When Peter Stannard inherits a Yorkshire estate from his uncle, he does not expect a proposal of marriage from a lady. But Lady MacDonald's cousin Gabrielle proves to be a serious rival for Peter's affections.
When the Earl of Aylesford is killed in a riding accident, they have to wait for his child to be born. If it's a boy he will inherit. If not the title goes to Lord Patrick's brother Martin, but where is he?
Belle is afraid to go home to England where her cousin will force her to marry him. En route to Vienna, her coach is attacked. She is saved by Count Rupert and taken to his castle. But there are some odd people there…
Eve is fascinated by cider-making and, despite her father's disapproval, makes it with the help of a local farmer. When Justin, the Earl of Newark, discovers her in boys' clothes high up an apple tree picking her apples, he is intrigued.
Persuaded by her grandfather to supervise the coming out of rebellious Matilda, his great-niece, Louise reluctantly goes to London to take part in the season for the first time since her soldier husband was killed three years before.
One Lord cannot court Elizabeth while his ward is infatuated with her brother; one, missing after Waterloo, leaves a devastated fiancée; the third is dead and impersonated by his half-brother hoping to marry an heiress.
Eugenie, orphaned in Switzerland, is travelling through France in 1812 as she returns to England. Enjoying London Society, she is worried by the behaviour of her cousin George. Then the Earl of Lyndhurst comes to the rescue.
Jane is betrothed to Edmund, Viscount Tremaine. When Napoleon escapes from Elba Edmund returns to his regiment. News arrives of his death and his cousin William inherits the title, and marries Jane. Burying the dead, Gervaas finds a live body but he's lost his memory.
Silas, impersonating his dead half-brother John, expects to find a flourishing estate at The Priory and marry an heiress when he returns from a 20-year exile in India. But his inheritance is worthless and he needs to recoup his fortunes, reverting to gambling and worse.
Brigid is working as a companion to Sophia, but will soon have to look for a new position. What she will not accept is marriage to Matthew, Sophia's brother. Another possibility is suggested by an uncle and aunt. Can she accept, or would it be a trap from which she cannot escape?
When Joanna finds herself destitute after her gambler father's suicide, she is offered a marriage of convenience. Sir Kenelm needs a wife, but the twins, children of his first wife, refuse to accept her as a new Mama and their governess resents her.
Luke, Earl of Frayne, wants to recover Frayne Castle, lost by his gambler father, even if it means marrying owner, Damaris. She doesn't want a husband who would deprive her of control. Her first encounter with Luke is disastrous but she soon finds a way out of the dilemma.
Lord Clifford meets Elizabeth when his ward Annamarie plans to marry her brother Sir Henry. Elizabeth controls Henry's fortune and 16-year-old Annamarie has a habit of falling in love with unsuitable men. Until he can resolve this complication he cannot turn his attention to courting Elizabeth.
Most French aristocrats fleeing the revolution must earn a living. Comte Luc de St Pierre obtains a position with the Earl of Redditch. But when he is murdered, Luc is suspected. He must find the real murderer while evading a revolutionary Bossard and his thugs, who are threatening his sister Sylvie.
Julia has no portion so can look forward to marriage only with an impecunious curate. Life as a governess or companion beckons. When her sister Fanny and her family go to Vienna, she joins them. There she meets the attractive Sir Carey Fitzhugh who has left his young fiancée, Angelica, behind in England.
Abigail Barton is determined and outspoken. She has no desire to marry. Julian, Earl of Keighley, the despair of mothers and their marriageable daughters, is intrigued by her. Men begin to make Abby offers. She realises she must accept someone, but who?
Is the baby Caterina, Countess of Rasen, brought back from Portugal hers and her dead husband's? The new Earl, Nicholas, is suspicious. Cousin Matthew insists the baby is his and Catarina's sister Joanna's, and they are married. Nicholas will have to prove him a liar.
Review of Scandal at the Dower House
"The storyline is... enough to lift this above the ordinary and make it stand out from other novels of its type."
Sara Wilson, Historical Novels Review, May 2010.
Sir Randal is suspicious of Sylvie Delamare, whose father was French, after seeing her with M. Dupont, who is suspected spying for Napoleon. While following Dupont, Sir Randal meets Sylvie on her way to confront her uncle about her inheritance. He offers her a lift and becomes embroiled in her affairs.
'I'll hazard my ring for this wench!' Masquerading as a serving girl to help her brother Julian find missing jewels, Susannah is infuriated by Lord Chalford's bet. She discovers that he possesses some of those jewels, and that his father was present when Julian's father died in suspicious circumstances.
Isabella is companion to her cousin Georgiana and believes Lord Fordington's visits indicate he is taken with Georgiana, not herself. She has two unwanted suitors, Georgiana's brother and a widower with a reputation as a gambler. And she has her hands full overseeing the antics of the younger set.
After his boat founders in a small Cornish island, Sir Denzil Trewyn encounters an enchanting girl who tells him she is mad and has lived there all her life, seeing no one but her governess and two servants. He determines to rescue her and take her to his sister in London.
Yasmin is suspended between two worlds, the gypsies with whom she lived as a child and that of her Aunt Georgina in an English village. But when Georgina dies Yasmin chooses to join the gypsy tribe, where her grandmother explains her origins.
Dermot, Earl of Heronforth, reluctantly accepts the obligation of his dead brother to bear-lead young Bobby Blain around Town. But Bobby turns out to be Roberta! Bobby needs to be in London to attempt to clear her father's name of cheating at cards.
Mary Wyndham is startled when her brother arrives with heiress Teresa Standish. Their marriage is opposed by Teresa's guardian, Sir Ingram Leigh, whom Teresa believes is trying to gain her fortune. When Sir Ingram comes to separate the lovers, Mary finds him attractive but can't dismiss Teresa's allegations.
Petronella, thwarted by Lord Claverton from becoming governess to his sister's children, obtains another post. Napoleon is imprisoned on Elba, and her employer's husband, a Frenchman, takes them to Paris, where she is embroiled in intrigue and thrown into Lord Claverton's company.
When impulsive Prudence Lee learns that Lord Mottesford has wagered that he can bring her to heel, she determines to play along and then, when he thinks he has won, disillusion him. But Lord Mottesford has some serious problems of his own.
Harry Norville's cousin Frederick vanished in France as a child, so Harry cannot prove he is the rightful heir to Rowanlea until they discover whether Frederick is alive. Until they do, Elizabeth refuses to marry him.
When her grandfather, the Earl of Malvern, dies he leaves Kate Byford a huge inheritance provided she marry his heir Adam Rhydd. But Adam is as reluctant as Kate is to obey the Earl's bidding.
Wealthy Rosabella Traherne visits Bath incognito to find a man who loves her for herself. Lord Dorney, wary of heiresses, is attracted to Bella, but when he discovers her deception he leaves. Then her enemies take a hand with fateful consequences.
Phoebe wants to go to Brussels as companion to Sally, but her hopes are dashed when Zachary, Earl of Wrekin, taking up a diplomatic post, says she is too young and refuses to escort her. He eventually relents, but then Napoleon escapes from Elba and everything is in turmoil.
Review of Supervising Sally
"The backdrop of uncertainty for Brussels society is used to contrast the differing characters in their reaction to potential danger. ...Marina Oliver, as ever, provides a reliably good read." Penny Grubb
