Mary Lancaster

His dashing days are behind him - until an old flame dances back into his life. A hero of Trafalgar and many battle since, Captain Julius Vale, has retired from the Royal Navy and moved himself and all his siblings back to the family home near Blackhaven. Here, wounded and disillusioned, he seeks peace for himself, and happiness for his troubled brothers and sisters. He does not expect to encounter the woman who broke his heart ten years ago, and he certainly does not mean to make the mistake of falling for her again. Antonia, now an impoverished widow and mother, is the paid companion of eccentric spinster, Miss Talbot, who is taking a course of the Blackhaven waters. Meeting Julius again is a shock. So is the fact that he clearly blames her for their parting when it was he who sailed away without a word of goodbye. And yet after only one dance, she begins to feel alive... Amidst the tangle of anger, hurt and reigniting passion, they gradually realize the truth. But it seems that the same forces that parted them ten years ago are determined to do so again. Unless they are strong enough this time to trust in each other. One Night in BlackhavenThe Captain's Old LoveThe Earl's Promised BrideThe Soldier's Impossible LoveThe Gambler's Last ChanceThe Poet's Stern CriticThe Rake's MistakeThe Spinster's Last Dance

A murdered stranger in his home wood... The discovery of a naked corpse upsets the new Viscount Petteril's return to his ancestral acres. The local magistrate, Robert Lindon, has no idea how to proceed with so heinous a crime. Neither has Petteril, but curiosity compels him to help - with the aid of his fearless new assistant April, struggling to find her feet in this rich new world, and yet invaluable to more than the investigation. Identifying the corpse is difficult enough. Suspecting that the culprit is one of the local gentry, some of whom were Petteril's boyhood friends, is harder still. Could it be the aristocratic fortune hunter betrothed to Lindon's daughter? Or, as everyone would prefer, Brandy Bill, the highwayman still hiding out in the nearby town?

Abandoned by all, save a cold-hearted rake... Sophia, once betrothed to Major Giles Butler, who shot the Duke of Cuttyngham in a duel, has become the companion of the widowed duchess. In theory, at least. But when the duchess also abandons Sophia at Cuttyngs, her past catches up with her in the shape of her bullying cousins. Sophia finds herself indebted to the late duke's second, the haughty Earl of Frostbrook, whom she remembers only too well from a previous shocking, and secretly pleasurable, encounter. Frostbrook, pursued by every matchmaking mama and hounded by his own mother to accept a bride of her choosing, decides to play a trick on them all by producing his own pretend engagement to the beautiful but prickly Sophia. Their charade at his mother's country house party sets off a string of unforeseen events such as falling in love, and a dangerous abduction. Frostbrook pursues Sophia across the sea and as far as Brussels, where Wellington's troops are amassing to face Bonaparte's army. Here, among the scandal-loving British visitors, he and Sophia must unite to overcome their pasts and find a chance of happiness. The DuelEntangledCapturedDesertedBeloved

Awakening life and love... On the sudden death of her oppressive father in a duel, the cool and distant Lady Hera Severne finds herself floundering in her new freedom, and instantly attracted to sardonic doctor, Justin Rivers. Determined to change her life, she travels incognito to Lincolnshire, to take up a post as companion to Lady Astley and learn about life. But nothing is as she imagined it. Her cover is useless against Dr Rivers, whose family lives in the nearby village. Lady Astley appears to have little need of a companion. Rather she wants a carer for her husband's strange but amiable adult ward. Noises in the night, mystery, suspicion, and locked doors eventually force her to flee with Justin's help - and her charge. Inevitable scandal follows them to Brussels, where Justin's duty lies. But Justin, tortured by past failures and growing passion for the unworldly Hera, knows he cannot offer marriage to one so immeasurably above him in rank and fortune. But can he resist Hera, who has other ideas and the courage to follow them through? The DuelEntangledCapturedDesertedBeloved

A deadly quarrel, an impossible loveOn his way to rejoin Wellington's gathering army near Brussels, Major Giles Butler fights a duel with the opinionated Duke of Cuttyngham. It was never meant to be a killing affair, and yet the duke lies dead at his feet. Determined to contribute to the final victory over Napoleon before standing trial, Butler bolts for the coast. En route, he unwittingly aids the lovely young Duchess of Cuttyngham to escape her gilded cage. Desperate to live a useful life, Rosamund has left her husband's cold and stifling house with the intention of becoming a village herbalist. She no longer believes in love or romance, especially not for herself, and yet by the time she learns of her husband's death - and the identity of his killer - she is already falling in love. Hopelessly entangled with each other, family machinations, officers of the law, and an unusual pair of eloping young lovers - to say nothing of Bonaparte's threat to the peace of Europe - Giles and Rosamund finally arrive in Brussels. But can they defy scandal and the law to be together? After all, how can a widow love the duellist who shot her husband? The DuelEntangledCapturedDesertedBeloved

From the fires of war, a new hero rises. Fifty years after Earl Malcolm MacHeth made peace with the King of Scots, the embers of rebellion remain half-hidden in Ross, ready to be ignited by ambition and resentment. From childhood, Affrica MacHeth has adored Ferchar, the son of a local priest. Complicated and clever, fun-loving and ambitious, Ferchar secretly becomes the center of her world, and a rare bond forms between them. But a path to happiness seems impossible. Family, war and rebellion get in the way. And when the last MacHeth rising against the King of Scots is led by her cousin, it is Ferchar, relentlessly loyal to the king, who leads the army against him. Ferchar would die to protect Affrica, but is love or ambition behind his offer of marriage? And when it matters most, can Affrica really choose Ferchar over her family? Last Flame of AlbaBook1: Rebellion's FireBook 2: A Constant BlazeBook 3: Burning Embers

"The MacHeths are coming "By 1156, Malcolm MacHeth, one time Earl of Ross, languishes a prisoner in Roxburgh Castle while his rampaging sons raise rebellion in his name. Optimistically, the King of Scots promises the earldom of Ross to landless Norman knight, Sir William de Lanson, if he can somehow defeat the infamous MacHeths. It wasn't quite how William's disgraced wife Christian dreamed of coming home. Capture by the strange and ferocious Adam MacHeth was hardly part of her plan either, although she and William quickly become pawns in his. Adam, warrior and seer, fights for his father's freedom and for his family's right to claim the kingdom of the Scots. Plagued by waking dreams which threaten his sanity and his life, he's learned to use his prophecies to further his family's goals. But when he abducts his enemy's lady, his dreams and his desires are suddenly more personal. Surrounded by intrigue, ambition and betrayal, Christian must choose between loyalty and love in order to keep a fragile peace for her people and for the man she loves beyond life. Last Flame of AlbaBook1: Rebellion's FireBook 2: A Constant BlazeBook 3: Burning Embers*Note: Rebellion's Fire was previously published as Rebel of Ross. This second edition contains new material for readers to enjoy.

A damaged soldier bound to a musician with a past. They have never spoken. But for two years, the haunted soldier has attended Natalie's concerts at Maida Gardens, bringing her a little self-belief and a few harmless daydreams. Captain Lord Richard Gorse, wounded in body and soul, finds the beautiful harpist's music is the only thing that soothes his troubled spirit. Until, one evening, he finally has something to say to her. Unfortunately, it is also the evening that Natalie's past catches up with her. The man to whom she was once engaged will go to any lengths to bring her back under his thumb. Richard appoints himself her protector and together they fight their old ghosts and new dangers. But if they find physical pleasure along the way, even if they fall in love, the social gulf between them is too great to allow lasting happiness. Or is it? Note: This series is part of Dragonblade's Flame line, so this is a sexy, steamy, and scorching-hot read with multiple sex scenes. Be advised. Gentlemen of PleasureThe Devil and the ViscountTemptation and the ArtistSin and the SoldierDebauchery and the Earl

Thief or gentleman, he is uniquely dangerous Governess Matty Mather has grown to love her pupils of the Dove family. When a borrowed ring is stolen from Catherine Dove and her friend, now in their first London Season, the redoubtable Matty goes alone to Maida Pleasure Gardens to confront the thief - who turns out to be outrageous, charming and utterly mysterious. Francisco de Salgado has been long employed by the British government to take care of insoluble problems, both home and abroad. Returning to England to resign before he loses his soul entirely, he accepts one final mission that he regards as both foolish and beneath him. Making a rare mistake, he returns to Maida to right it - only to be faced with a severe young woman demanding he return the ring he stole. So begins an attraction that is both unwise and irresistible. Mutual suspicion dissolves eventually into an alliance to discover who is behind a plot to overthrow the British government and why. And the eventual solution will involve several old friends from the previous Pleasure Garden books. But when the plot is foiled, will love be enough to overcome Francisco's dubious past and allow him his longed-for happiness with Matty? Pleasure GardenUnmasking the HeroUnmasking DeceptionUnmasking SinUnmasking the DukeUnmasking the Thief

Love at first smile... Charmingly wicked, Johnny Winter has spent his adulthood drifting from scandal to scandal. However, inheriting the dukedom of Dearham has him considering his responsibilities, one of which is to right the wrong done to a distant cousin twenty years ago. His search takes him to Maida Pleasure Gardens, where he is distracted by an unusual and intriguing beauty. The first time Kitty saw the gentleman with the bone-melting smile, she lost her heart. When, more than a year later, she finally dances with him, the moment is spoiled by having to tie him up at gunpoint. For Kitty is the niece of the infamous Bill Renwick, who owns Maida Gardens and lives too close to the edges of the law. And Johnny has seen too much. So begins an impossible attraction - made all the more dangerous by the duke's belief that she is his long-lost relation. Torn between the only family she knows and her longing for the duke, Kitty's quandary is taken out of her hands by an attempt on her life. Learning to be a lady in the duke's household brings further complications, not least her increasing obsession with her unconventional host, the man behind the mask he shows the world. The duke sees beyond the mystery of Kitty's origins, but can she? And having finally found the love of his life, can he keep her safe and still find a way for them to be together? Pleasure GardenUnmasking the HeroUnmasking DeceptionUnmasking SinUnmasking the DukeUnmasking the Thief

Little Bully Pup is a Pit Bull puppy with no friends. She spends her days daydreaming of a life with friends. She holds out hope of finding friends to love, who will accept her for her even though she looks different than the other dogs at the park. Will that dream ever come true? Can she find a friend? Open up and see.

When a storm blows off the North Sea and slams into the village of Fenwick on Sea, the villagers prepare for the inevitable: shipwreck, flood, land slips, and stranded travelers. The Queen's Barque Inn quickly fills with the injured, the devious, and the lonely. Intrigue crackles through the village, and passion lights up the hotel. One storm, eight authors, eight heartwarming novellas. An Improbable Hero: Mary LancasterWhen Letty's ship founders in a violent storm, she forges a rare bond with her rescuer. Simon is a troubled man on a final, deadly mission-until Letty makes him question everything. Hiding in plain sight among the refugees at The Queen's Barque, Simon is more than capable of protecting them both. But when the floods recede, can either of them say goodbye? Lord Stanton's Shocking Seaside Honeymoon: Cerise DeLandJosephine is so young. In love with life. His accountant in his work for Whitehall. Her father's heir to his trading company-and his espionage network. Lord Stanton cannot resist marrying her. Far from home, amid a horrific storm, Stanton discovers that his new bride loves him dearly. The Tender Flood: Caroline WarfieldZach knows Patience is far above his touch. But he has been enchanted by her since she raced out of the storm and into the Queen's Barque with a wagon full of small boys, puppies, and a bag of books. When the two of them make their way across the flooded marsh in search of a missing boy, attraction deepens. She risks scandal; he risks his heart. Before I Found You: Sherry Ewing Miranda has only one goal in life: to find a rich husband who can change her status from Miss to My Lady. Jasper has no plans to become infatuated during a chance encounter. Their connection is hard to dismiss, despite Miranda's quest for a title at all cost. What if the cost includes love? The Comtesse of Midnight: Alina K. FieldMalcolm rescues a French lady smuggler from the surf during a devastating storm, and takes shelter with her. As the stormy night drags on, he suspects his companion knows the woman who holds the secret to his identity. When she admits who she is, she dashes all his hopes- and promises him new ones. Wait for Me: Rue AllynEnemies by nature- Esmeralda and Brandon have met and fought before. When a fierce storm creates a chance encounter and forced proximity, Brandon learns the pirate is a woman of serious honor. Esmeralda discovers the naval captain is more than a uniform stuffed with rules. Both love the sea with boundless passion, but can they love each other? A Dream Come True: Jude KnightVicar to a remote parish, Barnaby Somerville stretches his tiny stipend to adopt his orphaned niece and nephew and his time to offer medical care as well as spiritual. A wife is a dream he cannot afford. But the storm sweeps into his life a surprising temptation. God knows, he will forever be richer for having known Theodosia Conroy, even if he must let her go. A Kiss by the Sea: Grace BurrowesThaddeus Pennrith finds a way to recover from multiple griefs when he accepts the blacksmith's post at Fenwick on Sea. Village life gives him a sense of belonging that Polite Society never could, though he must resume his aristocratic responsibilities soon. Along comes Lady Sarah Weatherby, refugee from an engagement gone badly awry, and Thaddeus is faced with both a compelling reason to reveal his titled antecedents, and a longing to keep them forever hidden....