Mightier than the Sword

Lavinia Dudley, a young novelist catapulted into fame, has been offered a great honor—to attend Queen Charlotte. However, her new duties and the sharp-toothed social circuit drain her. Moreover, she is now at the mercy of haughty ladies who will never let her forget she is merely a music teacher's daughter.

Edmund Winters' life has been laid out for him by his ambitious father: he had to do whatever it takes to get away from his trade-bound roots and prove himself every inch a gentleman. If that requires marrying the haughty daughter of a local grandee, a loveless match is a small price to pay for acceptance by the ton. His youthful rebellion long forgotten, he is now planning to carry his late father's plans out. However, these are thrown into disarray when the living, breathing, and captivatingly beautiful reminder of that youthful rebellion arrives in Morwood Hall.

The only time Isabella Rivers ever broke the rules of good behavior was when she started writing Gothic novels—and even then she used a pen name to avoid embarrassing her genteel family. When her parents arrange her match with the Scottish Earl of Airth, she obeys with her usual quiet pragmaticism. However, not only does she find herself a stranger in a strange land—she also realizes her new husband is keeping many secrets from her…