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It has come to this author’s attention that a plot of seduction is afoot. While gentlemen of the ton are known for their penchant for seducing the fairer sex, one particular set is rumoured to have taken seduction to new heights.

The rakish and, frankly, piratically handsome Duke of P—, has been overheard taking bets in the billiards room of a certain gentlemen’s club on St James’s. While this particular club is known for its bet book containing all manner of nonsensical wagers, the latest bets to enter the ledger are rumoured to have taken a more salacious turn—to seduce a number of women, to order.

Who might the unsuspecting victims be? This author suspects them to be the inmates of S— House, an establishment owned and occupied solely by women. The dashing Colonel F—, recently returned from the militia, and one of His Grace’s closest friends, has been seen entering S— house, allegedly for the purpose of taking pianoforte lessons. If a man indulging in music lessons isn’t enough to arouse suspicion, let me tell you, dear reader, that S—House is the ancestral home of none other than the Duke of P—, which his grandfather lost as a result of gaming debts, and which His Grace has often declared that he’s determined to retrieve by any means necessary.

Perhaps those means include seduction. A certain Colonel F— has been seen in Hyde Park, with Mrs. B–, the resident pianoforte tutor of S—House. And, only yesterday, this author spotted Lord A—, another member of his Grace’s set, walking out with Miss R–, the renowned purveyor of lapdogs to the ladies, and resident of S— House.

But, dear reader, a man who underestimates his quarry is a fool. The women of S— House have not secured their independence through luck alone. His Grace may yet learn that while the world in which we live is undoubtedly a man’s world—an intelligent and capable woman will always triumph over a complacent man.

But, whatever fate awaits His Grace and his friends, this particular battle of the sexes promises to both amuse, and intrigue, this author for many months to come.

Seducing Sophia

The Scholars of Seduction, a band of rakes led by the Duke of Peterton, have pledged to seduce the women living at Summerton Hall, the Duke’s ancestral home—which his ancestors gambled away—in order to win it back. But a rake should never underestimate his quarry. With hearts and homes at stake, who will triumph in the Battle of the Sexes?

Colonel Adrian FitzRoy is tasked with seducing Summerton Hall’s resident music teacher, the widowed Mrs. Black. Expecting an elderly matriarch, he finds, instead, a delectable woman with an adorable young son. Soon, he questions his motives in seducing Sophia for a bet—a woman he’s in danger of falling in love with.

Sophia Black found sanctuary for herself and her young son at Summerton Hall, where she teaches the pianoforte. When she discovers that her newest pupil is an army officer, she initially turns him away, but his natural talent for music, and kindness toward her son, win her over.

Determined to protect her heart, Sophia struggles to conquer her attraction to the man who ignites previously-unknown passions with his skilful hands and scorching kisses. But when she learns of Adrian’s past, she realizes that the secret she’s harboring could destroy their friendship, and shatter her heart forever.

Extract from “Seducing Sophia”

A deep cough made her jump, and she turned around.

A man stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame.

Not just leaning. He dominated it with his body. Broad shoulders filled out a smart, dark blue jacket, tailored to perfection. One hand was inside his pocket, the other hanging casually by his side. Long, lean fingers flexed, curled, and uncurled. Her gaze wandered over his body—the jacket, the highly polished black boots—then it settled on a pair of cream-colored breeches that fit his muscular thighs like a second skin, leaving little to the imagination.

His body was so large…

So muscular…

So male.

He shifted his weight onto one leg and crossed his ankles, almost as if his position were intended to draw her gaze toward his very maleness. Her cheeks warmed with shame, but she couldn’t tear her gaze away.

A deep voice spoke. “I think you’ll find my face is up here.”

Sophia looked up and her breath caught in her throat.

Clear blue eyes regarded her with appreciation. They radiated a sharp intelligence and something else—desire, and wickedness. Something she had not seen since…

She tried to swallow but her throat was dry. She curled her hands into fists only to find her palms slick.

His eyes darkened and a slight smile played on his lips while he held her gaze, as if he challenged her to look away.

But she couldn’t.

His looks conveyed a savage virility. A thick head of hair as dark as a raven’s wing surrounded a strong, angular face with dark brows, a strong, straight nose, and a full, sensual mouth.

He was, without doubt, the most handsome man she had ever seen.

Author Biography

USA TODAY Bestselling Author Emily Royal is a mathematics geek who grew up in Sussex, England and has always had a passion for romance and bad boy heroes in need of redemption. She now lives in rural Scotland with her husband, two daughters and a menagerie of pets including Twinkle, an attention-seeking boa constrictor.

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Triumph—or humiliation—for Lady Pandora?

By Cerise DeLand

On September 14, 2022

In Guest author, Teatime Tattler

It has come to this author’s attention that the mysterious Miss E—, about whom the most scandalous rumours have been circulating since the beginning of the Season, will be among the guests at Godstone Abbey. What can Lady Westfield—who is usually most discerning when selecting guests for her Christmas houseparty—be about?

Far be it for this author to cast aspersions on a young lady’s eligibility, but Miss E—, despite displaying a soupçon of breeding on occasion, is not averse to using a turn of phrase which would make even a Cyprian blush, with her extensive catalogue of anatomical terms. Miss E—’s guardian, Sir A—E—, himself notorious for being what can only be described as a committed bachelor, has been decidedly unforthcoming over the circumstances by which the previously-unheard-of young woman became his ward six months ago. Young ladies don’t just spring fully formed from the ground, neither do they fall from the heavens. And, as every accomplished tattler knows, Dear Reader—the less one is willing to disclose about one’s origins, the more there is to be divulged.

What has piqued this author’s interest in particular, is the anticipation of Lady Pandora Osborne’s presence at Godstone. As the year draws to a close, Lady Pandora’s quest to prove herself the premier matchmaker the Ton has ever seen, enters its final act. She has one more match to make, to secure her crown, Godstone Abbey is to provide the backdrop for her finale.

And what a finale it promises to be! For, the intended bridegroom must be none other than the Duke of S—. And, while this author concedes that His Grace is the most eligible bachelor in England, he’s renowned for a degree of discernment that has hitherto rendered him notoriously difficult to catch. Many desperate mamas have tried—and failed—to secure him for their daughters.

Surely Lady Pandora cannot have elevated her ambitions so high as to consider a pairing between Miss E— and His Grace? While this author applauds her ladyship’s ambition, this final hurdle may prove unsurmountable, even for a thoroughbred of Lady Pandora’s tenacity.

If Miss E— is the intended bride, then Lady Pandora’s fate now lies on a knife’s edge. Either glittering triumph, or calamitous downfall awaits her.

A Christmas Wager

After surviving destitution, the orphaned Eleanor Hawkins re-enters society with a new identity, courtesy of her guardian, Sir Arthur Evans. With a penchant for pickpocketing, learned on London’s streets, Eleanor’s out for revenge on a society that abandoned her—especially Montague Lockhart, the man who broke her heart and brought about her downfall.

Lady Pandora Osborne is determined show her matchmaking prowess by securing a match between committed bachelor Montague Lockhart, Duke of Sedgewick, and Sir Arthur Evans’s new ward—an utterly unladylike young woman, whose origins are shrouded in mystery. Where better to achieve her aim than a Christmas houseparty, where mulled wine, mistletoe, and the season of goodwill is enough to tempt even the most miserly lord into love?

A Christmas Wager is part of The Wedding Wager anthology:

The Wedding Wager

Rival matchmakers…unlikely suitors…a Herculean wager!

Lady Pandora Osborne claims she’s the finest matchmaker the Ton has ever seen. When her cousin challenges her to make good on her claim, or lose a precious family heirloom, the terms of the wager are set! Lady Pandora must produce one match each month between the notoriously unmarriageable—spinsters, bluestockings, rakes and fortune-hunters.

This unique collection of tales of unlikely matches and steamy shenanigans in Regency England is released on September 27^th, but can be pre-ordered at a discount here:

https://books2read.com/u/mdDpyX

Extract from A Christmas Wager

Still gazing at the chandelier, she walked forward, then collided with a solid wall of muscle.

“Pardon me,” a deep voice said, in a tone which made the apology sound like an insult.

Eleanor froze.

The arrogance in his tone was matched by the contempt in his eyes—clear blue eyes in a savagely handsome face, surrounded by a mane of thick black hair.

No…

He must be a figment of her imagination, made manifest by years of despair.

She closed her eyes, but though it brought about blessed darkness, the familiar scent invaded her nostrils—the scent which she’d once found so comforting, but now associated with betrayal.

When she opened her eyes, he was still there—tall, broad-shouldered, domineering.

And, most certainly—him.

“Oh!” Lady Westfield cried, breaking the spell. “Miss Evans, may I introduce Montague Lockhart—Duke of Sedgewick.” She turned to him. “Your Grace—this is Miss Evans.”

His attention, which had been focused on Lady Westfield, now turned to Eleanor, and she caught her breath, as her heart stuttered in her chest.

But he showed no sign of recognition. Instead, he clicked his heels together and gave the slightest of inclinations with his head.

“A pleasure, I’m sure.”

Then he turned his back, and walked away.

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She should be banned from Bath Society!

By Cerise DeLand

On September 7, 2022

In Guest author, Teatime Tattler

A Mad Dog in a Coffee House

The editor will be appalled, and rightly so, by the stories currently in circulation concerning a certain Miss I—-s.

Far be it from me to promote tittle-tattle, but I have it on the Very Best Authority that the young lady in question has been spotted attired in Men’s Garb. If this new denizen of Bath is as unstable as the infamous Caroline Lamb, might I suggest that her Mama not only obliges her to drink our Famous Spa waters but immerses her in them as well.

The young lady in question also appears to have a remarkable ability to recover from the most serious of illnesses—even without recourse to said Healing Waters. A visit by an undertaker after news of Miss I—–’s demise was followed rapidly thereafter by her being seen at a coffee house, squired by none other than the gallant Captain H.

Whilst I have great respect for the Military, I cannot approve of so worthy a Gentleman allowing himself to be seen in public with such a rackety, harum-scarum young female. Furthermore, if his week-long vigil outside her door was a polite form of House Arrest, I am most put out that he did not inform those of us who dwell nearby what menace the I—-s family represents to its neighbors. It was most thoroughly remiss of him.

Any further explanation of these events would be most welcome so that we Bathonians may be reassured that we do not harbor a disturber-of-the-peace among us and may continue to rest easy in our beds.

A Game of Hazard

Her fate depends on a roll of the dice.

There’s a price on her head…

Miss Alexandra Isaacs learned many things at finishing school but how to run a vast smuggling empire wasn’t one of them. She’s desperate to protect this perilous inheritance because so many lives depend on it. However, there’s a traitor in their midst, and Alex must risk exposure to unmask him. There’s external danger, too, in the shape of a clever—not to mention compelling—excise officer. It would be utter folly to allow the captain any closer, but that’s precisely what a blackmailing matchmaker forces Alex to do.

…and he means to claim it.

The reward for capturing the smugglers’ ringleader is hugely tempting to Captain Giles Harewood. His sisters are in dire need of dowries and the Bath Season is in full swing—the perfect opportunity to find husbands for them. But the implacable Lady Pandora Osbourne has other plans for this confirmed bachelor—plans that could destroy all his hopes.

Who will win and who will lose in this deadly game of Hazard?

The above story is part of THE WEDDING WAGER anthology.

The Boast—pride goeth before the fall…

After facilitating the match of the season, Lady Pandora “Pansy” Osbourne, has boasted that she is the best matchmaker The Ton has ever seen. Always willing to bring her cousin down a peg or two, her cousin, Lady Octavia Sewell insists that was no feat of matchmaking at all, as the couple involved were clearly destined for one another despite Pansy’s meddling. A bitter argument ensues and a dreadful challenge is issued. Pansy must do more than say it… she must prove it.

The terms of the wager are set!

Pansy must produce no less than one match per month between people who have been notoriously unmarriageable—spinsters, bluestockings, rakes and fortune hunters, oh my! But there’s more riding on this than simply her pride! If Pansy loses, she will have to give up her most prized possession—a tiara that belonged to their grandmother will be forfeited into Octavia’s grasping hands.

The Ends Justify the Means… or do they?

Desperate to make these matches, prove her claims of matchmaking prowess to be true and make Octavia eat crow in a very public fashion, Pansy resorts to the greatest weapon in any matchmaker’s arsenal—the house party. Not just one, but a series of them. For two weeks out of every month, she will open her home to an assortment of victims…er, guests. At the end of each party, one couple will emerge either betrothed or wed, by fair means or foul.

Find your Buy Links here to take advantage of the pre-order discount-

https://books2read.com/weddingwager

The anthology will be published on September 27^th.

A Lady who Pursues a Diplomat Could Ruin Affairs!

By Cerise DeLand

On August 24, 2022

In Guest author, Teatime Tattler

“There is something strange afoot, Mrs. Ardmore.” Helen, Dowager Countess Ettesmere, frowned as the housekeeper came into the morning room.

“How do you mean, my lady?”

“Just this.” She folded her hands atop her secretary, much to quell their shaking as much as to project a calm appearance. “Lady Sophia has got it into her mind to romantically pursue Ambassador Mattingly.”

There. She said it aloud. Perhaps now it would make her feel better.

The housekeeper’s graying brown eyebrows rose, but that was the only evidence of her surprise. “Your daughter is in love with the ambassador?”

Oh, if only! Helen giggled and feared it sounded more hysterical than anything else. “I would have no idea, but she has the look.”

“I beg your pardon, my lady, but what look?”

A huff of frustration escaped her. “That look which says a woman is more than interested in a man, and since Ambassador Mattingly only just came to our door the day before, I am a bit concerned of my daughter’s mental state.”

“Due to the ongoing troubles with her heart?”

“Yes, some.” Knots of worry went through Helen’s stomach. Her only daughter, though long a woman grown, and over the age of forty, had received the worst diagnosis a person could—she would die soon of a weak heart. “I suppose if it were me who was facing imminent death, I might wish for one last tryst before crossing over.” Though, that still didn’t excuse the incoming scandal she suspected her daughter was planning.

The housekeeper shifted her weight from foot to foot. “Does the ambassador return her interest?”

“I would have no idea, but he regards her with an attitude that smacks of infatuation.” Helen put her hands in her lap. Oh, this was a terrible mess, and it hadn’t even happened yet. “I’ve seen the way Lady Sophia looks at the man. Why, she practically goggled him up at tea yesterday with her eyes. It would have been the height of scandal had anyone else beyond the family been in attendance.”

“I see.” One corner of Mrs. Ardmore’s lips twitched, but full-blown amusement never materialized. She was too well-trained for that. “Well, if he does return her interest, perhaps it isn’t a bad thing. Given the circumstances.”

Helen groaned. She rubbed her fingers over her eyes. “All my life, I have trained my children to be proper members of society. I orchestrated their first marriages and assumed those matches would have lasted.”

“Nothing is permanent in this life, my lady.”

“No, I suppose it’s not. Even my own husband succumbed to death.” She met the housekeeper’s eyes. “I wanted something lovely for each of my children, but Sophia doesn’t seem interested in anything proper now. Not with death looming. It’s simply too scandalous to let her conduct an affair under the nose of her impressionable daughter. My granddaughter!”

“I rather doubt Lady Sophia will have an affair. That isn’t who she is,” the housekeeper was quick to soothe. “Perhaps you should give it some time and see what comes—if anything—between your daughter and the ambassador. Perhaps it will be a love match.”

Helen couldn’t help but utter an unladylike snort. “Love? In an instant over tea yesterday? Pish posh, Mrs. Ardmore. You and I both know life doesn’t work that way.”

“But there is always room for an anomaly, and if what is between them results in love, who is to say it’s wrong?” One of the housekeeper’s eyebrows went up in inquiry. “Perhaps you should see how the relationship develops over the next few days before crying an alarm.”

“Perhaps.” Helen nodded with a sigh. “My heart goes out to my daughter. She is facing a set of horrible circumstances and is thinking about her daughter’s future, but still. I don’t want her to make a mistake in the time she has remaining.”

“Lady Sophia is clever and intelligent, my lady. Things will come out right in the end.”

“I sincerely hope so, Mrs. Ardmore.” But oh, this situation was fraught with worries.

I hope Sophia won’t be hurt merely to stave off loneliness.

Blurb for Pursuing Mr. Mattingly (Willful Winterbournes #1)

Fragile and fleeting, love is an addiction… Lady Sophia Winterbourne-Stratford-Forrester is a widow twice over. She suffers from a weak heart and has been advised to live a life without excitement or surprise. Wishing for one more romance before she leaves this mortal coil, and not wanting to leave her daughter an orphan, she begins looking, and her pulse leaps when she meets the American ambassador to England. Who gives a fig if she’s older than him?

When life is short and precious, one shouldn’t wait… Mr. Oliver Mattingly is visiting England on holiday. Vastly different from America, he’s anxious to see and experience everything, for adventure is in his blood. But when he immediately falls tip over tail for an enchanting, outspoken widow, the inexperienced bachelor knows where his next journey lies. After discovering her personal history, he asks for her hand. At least he can love her to the best of his ability before the inevitable happens.

Fate, though fickle, usually presents the perfect, if complicated, path… As the pair wed in haste and repent at leisure, they grow closer as desire only intensifies. A picnic by a rain-swollen creek turns into danger, and when Sophia doesn’t suffer ill-effects from the heart-pounding stimulation, they’re both shocked for different reasons. Could the doctor have been wrong? Love doesn’t care about misunderstandings or the foibles of life, it just is. Only they can decide if they truly want it… forever.

You can find the book here: https://amzn.to/3J2PV0j

Has a Young Lady Committed a Most Imprudent Act?

By Cerise DeLand

On July 27, 2022

In Guest author, Teatime Tattler

Scandal Brewing in Gloucester?

Miss W–, the only daughter of Baron D–, used to be such a sweet young girl. You never saw her acting the hoyden or causing her father the least amount of embarrassment. Why, after she returned from finishing school, she all but vanished from the Burwick social scene, apparently preferring demure domestic activities and the quiet milieu of the family’s country manor. In fact, you rarely saw Miss W—except on her charitable rounds among the estate tenants who, one and all, have nothing but good to say about the girl.

So it is with great dismay we report that Miss W—has been observed entertaining a male visitor in secret!

This clandestine rendezvous occurred at night under her father’s very nose. The Vulgar Visitor actually climbed the wall of the tower at W—Manor.! There is some speculation he must have used a rope, like a common criminal or seaman.

One has to ask, Where was Miss W—‘s companion when all this transpired?

We are immensely disappointed in our beloved country miss. It is to be hoped that her father uses a firm hand in dealing with this situation. Especially as we have heard rumors of an advantageous marriage under discussion by the baron and Someone with a good deal of influence at the Prince Regent’s court. It would be a shame if Miss W—were to ruin her chances with this personage.

THE CAPTAIN’S LAST QUEST

A Novella by Donna Maloy

In the Dragonblade Publishing anthology, TALES OF TIMELESS ROMANCE

He can scale his captive lady’s tower to rescue her—

but can he convince her to love him?

Miss Letitia Waire is determined to escape her greedy, domineering father and the lecherous old earl he’s betrothed her to. But her father has confined Letty to a tower bedroom and hired seven hulking bodyguards to thwart any attempt to evade the marriage. Letty knows better than to hope for love—a fairytale myth—but she’d settle for almost anyone other than the brutal Viscount Rosingham. No man who would beat his horse would ever touch her. That said, she did need a man. Preferably one with enough money or high title to win her father’s consent.

Captain Nicholas Monton is a returning naval war hero and the “almost” heir to the Duke of Landsdowne. His dying brother urges him to marry and prepare for life as the new marquess. But the simpering, capricious debutantes of London do not fire Nick’s soul. He will not settle for less than a gentle, loyal and amiable wife—and love. When a friend tells him of Letty’s plight, he is moved and agrees to a contrived meeting. Enraged by the bruises he sees and the rough way she is treated by her bodyguards, Nick is ready to avenge Letty when the lady surprises him by exacting her own revenge.

Nick crosses “gentle” off his list. Fascinated, he begins his campaign to win the trust of a strong woman who has never known kindness. But Letty, cautiously beginning to care for the handsome captain, feels abandoned when he leaves for his brother’s funeral. And with Nick gone, the angry viscount seizes his chance to abduct her.

Though Nick is now titled and the Duke’s heir, that’s all meaningless unless he can rescue Letty before their chance at happiness is destroyed.

***

The story of The Captain’s Last Quest was inspired by the true-life courtship of Princess Charlotte (England’s original “People’s Princess) and Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, a royal fairy-tale romance that really happened in the Regency era.

***

TALES OF TIMELESS ROMANCE

From the publisher: Enjoy the very best of Historical Romance with this limited edition, NEW MATERIAL collection. These are never before published romantic tales based on mythical and legendary love stories, all of them with a happily ever after sure to satisfy. But what makes this collection so special? Each author was a finalist in Dragonblade Publishing’s annual The Write Stuff contest. This collection is a curated bundle of their very finest, so if you’re looking for new stories to fall in love with – and new authors to adore – then pick up this collection or read for FREE in KINDLE UNLIMITED.

BUY LINK: https://amzn.to/3y6VYff

So Arthur Was Born by Fil Reid
To Kiss an Outlaw by Cara Hogarth
The Heart of Sherwood by Gemma Sydney
The Captain’s Last Quest by Donna Maloy
The Art of Love by Stephanie Patterson
A Poetic Season by Peri Maxwell

***

EXCERPT: The Captain’s Last Quest

“Come here,” he whispered. “There is something wrong with your face.”

She forced herself to walk closer.

“What’s wrong with me?”

He reached through the slit and softly touched her cheek. She flinched and looked away.

“Two things. You haven’t been cherished as you should be. No man has ever been allowed to look inside and see your strength, your intelligence, your astonishing beauty. We can fix that.”

He said astonishing beauty. Mine.

Heart skipping madly, she lifted her eyes to his.

“And the second thing?”

“You haven’t been kissed until you can hardly stand up. But we can fix that, too.”

She must have leaned closer. She must have closed her eyes. But all she knew was the pressure of soft lips, caressing hers. Oh. My. Heaven.

He gently licked her lips. When she opened her mouth in surprise, his tongue entered and tangled with hers.

Birds might have been singing arias nearby. The ground might have disappeared beneath her feet. None of it mattered. There was only this kiss. Her first.

The Captain put his hand behind Letty’s head and drew her closer. His mouth moved over her jaw and down her neck with soft, nibbling kisses that made the rest of her ache. Her breasts felt oddly warm and heavy as though he were touching her there. If they married, she could ask him to kiss her there, too.

She pressed closer, daring herself to touch him. Her hand reached out to cup his cheek.

“Oh, hell. I didn’t hear the damned bird call,” the captain muttered against her ear.

Letty suddenly found herself standing alone in front of an empty window. Two men were shouting below and Captain Monton was gone.

***

THE AUTHOR

Award-winning author Donna Maloy has always daydreamed about living in some other time, some other place. A long time ago, library cards were her ticket to all those strange, inviting other worlds— as long as she had transportation to the library. Now e-readers let her instantaneously fill her hunger for exciting adventures and emotional love stories.

Donna writes adventurous books with unique characters learning about life, love, treachery and loyalty.

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