Caught: A Historical Romance by Christina J Michaels
With her perfect breeding, flawless beauty, and proper manners, Alison Brooke never expected to be smeared by the cruel brush of scandal. Robert Anderson, Viscount Charmaine, is focused on his tumbling finances and dying father. When villainy leaves the ravishing (and ravished) Alison thrown at his feet, Robert is pulled from his self-recrimination and into the heart of the Season’s hottest gossip.
Marquis Anthony Farrington is one of Alison’s many rejected suitors and Robert’s best friend. Secretly, Anthony risks the gallows for his ongoing support of the populist movements. When Robert is given charge of the investigation against Anthony, friendships, loyalty, and ideals come into question. Alison’s constant companion, the wallflower Brenda Boswell, timidly watches romance unfold. Yet, in the end, unfashionable Brenda shows herself to be a spitfire capable of saving them all.
Caught in the act, caught by scandal, caught by honor, and caught by duty, the four friends are ultimately caught by the most powerful thing of all – love.
Find more from this author on:
Amazon
FacebookAbout the author:
Quick-witted. Smart. Funny. Brave. Christina J Michaels refuses to live inside the box.
An award-winning professor of political science and women’s studies, Christina writes historical fiction with believable characters. Temporally, her work focuses on England's Elizabethan and Regency period, as well as the American Revolutionary War. She has two cats, a love of the color purple, and a clandestine identity as a mermaid.
Here is a short sample from the book:
Brenda was bored beyond reason. Lady Whitehall had sixty-three silver beads on the left sleeve of her dress, Madam Bartlet had twenty-seven glass rubies on her left slipper and Baroness Linder had forty-two golden flowers embroidered on the hem of her gown. Normally, Brenda walked around the gardens to escape such tedium, but Lady Donahue firmly blocked her first attempt at flight. Brenda decided she actively disliked Amelia. The countess was proof of why Alison needed to be reminded what fun and excitement was. Otherwise, she might end up a dry, crusty matron like Lady Donahue. That was a fate to be prevented at all costs.
Brenda started counting the pearls in Lady Whitehall’s hair – she was up to seventeen – when a maid approached her. “Pray pardon, miss, but Miss Brooke requests your company.”
Brenda restrained herself from tackling the maid in appreciation. “Of course.” She curtsied to the assembled group. “By your leave?” Lady Donahue gave her an absent nod and Brenda followed the maid over to a remote part of the yard with alacrity.
“Oh, Ali, I could kiss you.” Brenda rushed to her friend’s side and grabbed her hand with a smile. She could not help but notice Alison’s distress, but decided to see if she could cheer her friend up before discussing what upset her. “Do you know Madam Bartlet has twenty seven glass rubies on her left slipper and only twenty four on her right? Her cobbler must hate her!”
Alison gave Brenda a wan smile. “I am sorry I left you with them.”
“Oh, rubbish, it was fascinating. I heard all about Madam Bartlet’s middle son’s latest progress at Oxford and the scandal her of her eldest losing their fortune at the tables.” Brenda wrinkled her nose. “I do not know how that woman is so heavy. I do not think she stopped talking long enough to breathe, much less eat.”
A laugh involuntarily escaped Alison’s lips. “Oh, Brenda, whatever will I do with you?”
“Let me push Lady Donahue off something very steep?”
“Oh, please no, I fear I might be stuck with her!”
Brenda sat on the grass next to her friend’s pushchair. “You have decided to marry Lord Charmaine, then?”
“Duchess Castlemire gave me little choice.” She sighed, choosing to ignore Brenda sitting directly on the grass. Bigger problems were afoot. “I do not know what I am going to do about my father. He will, inevitably, refuse Charmaine’s suit.”
“Even if it means your social ruin?”
Alison nodded. “Yes. You know my Father.”
“He is rather determined.” Brenda considered. “You are of age. There is nothing he can do to stop the two of you from wedding.”
“He will withhold my inheritance. The will is written in such a way if I do not marry with his approval I will receive not a whit of it. That seems like plenty he can do.”
“Will Lord Charmaine care?”
“Brenda, I know nothing about this man. I believe I have only met him once.”
“Well, that will soon be twice.”
“What?” Alison looked surprised.
“A select group of gentlemen will be joining us during the House of Lord’s break. Lord Charmaine will be among them.” Apparently listening to endless hours of chatter had its uses, Brenda thought.
“I do not know if I am ready to meet him.” Alison was still reeling from all the recriminations Castlemire laid upon her. “I do not have a plan.”
Brenda smiled. “You do not need one, Alison. Just smile and be yourself. He cannot help but be charmed.”
“Yes, but I am not worried about charming him.” In a rush, Alison relayed the conversation with the duchess. Brenda’s disregard for the laws of polite society did not make her blind to the intricacies of the tons machinations. In fact, Alison thought to herself, Brenda was likely the smarter of the two of them. “So, you see, I am worried about how to best handle society.”
Brenda frowned. “I do not see.” Alison started to expound, but Brenda waved her to silence. “No, wait. Society views you as a horrid shrew for what you did to Lord Charmaine. In their eyes, you already did it. Now they expect you to keep being a horrible shrew, but, as long as Charmaine favors you, Castlemire seems to indicate they will accept you. But if you turn out to be a really nice person, they will accept you regardless. So, either way, it is the same result.”
“I suppose.”
“So why do not you take a risk and be yourself?”
“I am always myself, Brenda.” Alison sounded slightly vexed.
“No, you are not.” Brenda smiled at her friend, trying to take any sting out of her words. “You oft care more about what someone thinks, or more about what you should do than what you want to do. Now you have a chance to throw that all to the wind and be yourself.”
“Brenda, I like all of the stuff and nonsense you hate. I enjoy my pointed slippers. I know the rules of the fan, I enjoy the dances, and I even like gossip. I am good at the games of the ton and I am happy partaking in them. You make it sound like I am trapped in a world I do not love. Well, I do love it, and there is nothing to throw to the wind!”
“Perhaps.” Brenda did not seem convinced. “I am sure some of that is true. But sometimes it is not. For example, think about going to the play. What do you truly love to do? Watch the play. Society does not go to the play to watch the actors or the performance. Perhaps you should watch the play?”
“I…” Alison sighed. “If I do marry Robert, I will have to make him an excellent countess.”
“Viscountess,” Brenda corrected with a wave. “He is not an earl yet. Regardless, you could no more be a bad countess than you could be out of fashion.”
“Or be the center of a scandal?”
“Well, that is beside the point. Everyone has a bad day. Ali, you are beautiful, elegant, and genuinely nice. How could you make a bad viscountess? This is an absurd worry!”
“Castlemire told me I had to save Robert from the gossip saying he is a fool ‘or else.’”
Brenda hid a smile at her friend’s apprehensions. “The duchess is worried gossip might be right. She knows it is not, but you are a stranger to her. Worse, you are a stranger she is extending an umbrella of respectability over.” Brenda leaned in and took Alison’s hand. “I mean it, be you! Who could not fall madly in love with you?”
Alison smiled at her friend, starting to perk up. “You make me sound like Helen of Troy. I am really not all that irresistible.”
“Or improper.” Brenda smiled at her. “I suppose you are right about it being an unfair comparison. I bet Helen knew how to have fun.”
Related products
-
Eulogy’s Secret by Grace Elliot
Greed, prejudice and a stolen identity.
In the four weeks since her guardians’ death, Eulogy Foster has lost everything.
Penniless and alone she seeks the help of her estranged brother, Lord Lucien Devlin. But Devlin throws Eulogy onto the streets and the mercy of a passing stranger, Jack Huntley, who becomes an unlikely ally. As Eulogy seeks the truth behind her birth, she is drawn into the world of art and artists, where her morals are challenged and nothing is as it seems.
Jack Huntley: bitter, cynical and betrayed in love. He believes women are devious, scheming, untrustworthy creatures – and when he rescues a naïve Miss from being raped, his life is about to change forever. There is something about Miss Foster that haunts him and challenges his emotions. But despite their growing attraction, Eulogy will not share her secret, which means he cannot trust her. Caught in a deadlock, both denying their true feelings, events take a sinister turn as someone seeks to silence Eulogy…forever.
-
At Least I’m Pretty by Brittany Jo James
Prince Dimitrie seems to have tough luck waiting for him around every corner. His most recent problems, a dangerous clan of gypsies threatening his life and his father presenting an ultimatum that he must marry within thirty days or lose his crown to his vehement sister, completely exasperate the young man. However, things appear to turn around when he unexpectedly meets a beautiful and seemingly eligible bride in a neighboring village. The fascinating and mysterious young woman steals his heart but with his history of bad breaks he cannot help but wonder if the captivating beauty is too good to be true.
Emerald Baillie is growing weary in her ploy to intimidate the supercilious Prince of Moldavia into releasing her imprisoned brothers. The stunning Duchess of Little Egypt confidently leads her life as gypsy royalty but trying to guide a large group of wayward menaces and keep them out of trouble proves tiresome, even for the poised young woman. With all the pressure resting on her shoulders she panics more and more each day. Fortunately for Emerald, Prince Dimitrie unintentionally makes her search for revenge against him much easier. However, sticking to her mischievous plan by abandoning all emotion and guilt is not as simple when her heart becomes involved.
-
Godiva: Unbridled by Jenny Dare
In the famous legend, Lady Godiva rides naked on her horse through the town of Coventry in a protest of high taxes. All windows have been ordered shuttered, but one man cannot resist the temptation of sneaking a look, earning himself the nickname of Peeping Tom.
But what if history got the story all wrong?
Trapped in a loveless marriage, Lady Godiva schemes to escape the greedy, insensitive clutches of her husband, Edwin. When her plan goes awry she ends up in a bargain with him that would release her of her marital vows—but at a price. In a desperate attempt to flee, Godiva suffers a terrible fall from her beloved horse, which leaves her unable to remember anything about her former life, not even her own name.
Thomas Heggs is a simple man with fanciful dreams, working as a tailor’s apprentice in the small town of Coventry. When he finds a beautiful maiden lying injured next to her horse, he brings her into his barn to care for her and is immediately smitten by her mysterious charms. With no memory of her past, passion ignites between them as she recovers and tries to make sense of the dreams that haunt her from a life she no longer remembers. Meanwhile, as Edwin devises a plan to reclaim his spirited wife, pride threatens to eclipse his judgment, risking the loss of his very soul. Will the Lady recall who she is in time to make her fateful ride through town? Will new love stand a chance against the iron grip of a union bound by law?
Godiva, Unbridled.
An erotic retelling.
Take your imagination for a ride.
-
Upon Your Return by Marie Lavender
Fara Bellamont has been back in society for a year after leaving Cluny Abbey, where her uncle sent her long ago. When he chooses a suitor for her for marriage, she fears that she will be forced to marry a stranger and live a miserable life. But, Fara finds herself thrust into an adventure of a lifetime when unforeseen circumstances cause her to place her trust in a strange man for protection. His intervention not only saves her, but puts her in an even more compromising position. Grant Hill, a trading captain, is enchanted by the young heiress not only because of her beauty, but because she is hardly conventional. Underneath her ladylike exterior lies a tigress. Grant cannot help but offer his protection as she is in need and he is far from immune from her charms. Fara just never bargained on the passion that she feels for Grant Hill. As events unfold, she must decide whether her desires and the dictates of her heart should trump the rules of society…
-
The General’s Wife: An American Revolutionary Tale by Regina Kammer
Seduced Into Marriage
Lady Clara Hastings is forced to leave her beloved England by her wicked husband, the infamous British general Lord Jeremy Strathmore. They arrive upon the shores of the uncivilized American colonies amidst the outbreak of that young nation’s struggle for independence.
Kidnapped And Held For Ransom
Among Strathmore’s enemies is a man Clara secretly desires. As his captive, she learns of her husband’s debauched pleasures and sadistic past, and discovers her own passions and sensual needs.
A Quest For Freedom
In the clutches of patriot fighters, Clara’s beliefs are challenged, her values are threatened, and she is caught up in a battle for her heart in the arms of a handsome American revolutionary.
The General’s Wife: An American Revolutionary Tale is an award-nominated historical erotic romance set in New York of 1777. Intermingling themes of erotica and erotic romance, The General’s Wife follows the sexual journey of the heroine culminating in a happily-ever-after.
-
Montana Surrender by Trana Mae Simmons @TMSimmonsauthor
Jessica has far too many worries on her mind to be distracted by the sexy on-the-run outlaw, Storm. And Storm has no time to pursue the beauty who invades his hideout; he has to clear his name. Too many barriers stand between the two of them to ever fall in love. Or can they overcome the obstacles?
-
AMARNA I: Book of Ida by Grea Alexander
Thebes, Upper Egypt. 1324 BC
The last living male descendant of the Amarna line, Pharaoh Tutankhamun, has died suddenly under mysterious circumstances. His wife, Queen Ankhesenamen, is left without a male heir. The ambitious vipers Ay and Horemheb are nipping at her heels in their bid to seize power.
Queen Ankhe has but one hope to maintain her hold on the throne – an alliance with the Hittites. With Ay and Horemheb watching her every move, there is only one person she can trust to save her and her line – a girl, a slave – Ida.
-
Emmaline’s Groom by Casey McKay
Emmaline Lawford, the youngest daughter of an English Marquess, is intended to marry. Though to whom might be up for debate. Her older brother, Samuel, has his sights set on marrying her off to a Duke. Emmaline finally accepts her fate, until a breach in etiquette finds her back in the arms of the man she truly loves.
Leo Colston is stunned when Emmaline is thrust back into his life. He had resigned himself to the fact that he would never marry the woman he loved. Now they are taking hasty wedding vows and being urged to move to America, where they can leave the talk of scandal behind them.
Emma and Leo realize settling into marriage is not going to be as smooth sailing as they thought. As they try to work out their differences and get used to living in close quarters Emmaline finds herself in trouble with her new husband on more than one occasion. Leo’s favorite way to end an argument is to take his lady over his knee and spank her bare bottom until she submits. Emma thinks he should just give in to her womanly charms. Who will win this battle of wills?
Emmaline’s Groom is a stand alone book, but is also the first book in The Ravenswood Manor series.
This book includes spankings, graphic sex, anal play, and more. If any of this subject matter offends you, please do not purchase this book.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.