Synopsis:

When Lady Sarah Miles becomes the sole survivor of a shipwreck she assumes the identity of her ill-fated travelling companion to avoid an arranged marriage. Masquerading as governess to the daughter of dashing MP Roland Hawthorne, mutual attraction between Sarah and her employer quickly turns to love. But Sarah's past returns to haunt her, revealing more secrets than just her false identity.  Determined to redeem herself in Roland's eyes, Sarah unwittingly plays into the hands of an unexpected adversary. With Sarah's honour at stake, can Roland's daring plan succeed? Or will the woman he loves be lost to him forever?

ISBN= 9780709090571

To be released May 2010

Hardcover

from:

Robert Hale Ltd

UK

and from

The Book Depository

   LADY FARQUHAR’S        BUTTERFLY

Falsely branded an adulteress and stripped of her child by her vengeful late husband, Olivia, Lady Farquhar discovers unexpectedly a deep and mutual love with the boy's guardian, Max Atherton.

But happiness with the kind and amusing Max  is not an option when Olivia knows she is unwittingly responsible for stealing his title and birthright.

Blackmailed into agreeing to marriage with her late husband’s religious confessor, Olivia is unaware of the sinister motives behind the reverend's desire to make her his - or of Max's efforts to sift fact from fiction in order to proclaim Olivia an honourable woman in the eyes of the world. A woman he can finally, and proudly, claim as his wife.

Read an excerpt:

She’d thought nothing had the power to rouse her from her lethargy, but the sound of his boots in the corridor outside the door made her feel suddenly ill. Not at what she’d done but at what he must be thinking.

She tensed, preparing herself for the moment when James would thrust open the door and gaze upon her with reproach and disappointment.

‘Gad’s teeth, Sarah! You look as if you’ve been sleeping in a haystack.’

Striding to the footstool she’d migrated to, he crouched down to grip her shoulder.

It was all she could do, not to cry. Instead, she took refuge in brittle pride. ‘I do not need a lecture from you, James,’ she said, turning away from him. ‘I hoped you would not come.’

‘That I’d give up on you at last?’ he asked, rising and striding to the fire to warm his hands. ‘Don’t think you can ruin yourself without more than a murmur from me.’ He twisted his head to look at her, dominating the room with his massive shoulders and red hair. But it was his look of puzzlement she found so hard to bear. Did he really think she was guilty, as charged?

‘Say your piece and then leave me alone,’ she muttered, drawing her shawl close.

‘Do you know what the gossips are saying? Not to mention the wags? A house of ill repute in Marylebone, Sarah?’ He shook his darling shaggy head. ‘Obviously there is some rational explanation. I, for one, do not believe you were enticed into the flesh trade. I’m sure most others who know you don’t, either. So what I can’t for the life of me fathom is why you don’t defend yourself with the simple truth.’

For a moment she considered confessing everything. But that would mean revealing too much: her rash stupidity in venturing forth alone, her subsequent humiliation and her undying loyalty to Roland. If James learned of Roland’s role in all this and the passion he continued to inspire in her, he’d belittle it all with demands like why he wasn’t here?

He might even resort to anger and seek Roland out. Well, Roland just needed time. His duty was to ensure Caro could survive without him before he came courting Sarah. And as Roland was doing all in his power to protect Caro, so must Sarah.

‘I was looking for someone about whose safety I was concerned.’ She sighed. ‘I’m sorry James but I have vowed to say no more. The truth would only damage her reputation.’

James narrowed his eyes at her, his disgust plain as he said slowly, ‘You believe it worthwhile to sacrifice your reputation for someone who remains silent in the face of your ruin?’

Sarah stared mutinously into the flames.

‘It’s that Hawthorne girl, isn’t it?’ he asked suddenly. ‘She ran away, or slipped up, and you went after her. That’s it, isn’t it? Now you’re facing the music and she says nothing.’

Sarah held herself rigid. She would remain silent.

‘Good Lord, and her father, that damned Whig, Hawthorne, the Devil rot him, is happy to let the wolves devour you with nary a murmur in case it hurts his darling daughter or reflects badly on him, more like it.’

‘James, please!’ Finally roused, Sarah jumped up and gripped the lapels of his coat as she looked into his eyes. ‘Terrible things happened that night at this house in’ – she swallowed – ‘in Marylebone. Mr Hawthorne took his daughter abroad to recover. You really must not judge what you can’t understand—’

‘I understand that knave Hawthorne is letting you suffer the consequences of his daughter’s mistakes. What I’d like to know is, where is he when you really need him?’

Lady Sarah’s Redemption began life in the back of a Cessna 404 flying low level survey over the jungle of French Guyana.

As the only female crew member I was looking for escapism. Although it was a fantastic experience in retrospect, glittering Regency ballrooms held more attraction than being sick every day for three months while surveying the  ‘steaming broccoli’.

LADY SARAH’S REDEMPTION

Anna Campbell, double Rita finalist and best-selling author of Untouched, Claiming the Courtesan and Tempt the Devil calls it:

“Dramatic, heartfelt and unusual! Eikli sweeps you away into a dangerous Regency world where only the most daring player wins love.”