Widowers of the Aristocracy

Make a promise if you must... but the hearts wants what the heart wants. When Lady Isabella witnesses the murder of her mother-by her father, the Earl of Craythorne-she rides off to London in search of the man her mother, Arabella, instructed she contact lest anything befall her. Directions send Isabella to the doors of The Elegant Courtesan, a high-end brothel owned by David Fitzwillim, Earl of Norwick, to whom she relates her gruesome tale. Stunned and heartbroken at hearing the fate of Arabella, David vows to ensure Isabella's safety from Craythorne, and he enlists the aid of Octavius, Duke of Huntington, to provide protection and a home in the country, where she won't be found. He would do it himself, but he's due to marry the girl's aunt, Lady Clarinda, and has some courting to do- his twin brother seems determined to make her his own wife. Still suffering from the loss of his wife in childbirth, Octavius has long since given up the joy he took in his racehorses-choosing to ignore his stables and country estate and live in London, immersed in reading and attending sessions of Parliament. Not particularly pleased with having a ward, Octavius soon discovers Isabella's passion for horses goes far beyond just riding them. With a new generation of racehorses in his stables, and his country estate suddenly in pristine condition, he may just experience some horse sense himself in "The Dream of a Duchess".

Love looks with the mind, but not with the eye... which explains Cupid's success When Viscount Jasper Henley is caught kissing a marquess' niece in the gardens during a ball, he agrees to marry the girl. It's not the first time he's been forced to marry-he and his late wife had been caught kissing in front of the same fountain prior to his marriage proposal-but he had always intended to marry Sophie. While on a visit to London to visit her uncle and his new wife, Marianne Slater is happy to attend the Season's entertainments-even if she can't see very well. The world is a blur unless it's close-up. Usually a wallflower at balls, Marianne is stunned when a gentleman approaches and offers to escort her in the gardens. A clear-eyed innocent kiss suddenly results in the blurry whirlwind of a quick wedding and its subsequent aftermath. Determined to show his new bride the wonders of the ancient world in Sicily as part of his next archaeological expedition-their wedding trip-Jasper will do whatever it takes to see to it Marianne can see more clearly. But as things come into focus for her, Jasper may find his own vision clouded by an unexpected revelation. Can the insights he discovers from bits of history open his eyes to future possibilities? He may prefer blindness in "The Vision of a Viscountess."

When widower and bank clerk Theodore Streater discovers his late mother was not only the headmistress of Warwick's Grammar and Finishing School, but also its owner, he's in need of someone to run the rather lucrative enterprise. He turns to the woman who helped him regain his position at the bank after he lost an arm fighting in Belgium. His best friend's wife, Elizabeth Bennett-Jones, Viscountess Bostwick, still runs her charity, Finding Work for the Wounded. She is sure there's an applicant who would be perfect as headmistress of her old school. Having lost her position as an operative with the Home Office-her slight limp from a gunshot wound is hard to hide-Daisy Albright is at a loss as to what to do next. She could return to her father's home. The Duke of Ariley would like nothing more than to have his oldest illegitimate daughter under his protection until a suitable marriage can be arranged. But after several years of handling her own affairs away from the aristocracy, Daisy is determined to retain her independence. So when Viscountess Bostwick informs her she has a position in mind, Daisy immediately pays a call on the new owner of Warwick's to apply. Poor Teddy Streater has no idea what he's in for when he hires the ex-spy to run the finishing school. He would prefer to court the comely lady who seems prim and proper, but what woman wants to marry a man with only one arm? Perhaps he should be in search of a mistress. Trouble is, he can only imagine Miss Albright in the role in The Conundrum of a Clerk.

What is real and what is fiction when it comes to Marcus Lancaster's life? An overactive imagination has never been too much of a problem for the viscount. It comes in handy during boring sessions of parliament and keeps the widower entertained on lonely nights when there are no events to attend. Now that his daughter is making her come-out, he is looking to remarry and has set his cap on a widowed countess. Charity, Countess of Wadsworth, is relieved to be widowed and has no intention of finding another husband - except for others. She has just accepted an offer to become the matchmaker at the charity, 'Finding Wives for the Wounded'. Until Lancaster makes a comment about having spent an evening in the gardens with her, Charity has no idea she's a major player in the viscount's daydreams. Her only interaction with him was a waltz! So just how much has this man imagined? He seems to know far too much - including her secret wish. And does he realize it's not about to become reality? Or is it? The lines between dreams and real life are about to become blurry.