Showing results by author "Kathleen Ayers" in All Categories

The Duke of Hartwood is a precise, exacting man. As head of the prestigious and well-respected Barnes family, he demands perfection. A Barnes must be above reproach and never mentioned in the gossip columns. When a distant cousin's widow decides to scandalize London by courting disaster and tainting the Barnes name, Hartwood is summoned by his family. Do something, anything, about Mrs. Celia Barnes.

Lady Andromeda Barrington is the most unsuitable young lady in London. At least in the Duke of Granby’s opinion. Granby doesn’t care for bastard relatives or tainted pedigrees and Andromeda possesses both. Nor does he like opinionated young ladies who enjoy hurling insults in his direction. Andromeda is, in short, the most annoying creature he’s ever met. When she arrives, uninvited, to a house party given at his estate, Granby can’t decide whether to kiss Andromeda senseless or send her packing. Andromeda is the victim of infatuation and bad luck.

Lady Theodosia Barrington is practically begging to be ruined. That’s the assumption of the Marquess of Haven after spying Theodosia at a house party given by the Duke of Granby. After his father left him little else but a title and a crumbling estate, Haven is in desperate need of an heiress.

The widowed Duke of Averell is trying to be a better man...But when he spies a young woman, reading the Iliad beneath a tree, no less, Marcus forgets all his good intentions. Miss Weatherly is outspoken, intelligent, and enamored with the ancient Greeks. When she brazenly offers to show him the constellations later that night, Marcus readily agrees. Unfortunately, Miss Weatherly is not the woman Marcus has come to Halloway Park to offer for.

Three words, uttered by the beautifully rakish Lord Welles, leave Margaret Lainscott speechless. His improper request, that she play the piano for him in her…underthings, is as shocking as it is titillating. Margaret should never have asked his help in reintroducing her to Lord Carstairs. But his friend meets all of Margaret’s criteria for a husband: passably attractive, of below-average intelligence, and possessed of an obsessive outdoor hobby which will leave her free to pursue her own life.

Leo Murphy believes in playing the odds, as long as the house wins. As the owner of Elysium, London’s most exclusive gambling hell, Leo’s existence depends on predicting his opponent’s next move. Rarely is he surprised. Until he meets the Lord Masterson's young bride losing at cards.

Honora Drevenport is a young, awkward, barely acceptable young lady when she first meets the dashing Earl of Southwell and falls hopelessly in love. After suffering a terrible humiliation at the hands of Southwell's friends, Honora's family forces her to marry. Years later, Honora is no longer unhappily wed but a stunning widow and the toast of London. A woman who has never forgotten the Earl of Southwell or what happened that terrible night. Honora's plan is simple: make Southwell fall in love with her and exact her revenge.

There is no gentleman in all of London considered more rude, impolite, blunt, and just plain awful than the Earl of Huntly. Miss Emmagene Stitch, self-proclaimed spinster, is considered nearly as unpleasant with her sharp tongue and opinions. The only thing Emmagene and Huntly can agree upon is their dislike of the house party they both find themselves attending. Forced into Huntly's company by their hostess, Emmagene finds herself attracted to the earl despite the deficits to his character. Their affair is as unexpected as it is passionate.

Time is running out for Oleana Honeywell. She's found safety as a housekeeper in the Earl of Montieth's household, but she can't stay hidden forever. The earl's butler is determined to have her fired. Oleana doesn't know the first thing about managing a household. She can't even find the linen closet. And Carrot, her overly large, very spoiled cat has taken a liking to Lord Montieth. Carrot's affections are not returned.