In fact, until he observes the smitten nature of his cousin Fitzwilliam Darcy, he doubts that fervent love exists. Marriage, after all, is a matter of money, social standing, and property.But his cousin becomes besotted with Elizabeth Bennet, the lovely but penniless daughter of a Hertfordshire gentleman, and is determined to make her his wife. Unfortunately, emotions overwhelm his good judgment, and he botches an offer of marriage.When the colonel attempts to untangle the mess, his own world becomes almost as chaotic when he makes the accidental acquaintance of Miss Jane Bennet, Elizabeth’s beloved eldest sister. Can emotions previously deemed impossible truly seize such a level-headed person as himself? And can impassible obstacles deter a man of true determination?

    Desperate for a little peace, he sells his commission and returns to England but soon finds himself angry and adrift in London Society. When an old nemesis challenges him to a wager -- he must get Lady Natalia Sinclair to dance with him twice in one evening -- he is willing to play along. The daughter of a duke, Lady Natalia Sinclair fears her enormous dowry is the only thing that draws her many suitors. But heroic Captain Blake seems different. Unfortunately, she soon realizes his smile is false, his interest superficial. Dylan sees Natalia's rejection as a challenge, and the stakes increase when he discovers his elder brother Michael is wooing the duke's daughter as well. Passed over for Michael too many times, he's determined to prove he can be first in somebody's heart. As the lines between the wager and attraction blur, can Dylan and Natalia find the courage to take the biggest gamble of all -- love?

    Film adaptations of her books are nominated for Academy Awards. Chick lit bestsellers are based on her plots. And a new biopic of Austen herself Becoming Jane arrives in theaters this spring.For all those readers who dream about living in Regency England, The Jane Austen Handbook offers step-by-step instructions for proper comportment in the early nineteenth century. You'll discover:How to Become an Accomplished LadyHow to Run a Great HouseHow to Indicate Interest in a Gentleman Without Seeming Forward How to Throw a Dinner PartyHow to Choose and Buy ClothingFull of practical directions for navigating the travails of Regency life, this charming illustrated book also serves as a companion for present-day readers, explaining the English class system, currency, dress, and the nuances of graceful living.

    But this time his dissolute cousin Reginald, the Viscount Langsford, has truly gone too far. Posing as Richard, Reggie has compromised the reputation of a young gentlewoman and left Richard to right the situation. Richard would much rather be pursuing poets for his publication, The Tantalus. But his sense of responsibility and family honor make it impossible for him to turn his back on the situation, and he's determined to find a remedy--short of his actually marrying the girl!Hallie Ashton has limited choice. Her uncle is convinced that she has gone astray, and with Richard, not the truant Reggie. With her family pressing for a wedding, the demands of proper society threaten to steal her future and seal her fate. If she could explain the situation to Marksley herself, she might find him to be a useful ally. But that would require revealing the secret closest to her heart.

    Elegance, refinement and beautiful proportions have made this period an inspiration for later architects and a popular choice for today's house buyer. Using his own drawings, diagrams and photographs, author Trevor Yorke explains all aspects of the Georgian and Regency house and provides a comprehensive guide to the homes and houses of this notable period. The book is divided into three sections, outlining the history of the period; stepping inside the different rooms and their fittings, what they were used for and how they would have appeared; and the final section contains a quick reference guide with notes on dating houses, suggestions for further reading, a glossary of unfamiliar terms and details of places to visit

    To be attended by half the Cornish nobility, not to mention a host of peers from London, it would be a diversion of picnicking, riding, archery and shooting. It would end in Jenna marrying another.But was her new husband the same man who had killed her father? After one night of passion, she began to wonder. The jarring aroma of leather, tobacco and recently drunk wine drifting toward her on the breeze—she remembered it so well, as well as the tall, muscular shape beneath the multi-caped greatcoat and those eyes of blue fire through the holes in his mask. Oh yes, she remembered that man with whom she shared a secret past. He was the highwayman known as...The Marsh Hawk.

    Following the tragic deaths of her parents, Maria would find herself spirited away by conniving kindred in an endurance of neglect and misery. However, rescued at the age of thirteen by Brockton Thorton, the son of her father's devoted friend, Lord Richard Thorton, Maria would at last find blessed reprieve. Further, the heir to Lord Thorton's title, Brockton Thorton became from that day forth, ever the absolute center of Maria's very existence. And as the day of her sixteenth birthday dawned, Maria's dreams of owning her heart's desire, seemed to become a blissful reality. Yet a fiendish plotting intruded, and Maria's hopes of realizing her dreams come true were locked away within dark, impenetrable walls. Would Maria's dreams of life with the handsome and coveted Brockton Thorton die at the hands of a demon strength?

    Her imagination is fired up, so when she spies Matthew Devenport, Marquess Langston, mysteriously sneaking home in the wee hours clutching a shovel, she simply must investigate. Impelled by curiosity, the adventurous lass steals into his bedchamber—only to be caught red-handed by the impossibly handsome and totally naked nobleman.The Marquess Langston has more important things to worry about than a group of literature-loving ladies. But Matthew's grand plan to rescue the family from ruin could be lost when he discovers Sarah hiding behind his bedroom curtain. What is this meddlesome woman up to? And why are his desires inflamed by a chit who is too inquisitive for her own good? Well, two can play at this game . . . and when Matthew captures the beguiling Sarah in all her naked glory, the night of mischief has only just begun.

    On the day she's set to reveal her identity to his grieving brother, a man she once secretly loved, he gives her a public set-down, ensuring that the truth gets buried under a mountain of grief and illusion. Can love help heal this painful situation or will these two broken hearts remain forever separated?If you crave sweet Regency romances, you’ll love this touching tribute to a soldier romance during Regency times.

    Should she ignore her obligations and stay in the past... or should she leave behind the man she loves? An Enchanting Dilemma: Nicholas Wycliffe, the toplofty Lord Brockton, has no desire to take a wife, especially a mysterious widow who doesn't live by society's rules. But what is he to make of the enchanting "Mrs." Steele, who not only refuses to discuss her past, she also has the audacity to turn him down when he proposes marriage?

    Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

    She explores how the opera participated in the patronage culture and urban sociability of the British elite prior to the Reform Act of 1832 when the opera served as the central meeting place for the ruling class during parliamentary session. The vertical tiers of boxes at the opera highlighted not only the gendered nature of elite political culture, but also those features of aristocratic society most vulnerable to critique by political and moral reformers. Hall-Witt shows how the elite adjusted its behavior in public venues, like the opera,

    Sent to Cresswell Castle by Lady Emily Goodfife to prove her great-granddaughter is alive, Judson is torn between greed and his obligation to Lady Emily.If he proves the girl, Arian Goodfife, is dead, he stands to inherit Cresswell. Judson expects to encounter the castellan's hostility, but not the loss of his heart to an enchanting serving girl. How could he know that the secret she hides threatens to tear all his dreams asunder? Arian Goodfife, rightful heiress of Cresswell, lives in the shadows, dirty and wretched. After her mother's suicide, her cruel stepfather claimed to all that Arian died in a fire. Her identity stripped away, she trusts no one. Driven by the desire to regain Cresswell, she vows to depose her stepfather. Then a dark, handsome knight named Judson arrives, making another claim on her lands. Though he touches a place in her heart she thought had turned to stone, Arian realizes the peril she would face were Judson to discover her true identity. Is Judson an angel or a devil? Only a miracle of love will answer her question.

    Major Edwin Griffiths and his nephew, Lieutenant Frederick Phillips, wrote home regularly, and they were not afraid to voice their true feelings about their situation or colleagues and superiors in their private correspondence. The book is a thoroughly researched and engaging history of the 15th Hussars throughout the wars, crammed full of interesting asides regarding the life and loves of a cavalryman in the Napoleonic age. As you read this book, you will learn to care passionately for these gregarious young men, partake in their exertions, share their joy, but also feel their pain when one of them fails to come safely through the final great battle, Waterloo.

    Assisted by her "Nanna" and her sisters, Mary painted the elegant and fashionable Rosedale House, Gloucestershire, surrounded by parkland. The story is told through the child's eyes both in a series of interiors-drawing rooms, libraries, and opulent bedrooms-and a sequence of beautiful landscapes. The book offers a delightfully innocent view of life in 19th-century England, but it also tells the intriguing tale of school-age Mary Yelloly, whose brief life appears to have been as charmingly domestic as those she depicts on the pages. Gatefolds, marbleized paper, and beautifully reproduced illustrations make this book an irresistible gift and the exceptionally accomplished watercolors will be of special interest to art lovers.

    Home to England from the everlasting French wars, a handsome, battle-scarred cavalry captain eats and drinks his fill at a Gypsy camp. Half asleep that night, he is unsure whether the beautiful, sensuous, naked woman who appears and has her wicked, lascivious way with him in his woodland bed is real-or only a figment of his wine-soaked imagination. She vanishes and leaves him spent, and Captain Drake vows to find her and discover why she would seduce him so outrageously. Find her he does, the lady of a nearby manor, but getting the truth from her is not so easy. Lady Rosaline is loath to share her reasons for the shameless nocturnal ambush, and it requires all Drake's cunning and charm, along with a bit of skullduggery, to not only learn her secret, but to win her heart. From the authors of Lady Faulcon's Rogue, A Fine Deceit is heroic romance and erotica at its very best.

    It was a remarkable time, one where change and innovation ran through the whole of society, from the arts, science and architecture to the smallest details of everyday dress, entertainment and manners. As flamboyant dandies held court in fashionable London clubs, others flocked to the booming health resorts. Eventually, the decadence of George IV's reign gave way to the more sober Victorian era. Originally published in 1926, E Beresford Chancellor's survey of the first half of the nineteenth century is a highly readable history, bringing the period to life with a witty, informed style and numerous contemporary illustrations.

    Reluctantly, she agrees to become the mistress of the reclusive but deliciously handsome Viscount Ranleigh, even though the man has absolutely no idea she has been hired to warm his bed. Much to her chagrin, another part of her duties involves translating an ancient manuscript that ends up being little more than an apothecary's guide to recipes for sexual adventure...Justin Howard has made a mistake, and he has paid a price. His wife is a promiscuous tart he can't escape...or can he? After his new assistant arrives to help him with his scientific experiments, he finds Claire not only opens a world of sensuous and uninhibited delights, but a determination to free himself from a situation that he can no longer tolerate. A scientist and an ingnue prove love matters more than scandal, and it is possible to find some intriguing ideas for passion in The Manuscript...Midnight Without a Moon: Trenton Wyatt usually disdains gossip, but when it involves the younger sister of one of his best friends, he is forced to interfere before disaster strikes. Rescuing her from suspicious revenue officers by pretending she is his mistress brings both scandal and the wrath of her family down on his head, and before he knows what's happening, he is forced to wed the very beautiful, very reckless Jessica. Finally having the attention of the man of her dreams isn't exactly the fantasy Jessica Fairman imagined. For one thing, her arrogant new husband is both controlling and difficult to know...except, of course, sexually. In that way, the infamous rake performs predictably with exquisite skill and tireless passion, filling her nights-and days-with unbelievable pleasure. An unexpected union binds an aristocratic rogue and a determined young woman together in the dangerous darkness of midnight without a moon...

    As part of his plan to reform, Cyprian has moved into a proper new home and begun courting the eminently suitable Hannah Cowdlin. The only roadblock on Cyprian's new path is Morgana Hart, Hannah's cousin and Cyprian's new neighbor. To help out her maid's sister, Lucy, and three other young ladies who have escaped from a ruthless madam, Morgana has been secretly running a "school for courtesans." If the ton finds out, the potential scandal will ruin not only Morgana but Cyprian as well. Unless, of course, Cyprian reverts to the rake he once was to help the lovely and vexing lady with her daring and dangerous scheme. The Rake's Mistress by Nicola CornickBook 3 of the Bluestocking Brides Trilogy Lord Lucas Kestrel has sworn never to marry yet he cannot cure himself of a troublesome attraction to Miss Rebecca Raleigh, a glass engraver with her own studio and a decidedly prickly attitude to devastatingly attractive rakes! But Rebecca has several secrets and the path of true love will not run smooth on the way to the third Midwinter wedding... The Rake by Georgina DevonWhen Juliet Smythe-Clyde is forced to spend several nights in the Duke of Brabourne's house - unchaperoned - her reputation is ruined. And, despite his cynical nature, Brabourne can't help but feel sorry for her...So when all his strategies to restore her in society fail, he offers for her hand. But will this proud chit agree to be his wife for the sake of herhonour - or is he going to have to admit he loves her? A Regency delight!