite the risk.Widowed Lillian Fernsby has been buffeted by life's ills, and the grief is sometimes unrelenting. Keeping sadness at bay by making merry or being an outrageous flirt is all well and good, but what she really wants is to marry again. So, when her brother's best friend comes back into her life to protect her from a unidentified stalker, she's intrigued by the mystery and challenge he represents.The Honorable Thaddeus Carrington is the third son of a viscount, but he refuses to hang upon his father's coattails or put much stock in family pressure to marry. As a Bow Street Runner, he's found the thrill of solving cases, but when he's tapped to guard the sister of his best friend from a disturbing threat, he struggles between remembering her as the tag-a-long girl, as well as his confusing new awareness for her.While a flirtatious game of cat and mouse begins between them and desire builds, Lillian's pursuer grows bolder, and Thaddeus pledges greater vigilance in keeping her safe. Peril reaches a breaking point one spring evening, throwing the important things of life into sharp relief. Only they can decide if they want to fight for them before disaster-and death-strikes.
A lady's companion with no prospects. A duke who has turned his back on romance. A wild snowstorm that leaves them both stranded. It'll be a holiday neither of them will forget. Resigning herself to becoming a companion to an elderly peeress is Miss Hope Marie Atwater's last chance for a decent life. Though she's unwanted, undesired, and unloved at five and twenty, being on the shelf hasn't completely stolen her spirit. Her one wish at Christmastide is to stumble upon a man who will look past her drab life's circumstances to the spirited woman beneath, but that would take a miracle. Christmastide only brings maudlin memories he'd rather forget to Brook Gerard Clevenger, Duke of Denton. He wants to bury himself at his country estate, for the thought of merrymaking reminds him of all he's lost. A widower of three years, he's not looking for another romance; one was enough, and the pain will last a lifetime despite the fact he might welcome companionship or the chance for a stolen kiss. Travelling respectively through north Derbyshire-one coming, one going-misfortune is their lot. A fierce winter storm blows in and strands them at a posting inn where the situation isn't ideal. During a meeting in the courtyard, a common denominator takes them by surprise. As Christmastide nears, the class divide disappears, and the desire simmering between them explodes into something undeniably heated and intense. With three nights until Christmas, the wonder of romance might just be the gift they both need.
Nothing says Christmastide like a bit of intrigue, a lost treasure, and an unlikely romance. When widowed Amelia (Belle) Stanton-Lady Ravenscroft-finds a raggedy military man using her barn as refuge from December rains, she's not immediately concerned. Returning soldiers often crossed the countryside enroute to other destinations. However, there's something about the way the handsome man speaks and holds himself that makes her doubt his story, to say nothing about the immediate heat between them. The Honorable Montague Gabriel Hawkins is not on the attractive widow's land in the Wiltshire countryside by accident. Sent by the Home Office, he is to reconnoiter and retrieve a valuable painting and other treasures stolen by Napoleon but hidden when it became evident France would lose the war. Once belonging to French royalty, the return of said items would bring a hearty fortune and accolades, but instant desire for the widow might distract him. When the attempt to keep his mission a secret fails, Hawk is caught up in Christmastide activities. Belle is entirely too intelligent and soon she joins him on the quest. As they uncover clues and are waylaid by a torrid affair that ignites between them, danger follows closely in their footsteps. It'll take some clever planning and holiday play acting to keep not only the priceless heirlooms safe but also themselves alive. By Christmas night, love might be theirs if luck is on their side.
Sometimes the only way to gauge the depth of a man's regard is with the magic of gingerbread. In 1888 London, Miss Eleanor Redding, possessed of a beastly, grouchy attitude, works for Western Union Telegraph Company. It gives her a certain independence and a place to hide from her disappointing past in America. When she accidentally intercepts a Morse-coded message alluding to clandestine and nefarious activity, she accepts the challenge with alacrity. It will take her mind off the fact she's once more alone for the Christmas holidays. Why couldn't a man look past her prickles and scars to fight for her? Mr. Cameron Hallewell, grandson of the Earl of Albemarle, is employed by the Home Office in the matters of foreign interests. He takes his occupation of protecting British interests seriously, but he longs for a woman to surprise him in unexpected ways, to want him instead of his social standing. When there's news of a foreign operative lurking about Victoria Station planning something vile, he intends to track them down... only to find an attractive woman tailing various strangers on the platform and looking for all the world like a spy herself. They get on together like oil and water, but despite Eleanor's prickles and Cameron's bruised heart as well as his secrets, a spark catches between them. As the unlikely pair work together to capture a spy and prevent harm from befalling London, they come to care for and rely on each other. Throw in the intriguing prospect of an unexpected Christmas courtship, and they could have a romance that spans the ages... if they'll only let themselves give into granted wishes and a passion that's been there all along.
Unexpected surprises have the sweetest impact.Emmaline, the Countess of Archewyne, is looking forward to Christmas Day. She and her family are assembled at their Cairo estate, and though she misses London and all the hustle and bustle and the snow, there is something endearing about the holiday away, for romance-and love-is always just around the corner.Miles Lawrence Hawkins, the fifth Earl of Archewyne, is wrapping up the paperwork and packing as a result of a successful tomb discovery. However, when a valuable statue goes missing, he becomes distracted. Which is a blessing, for he's also worried about the impending birth of his next child. So far away from home and civilization, anything could go wrong.Their tranquil days leading up to a Yuletide ball are interrupted with the arrival of old friends and fellow king's agents bearing news, gifts, and concerns of their own. As the house fills with anticipation, Miles fears they have a thief in their mix, while Emmaline's worst fear comes true. A romantic tryst during the holiday revelry brings their lives into sharp relief, and if everyone survives the harrowing events that follow, Christmas will never be a happier time.
Never trust a man in a kilt with mischief in his eyes.Lady Cecilia Holmes is in Scotland with her family to attend a wedding, but she'd rather be in London nursing the forgotten segments of society. While her father and brothers are chasing red stag, she sets off on a hike and is immediately lost in the Highlands. That's fine with her, for she'd become rather adept at being alone, but when a handsome man and his dog interrupts her solitude, her interest in him is caught. Perhaps being consigned to a drafty old castle for six weeks won't be so bad.Mathias Stahley, the Earl of Huxington wishes to be in London arguing cases as a barrister and forget about the judgmental, shallow ton, for he's more effective helping the less fortunate in that role than working for his title. The last thing he wants to do is attend his cousin's wedding, in the wilds of Scotland no less. While taking a walk through the rugged countryside, he stumbles upon a woman with windblown curls who immediately makes him wonder if his vow to never marry is wrong.The days are filled with social events, but Cecilia and Mathias make time to slip away and explore the beautiful countryside and perhaps indulge in a bit of scandal. As romance and desire blooms, circumstances beyond their control lead to a forced betrothal, creating an emotional rift between them. Obstacles and familial opposition will either tear them apart or they'll find something infinitely more satisfying and enduring amidst the magic of the Highlands.
Jewels and treasures hold no worth when held against the lives of loved ones. Though thrilled to adventure again, the Countess of Archewyne worries their unexpected trip to India will delay her first official mission as a new king's agent. But when Emmaline is told she and her husband will trade a priceless diamond for the kidnapped daughter of a marquess, she's willing to make the sacrifice. Too bad no one knows exactly where the sought-after jewel is. Miles Lawrence Hawkins, the fifth Earl of Archewyne, is looking forward to being out in the field again and away from the ton. Defending England's interests from nefarious blackhearts is one of his favorite ways to spend time. But when he and his beloved wife embark on a fool's mission to steal the Third Eye of Shiva and they stumble upon troubling clues from his past during their arduous journey across the world, he can't help but think there should be a limit on men who wish his country ill. As Emmaline and Miles are introduced to the exotic life behind an Indian prince's palace walls, things aren't what they seem. A bid for power reveals who truly controls the area while an insidious lie puts them both in danger. As peril dogs their steps and desperation fuels their actions, they must use every wile and skill they have in order to survive. For the sake of their little family and their own romance, they will give it their all. What else besides king, country and love is worth the fight?
A dark and tortured soul... Montague Bassage-12th Earl of Pennington-wants nothing to do with romance or anything else, frankly. After the fickle threads of fate took his two fiancées, he retreated within himself. Over the years, he's made himself into the worst man in London-a true beast. A rake to be sure. In his cups more often than not. Skilled at wagering, absolutely. Most of his time is spent at the Lyon's Den gaming hell, where his only joy is winning at the tables. Besieged by rumor and innuendo...Mrs. Adriana Roberts nee Stapleton, eldest daughter of Baron Kentwood, is a widow accused of killing her reprobate husband. In the scandal that followed his death, she returned home, only to dance attendance on her much younger and more beautiful sister, for the chit still has a chance of a good match. But when that sister's hand is lost at a card table to the Worst Man in London, she has to do something. The past has a habit of retaining a grip... When the owner of the Lyon's Den arranges a devious marriage between them, they have no choice but to comply. As Montague acts like an enraged beast, Adriana vows to keep the union as a marriage of convenience despite the intense attraction present. But when understanding chips away at their defenses, romance might have a chance if they choose to trust after years of disappointment and hurt instead of locking themselves away into darkness. Or else Mrs. Dove-Lyon will make certain they get exactly what they want...
Revenge is never as sweet as the ability to find peace.The Honorable Olivia Beaumont, eldest daughter of Viscount Hereford, wants revenge. Following an ill-advised game of faro with a powerful duke, her father lost everything and then suffered a fatal heart attack. Now she wants that man to pay and suffer as much as her father did. But the only way she can do so is to enlist the help of the most shunned man in the ton-the disgraced Duke of Skeffington. It matters not that he's sinfully handsome, for she has a job to do.Lewis Arthur Sexton is a duke beaten down. Stripped of everything following a manufactured scandal against the Regent, he now wishes to drown himself at the bottom of a bottle. But when Miss Beaumont pays him a visit with the insane idea of humiliating the man responsible for her pain and his, he might just return to society to honor the request. If he ignores her bewitching attitude and alluring looks, he'll be fine.Except the scheme is far from fully formed, and friendship grows between them as a distraction. While she fights for revenge, he secretly protects her while they both try to regain honor in the glittering world of the ton. Yet the moment their relationship transitions into romance, everything unravels. When lives are put into jeopardy, they'll have to decide what they truly want, and if fortune is kind, it might prove to be a happily ever after.
Will the bonds of love prove stronger than a man back from the dead and bent on revenge? Miles Lawrence Hawkins, the fifth Earl of Archewyne, is determined to retire from life as a king's man. Working clandestine cases for the Crown might be in his blood, but keeping his family safe is a more paramount concern. When he and his wife are kidnapped, the chances of escaping slip away, especially when the man behind the insane plan is his brother, Nigel, who has been assumed dead for years. A mysterious note arrives following the unexpected death of her father blaming her husband for that event, and the Countess of Archewyne wonders what game is afoot. Doubts and fears add to growing ennui when Emmaline lands in a world of pain and confusion. A masked captor makes hideous demands unless she and the earl provide classified information. Through it all, she clings to her love for her husband while biding her time. Physical and emotional torture continues until the reason is finally revealed-to lure the Duke of Rathesborne into the web to answer for his alleged crimes against Nigel. As their world tilts on the whim of a mad man, they both battle to survive. Nothing short of a miracle can put their lives back together again or repair the damage gained in captivity, but fighting for the future is well worth any cost.
When hope in love is lost, fate intervenes... Lady Beatrice Ashdowne-Delacourte has been devastated by the news of her mother's infidelity. Since London is abuzz with half-truths about her real father's paternity, she wants nothing more than to get away and hide, so when the opportunity arises to escort her daughter to a midsummer house party in the Wiltshire countryside, she agrees with alacrity. Perhaps she might vicariously restore her faith in romance by watching the young people.A man cannot be alone forever...Major Owen Kenton is suffering from a large case of ennui. A widower without purpose since an injury ended his military career, he wishes to recapture the magic of those glory days and be needed again, or have the time to take a nap. When his daughter decides to attend a house party in his son's stead, he accompanies in the hopes of dancing a waltz himself... if a lady can look past the scars left behind by the war, for he misses that intimate connection.Being lost in a hedge maze changes everything...When they both find themselves at the heart of the maze after a rout, the attraction simmering between them ignites into a scandalous coupling. Confessions and secrets follow that bring them closer, yet they want very different things from life that might prevent a romance. When an ill-advised horse race at the end of the party is conducted that has Owen's life in peril, everything is suddenly thrown into sharp relief with heart-stopping detail. Only they can decide what they truly want from there.¿Willful WinterbournesRomancing Miss QuillPursuing Mr. MattinglyCourting Lady YeardlyTeasing Miss Atherby - NovellaGuarding the Widow PellinghamBedeviling Major KentonCharming Miss Standish
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