Showing results by author "Elizabeth Johns" in All Categories

Kate Rafferty had been sent to a girls' school after the tragic death of her parents in a house fire whilst living in India. Once she finished school, instead of a London Season, she found her mother's aunt to be her guardian and expected Kate to take care of her. The woman was a mean old shrew who had run off almost all of her servants and had let her estate fall to ruin. When at last the woman died, Kate sensed freedom and hurried to London to take charge of her inheritance.

Lord Edmund Knight has dedicated his life to rescuing unfortunates and prostitutes which he refers to as his doves. One of his rescues comes with more baggage than he bargained for, and he is forced to hide her at his brother's estate in far away Devonshire. Lady Isabella Hartmere was ruthlessly placed up for auction by her father to settle gaming debts, but is miraculously rescued by a vicar in the nick of time. As her father becomes desperate to find her, the situation becomes more dangerous by the minute.

Lady Maria Mottram was plain by ton standards. Yet, gentlemen were drawn to her for her pleasing wit, ability to speak of their favorite pastimes, and for her lofty family connections which made her very handsome indeed. Until one wretched day when her family's name was attached to scandal. Swept away by friends to Paris, Maria is faced with a whole new heartache of watching the man she has loved forever be captivated by another, and her needing to marry quickly.

Captain James Frome, seasoned veteran and war hero, is returning home after ten years away. He has sold his commission and must face what he left behind. Besides finding an estate that is in ruin and a family that is lost without his direction, he also runs into his past and the reason he was forced into the army in the first place.

Viscount Easton came to the United States at the behest of His Majesty’s Army for his last assignment. He was sent home early due to an injury and must face his new destiny as the heir to an earldom. An unexpected encounter with the unrefined beauty links Easton and Elinor together in society, and he must decide whether to save Elinor’s reputation or hold on to bachelorhood. Can Elinor navigate the perils of coming out in aristocratic England and still retain her sense of identity? Can Easton help her overcome her aversion to men? Or will her past keep her from facing her future?

Orphaned as a child and raised by her uncle, Rose Sutton has spent the last five years helping him with her cousins and the parish while eagerly awaiting her sweetheart's return from the army. However, when it becomes clear her beau is not coming back, and her uncle decides to marry the meddlesome village busybody, Rose is desperate to leave.

Hugh Dickerson, Duke of Cavenray, has finally agreed to wed in order to provide an heir. However, he is none too interested in his mother’s choices and finds himself tempted by a beauty of lower birth. He flees to his country estate to forget the beauty and hide from his mother. Instead of respite, he finds his property is being used by smugglers, and the very beauty he wanted to forget is visiting her new relatives in the neighboring estate.

Lady Charlotte Stanton was officially on the shelf. Her first offer to be a chaperone had sealed her fate at the advanced age of eight-and-twenty. Yet, one magical evening a mysterious gentleman took pity on her and danced with her clandestinely under the stars. He refused to tell her who he was—other than unsuitable. It has ruined her peaceful existence as an aging spinster.

Gwendolyn Lambert's family was reduced to penury after her father was disgraced and killed in a duel. Gwen and her invalid mother survive on a mere pittance in the city of Bath. Her mother's cousin, the Dowager Duchess of Loring, is determined to see Gwendolyn taken care of and restored to her rightful place, but she does not have any use for society after her family was treated ill by them. But the savvy dowager has a few tricks up her sleeve, including her handsome and charming grandson. Unfortunately, she did not count on him being sent to America.

Five years have passed since Lady Anjou Winslow, one of the triplet daughters of the Marquess Ashbury, watched her love, Lieutenant Gardiner, leave for the war in America. They were secretly married just before his departure, and though the War Office has declared him dead, she refuses to believe it. No trace of him was ever found. Private enquiry agents, hired by Lord Ashbury, have searched to no avail, yet something inside Anjou refuses to believe her husband is dead. Despite her fears of the ocean, she convinces her brother to escort her on the long voyage to America.

Lieutenant John Holdsworth, a valiant veteran of the Battle of Waterloo, carries not only the physical wounds of war but the haunting memories that threaten to shackle his heart forever. Now, as the steward of a sprawling Scottish estate, he finds solace in his work in the solitude of the Highlands. Catriona Craig is the enchanting adopted daughter of Lord Craig. Her world revolves around the compassionate act of healing. Amidst the winds and fragrant meadows of the estate, she discovers her purpose, nursing not only the ailments of the body but also the wounded spirits that cross her path.

Benedict Stanton, Duke of Yardley, vowed never to marry again when his first marriage ended in a scandalous divorce. Having retreated to the country for nearly a decade, he is thought to be a cold-hearted recluse. Now faced with leaving his dukedom to the Crown for lack of an heir, he sets out to find a bride in a manner more suited to generations past—through his solicitor.

Convincing her parents to let her retreat to their Scottish estate, a home for abandoned young women, Margaux feels she can do something meaningful with her life. At their wits' end, her parents believe a few months in seclusion will teach her to appreciate her privileged existence, and accept the next gentleman of worth who offers for her. Margaux has no plans to yield. But neither she nor her parents bargain for the proximity of the gorgeous, blue-eyed Scotsman on the neighboring estate.

Beatrice was sent away from home to reform her spiteful behavior, and Vernon was hurt and determined to forgo love. Lord Vernon decides to move on with an unemotional marriage of convenience. Lady Beatrice finds herself reduced from a Duke’s daughter to a life of service in Scotland, trying to learn the ways of the less privileged. Will the two find their way back together again? Or will Vernon choose another bride first? Will Beatrice be able to humble herself and reform her shrewish spoiled ways?

Six years of battle has changed Nathaniel: older, wiser, the conqueror of the addictions that drove his misspent youth, he’s avowed to start afresh. But a chance meeting with Lydia unnerves him; she is so very keen to speak to him, yet he cannot fathom why. Has she waited for him all these years? He is unfit for her and is focused on making amends for another’s life that he ruined, and he urges her to forget him.

Orphaned Lucy St. John, described as "the most beautiful of all", defies English society by attracting the eye of the Earl of Suffolk. In 1609, the court of James I is a place of glittering pageantry and cutthroat ambition, when the most dangerous thing one can do is fall in love. Lucy's envious sister Barbara is determined to ruin her happiness and drives Lucy into exile from the court. Heartbroken, she has to find her own path through life, becoming mistress of the Tower of London and gaining a fortune through the patronage of the Duke of Buckingham.

More and more frequent extreme weather events occur each year, and wildlife everywhere is increasingly endangered. Science fiction or science fact, most climate experts see this as our world on climate change—and, according to polls, a majority of people around the globe agree. Climate Change for Dummies allows you to investigate this hottest of hotly debated issues for yourself—examining its causes, the way it affects our lives, and what we can all do to make a difference.

The Dowager Duchess of Loring had finally married off all her grandchildren and was now uncertain about what her future held. When she accompanies her grandson and his new wife on a trip to Italy, a chance encounter with a past love turns her world upside down.

At the Midnight Masquerade, hearts and affections may be revealed.

May 1483: The Tower of London. When King Edward IV dies and Lady Elysabeth Scrope delivers her young godson, Edward V, into the Tower of London to prepare for his coronation, she is engulfed in political turmoil. Within months, the prince and his brother have disappeared, Richard III is declared king, and Elysabeth's sister Margaret Beaufort conspires with her son Henry Tudor to invade England and claim the throne. Desperate to protect her godson, Elysabeth battles the intrigue, betrayal and power of the last medieval court to keep Prince Edward safe.