Regency Rescues Page 4

  She gripped his hand. “You are not ordinary, plain, or simple. Not to me. You’ve been my rock and my comfort through three long years. You’ve been kinder to me and my daughter than my husband ever has.”

  Made mute by her speech, he stared into her eyes, trying to read the truth behind her words.

  “I want us to be together forever. I want you to be Lucy’s father. She has had no love from her own. Will you love and care for her too?”

  “Of course! But are you being wise? I’m not a gentleman. I will always have to work for my living. I hope I’ll be successful selling the latest materials and fashions from England, but there is no guarantee.”

  “You’re more of a gentleman than Sir Henry Blanche ever was, and truly a better man than your so-called master. John, you’re a true gentleman, and I love you.”

  She humbled him with her trust in him. Hope battered his doubts into the dust. He raised her hand to his lips and submerged himself in her gaze. “If you’re sure, and I don’t know how you can be after all you’ve been through, then allow me to court you after we arrive.”

  She tugged him towards her.

  “Don’t wait until then, John. Begin now, by kissing me.”

  And so he did.

  Historical Note

  Each of the heroines in Regency Rescues was restricted by their lack of legal rights and by social conventions in the Regency era.

  Clarissa Lanstone in ‘Gentleman to the Rescue’ is an unemployed poor relative, dependant on the aristocratic head of her family. She was subject, like all women, to the dictates of the head of the family, whether father or husband or brother or male cousin. She tried to resist her cousin’s wishes by several methods, including seeking employment as a governess, which was an acceptable role for genteel women, but one that would nevertheless have lowered her social status. Psychological pressure was placed on young women to marry as their family dictated and physical means of persuasion were not unheard of.

  Upon marriage, a woman was formally and legally handed over from her father’s control to her husband’s. Through marriage she was no longer an individual in the eyes of the law. Unless there was a marriage settlement negotiated by her family and husband prior to the marriage, all her current and future property, possessions, earnings and inheritances passed to her husband for him to use as he wished.

  Marianne Chaseley in ‘An Officer and a Gentleman’ is a widow whose husband squandered the wealth of their marriage and left her largely dependent on her teenage son’s income as a junior officer in Wellington’s Peninsular Army. After about twenty years of being reliant upon a financially reckless husband, she is understandably keen to support herself and retain her independence after the tragic death of her son and only child.

  Lady Emma in ‘A True Gentleman’ is caught in a situation many women would have faced—of being in a loveless and abusive marriage. She had no power to do anything about his violence, which was permitted legally and condoned socially. Her husband had the right to beat her, lock her up and take their child, Lucy, from her care. Should Lady Emma be tracked down by her husband in the United States, he could kidnap their child and return to Britain, where he would have been completely within the law that granted fathers all custody rights.

  These women truly needed a real gentleman hero to help them overcome the inequalities that existed in the Regency era. I hope you felt their plight and rejoiced in their escapes with their rescuers.

  Best wishes,

  Isabella Hargreaves

  ***

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  Also by Isabella Hargreaves

  Brody Series

  The Persuasion of Miss Jane Brody

  Divided Isles series

  Charity's Cavalier

  Enthralled

  Stations of the Heart series

  Lord Muck and Lady Alice

  Western Plains series

  All Quiet on the Western Plains

  Journey's End on the Western Plains

  Standalone

  Wanton Widows: Three Short Regency Romps

  Forbidden Valentines: Three Short Regency Romances

  Snowed in for Christmas

  Regency Rescues: Three Short Sweet Romances

  Gentleman Wanted

  Runaway Christmas Bride

  Regency Treats: Ten Romance Short Stories Boxed Set

  Watch for more at Isabella Hargreaves’s site.

  About the Author

  * Winner, 2018 Romance Writers of Australia 'Little Gems' Short Story competition. *

  ** Author of Amazon best-selling viking romance 'Enthralled'. **

  Isabella Hargreaves writes Romance through the Ages. From the Anglo-Saxon and Danish frontier in tenth century England, to the English Civil Wars, to the Regency era and outback Australia in the 1920s, Isabella has a story to tell.

  Her love of history surfaced in childhood. Now she works as a historian, researching and writing about people, places and events from the past.

  Isabella lives in Brisbane, Australia with her family and a house full of pets. When she's not reading and writing, Isabella loves horse-riding and walking. She dreams of an around-the world trip to indulge these passions.

  For more information about Isabella Hargreaves see www.isabellahargreaves.com

  Read more at Isabella Hargreaves’s site.