Showing results by narrator "Brian J. Gill" in All Categories

Miss Emma Tilbury is notorious, and that's just the way she likes it. As mistress to the rich and famous, she's never short of cash or invitations—but after reaching thirty, a shock rejection makes her think again. Perhaps it's time to look for another protector. Abraham Fitzclarence—Fitz to his friends—believes in love and has had his eye for years on Miss Emma Tilbury. Forbidden fruit, delectable and sweet, he’s astonished when she takes a shine to him—and his heart is quickly lost despite all his attempts to remain aloof.

Olivia Lymington never liked her sister, but twins are always supposed to be close. Now Isabella is engaged to the charming and handsome Colin Vaughn, Duke of Larnwick, and Olivia is forced to act as chaperone until the big day. That’s why, when Isabella goes missing, the entire Lymington family considers it Olivia's responsibility to find her wayward twin.

"The Monkey's Paw" is the best-known work of writer W.W. Jacobs. Generally acknowledged as one of the most disturbing and brilliant works of short horror fiction ever created, the story was first published in a larger collection of scary stories released in 1902 called "The Lady of the Barge." When the story begins, we meet the White family — an older couple and their adult son — who are given a strange and mysterious talisman: the eponymous dried monkey's paw that is said to grant the owner three wishes.

The Honorable Caroline Storme has been furious with life since she was twelve. Sent to an asylum due to a suspected mental deficiency, she has finally returned to London, not with vengeance in mind, but freedom. Wanting nothing more than to pursue her passions in peace, she vows to ignore everyone around her, until she meets the one man who understands her…a big, barrel-chested sailor with tattoos and a devastating grin.

A classic tale from the Master of Weird Fiction, H.P. Lovecraft's "The Call of Cthulhu" chronicles the journey of Francis Wayland Thurston as he examines the notes of his dead uncle and learns of a strange and mysterious cult that worships an ancient monster - Cthulhu - a terrifying human/octopus/dragon hybrid that lives in the hidden city of R'lyeh.

Lady Harriet Stanhope grew up with her twin brother and his friends, never questioning their laughter or their games - but now she's a young lady, she's desperate for one friend in particular to see her in a different light. But after twenty years of knowing each other, she's just the best friend, not a serious contender for the Duke of Devonshire's heart. Montague Cavendish knows what is due to him and his family name, and he is not fool enough to wish for a love match. He'll find a pretty young thing with plenty of money, and that will be that.

Collected here are four of the world's best-known and beloved tales of horror, suspense and terror: H.G. Wells' "The Island of Doctor Moreau," Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," H.P. Lovecraft's "The Call of Cthulhu," and Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart."

Lady Honora Lennox hasn't gone by that name in three years - not since she was abducted and forced to work in a brothel. She's but nineteen and has given up on the world offering her anything of kindness. Until he walks through her door. Josiah Stanhope, Earl of Chester, is exhausted with politics and games, deceit and lies - it's time for simplicity, and there's nothing simpler than the clear cut exchange of coin for pleasure. And yet there's something different about this girl.

Lady Charlotte St Maur is a spinster. Invited to dances as a chaperone rather than a dance partner, it's all she can do to keep back tears as match after match is made - with her help. But a lady over thirty, no matter the title, doesn't find true love. William Lennox, Duke of Mercia, never expected to come to fame and fortune, and never thought anything could be more tiring than soldiering - except the marriage market. He needs to make a good match, but no matter how many young chits he's introduced to, it's always the chaperone who catches his eye.

Enter the world of the most notorious gambling den in London, where matches are made... unusually. Welcome to the world of THE LYON'S DEN: The Black Widow of Whitehall Connected World, where the underground of Regency London thrives... and loves. From USA Today Bestselling author JADE LEE, a lush tale from the greatest, most notorious gambling den in London. Welcome to the world of THE LYON'S DEN: The Black Widow of Whitehall Connected World! Intrigue makes for strange bedfellows...

Always the widow and never again the bride—her one chance of happiness lost… Mrs. Elizabeth Howard had believed her marriage to be a love match; she was wrong. So when a stranger offers her something she simply cannot refuse, she consoles herself with the knowledge that no one will ever know. Until nine months later. Because after her husband dies and leaves her a widow, Elizabeth does have some perks. She's well-respected, of course, and no one questions whether the child is a Howard or not…

Miss Mariah Wynn was adopted and has spent her life attempting to prove herself worthy. Intelligent and witty, it's nonetheless not a good idea to let a gentleman know you actually have brains. After all, no one marries the bluestocking, even if she is beautiful and but twenty one. One man who laughs in the face of bluestockings is Patrick O'Leary, Viscount Donal. He knows the woman's place, and that is most certainly in the home.

Miss Theodosia Ashbrooke does not believe there is anything greater than matching the perfect pair—and she's become rather expert in it. Never mind that she's never found the missing half to her own soul and body. Perhaps that's not her lot in life, even at the age of eight and twenty. Her own failure is Albemarle Howard, Earl of Lenskeyn. He's rude, he's arrogant, he's overly confident, and nothing Theodosia can do makes a difference. Albemarle has found his match though: and he is sure it is Theodosia.

What had Miss Priscilla Seton been thinking? She had always assumed that Charles would stay the same forever, but bowing to familial wishes he is now engaged—and Priscilla is determined to sabotage the match. She has known him for all her twenty years, and he is hers. But Charles Audley, Duke of Orrinshire, is facing pressures of his own. His marriage arranged for him, there's not a single day that goes by without him regretting Priscilla. Of course, he could never say anything. His family honor is at stake, and he would never betray them—but letting off a little steam?