Royal Regard
When Isabella, the Countess of Huntleigh, returns to England after fifteen years roaming the globe with her husband, an elderly diplomat, she finds herself in a locale more perilous than any in her travels—the Court of King George IV. As the newly elevated Earl and Countess settle into an unfamiliar life in London, this shy, not-so-young lady faces wicked agendas, society’s censure, and the realities of a woman soon to be alone in England.
Unaccustomed to the ways of the beau monde, she is disarmed and deceived by a dissolute duke and a noble French émigré with a silver tongue. Hindered by the meddling of her dying husband, not to mention the King himself, Bella must decide whether to choose one of her fascinating new suitors or the quiet country life she has searched the world to find.
‘Tis Her Season
A Royal Regard Prequel Novella
Charlotte Amberly would rather eat a lump of coal for Christmas dinner than marry the Marquess of Firthley, so when her parents cancel her London Season in favor of a rush to the altar, the feisty debutante takes husband-hunting into her own hands.
Alexander Marloughe, reluctant heir to a marquessate, would rather not spend his holiday dashing through the snow after a flibbertigibbet just out of the schoolroom, but no woman before Charlotte has ever led him such a merry chase.
Shipmate
A Royal Regard Prequel Novella
The heavy hands and sharp tongues of Bella Smithson’s family have left her almost too timid to converse with a gentleman, much less conduct a husband hunt. Unfortunately, her overbearing aunt and managing cousin are determined to help her escape her black-hearted father and brothers.
Thanks to the Prince of Wales, retiring shipping magnate Myron Clewes has an ever-growing fortune, a fresh-minted peerage, a brand-new flagship, and an impossible set of requirements for a bride. Not least, she must be willing to leave England and everything she knows, possibly for good, in less than two months’ time.
Bella’s Happy-Ever-After in Royal Regard had its origins in a Happier-Than-She-Expected with her first husband, Baron Holsworthy, who gave her the confidence to steady her sea legs, take her life by the helm, and command her own voice, empowering a shy, young girl and unlikely adventurer to grow into one of King George IV’s trusted advisors.
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Sailing Home: The Next Generation…
Never Kiss a Toad
(This is an ongoing serial novel that is still in progress.)
David “Toad” Northope, heir to the Duke of Wellbridge and rogue in the mold of his infamous father, knows Lady Sarah “Sal” Grenford, daughter of the once-profligate Duke of Haverford, will always hold his heart. But when the two teens are caught in bed together by their horrified parents, he is sent away to finish school on the Continent, and she is thrown into the depths of her first London Season.
Can two reformed rakes keep their children from making the same mistakes they did? The dukes decide keeping them apart will do the trick, so as the children reach their majority, Toad is put to work at sea, learning to manage his mother’s shipping concern, and Sal is taken to the other side of the world, as far from him as possible. How will Toad and Sal’s love withstand long years of separation, not to mention nasty lies, vicious rumors, attractive other suitors, and well-meaning parents who threaten to destroy their future before it has begun?
[A Victorian romance continuing family stories begun in the various Regency books of Mariana Gabrielle and Jude Knight.]
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God Help Ye, Merry Gentleman
a Holiday Novelette with Other Stories from the Family and Friends of Toad Abersham and Sally Grenford
Lord Abersham and Lady Sarah are the best of friends and too young for affairs of the heart—but they are growing up fast. After nine months touring the Continent with his parents, Toad Abersham will soon be sent away to finish his education, and Sally Grenford has years to wait before she is old enough to be presented at Court and married to the man she’s loved since the cradle.
Sally has only four weeks filled with mistletoe and holiday outings to convince Toad to see her as a woman, in her first long dress, impeded by the sudden distance he is placing between them. But she has never let Toad’s reticence stop her from dragging him into mischief before.
Toad battles rising lustful feelings for his best friend, an innocent whom he would not hurt for the world. However, still captivated by his newly acquired skills as a rake-about-town, he is not remotely prepared to be married. But since he has never been able to say no to Sally, Toad is led to indiscretions he would never commit with another young lady.
For her part, Sally is delighted Toad can be so easily led.
Sally has only four weeks filled with mistletoe and holiday outings to convince Toad to see her as a woman, in her first long dress, impeded by the sudden distance he is placing between them. But she has never let Toad’s reticence stop her from dragging him into mischief before.
Toad battles rising lustful feelings for his best friend, an innocent whom he would not hurt for the world. However, still captivated by his newly acquired skills as a rake-about-town, he is not remotely prepared to be married. But since he has never been able to say no to Sally, Toad is led to indiscretions he would never commit with another young lady.
For her part, Sally is delighted Toad can be so easily led.