Book Title: THE LILY OF LUDGATE HILL
Character Name: Lady Anne Deveril
How would you describe your family or your childhood?
I had an idyllic childhood, spent mostly in the country with my (very much in love) parents, the Earl and Countess of Arundell. My father gave me a beautiful stallion named Saffron when I was a girl, and I’ve been riding ever since.
What was your greatest talent?
I love riding, and I flatter myself that I’m an excellent horsewoman. I’m known throughout London for my skill in the sidesaddle.
Significant other?
I suppose I must say it’s Mr. Felix Hartford. We were briefly engaged seven years ago. It ended badly. He’s been a thorn in my side ever since.
Biggest challenge in relationships?
What lady can consider a relationship with a gentleman she can’t trust - or forgive?
Where do you live?
Presently in Grosvenor Square, London, but our residence is of a limited duration. We’re about to be evicted by my odious cousin, the new Earl of Arundell. After that, it’s anyone’s guess. Mama has mentioned something about removing to Ludgate Hill.
Do you have any enemies?
Who would dare oppose me? The closest thing to an enemy would be Hartford himself. Or possibly Lady Heatherton (but I can deal with her nonsense easily enough).
How do you feel about the place where you are now? Is there something you are particularly attached to, or particularly repelled by, in this place?
I spent half of my childhood at our home in Grosvenor Square. My father died here, and the rooms are still filled with his things. The idea of moving away, leaving behind all the familiar sights and smells, breaks my heart.
Do you have children, pets, both, or neither?
I have a golden stallion named Saffron. He’s quite old now. I’ll soon be obliged to retire him to pasture. As for other pets . . . my best friend Julia has threatened to send me one of the feral kittens she’s been raising. I daresay I’ll accept it. After all, every spinster must have a cat.
What do you do for a living?
I’m the daughter of an Earl, with a small inheritance of my own. Ladies of my class don’t work.
Greatest disappointment?
Hartford’s behavior seven years ago. He let me down when I needed him most. Had he behaved with more compassion and maturity, my life might be very different now.
Greatest source of joy?
My equestrienne friends, Julia, Evie, and Stella. We all ride together and have (at various times) been called The Four Horsewomen or the Furies.
What do you do to entertain yourself or have fun?
Have I mentioned riding?
What is your greatest personal failing, in your view?
Loyalty is both my best quality and, arguably, my worst. I don’t abandon the people I love.
What keeps you awake at night?
Worrying about the future. What kind of life can I possibly have living in Ludgate Hill? I shall be cut off from everything I know and everyone I care about.
What is the most pressing problem you have at the moment?
My best friend, Julia, has been abducted by a notorious villain. It’s up to me to ride to her rescue. Regrettably, I can’t do it alone. I’ll have to enlist Hartford to help me. A daunting proposition, but I’ll dare anything to help a friend.
Is there something that you need or want that you don’t have? For yourself or for someone important to you?
It would be nice to fall in love again. Then again, I’m not sure I ever fell out of it.
Why don’t you have it? What is in the way?
Hartford’s in the way, drat him! How can I ever get over him when he’s always around?
Fortune favors the bold—but is a confirmed spinster daring enough to loosen the reins and accept a favor from the wicked gentleman who haunts her dreams?
Lady Anne Deveril doesn’t spook easily. A woman of lofty social standing known for her glacial beauty and starchy opinions, she’s the unofficial leader of her small group of equestriennes. Since her mother’s devastating plunge into mourning six years ago, Anne voluntarily renounced any fanciful notions of love and marriage. And yet, when fate puts Anne back into the entirely too enticing path of Mr. Felix Hartford, she’s tempted to run…right into his arms.
No one understands why Lady Anne withdrew into the shadows of society, Hart least of all. The youthful torch he once held for her has long since cooled. Or so he keeps telling himself. But now Anne needs a favor to help a friend. Hart will play along with her little ruse—on the condition that Anne attend a holiday house party at his grandfather’s country estate. No more mourning clothes. No more barriers. Only the two of them, unrequited feelings at last laid bare.
Finally free to gallop out on her own, Anne makes the tantalizing discovery that beneath the roguish exterior of her not-so-white knight is a man with hidden depths, scorching passions—and a tender heart.
Romance Historical [Berkley, On Sale: January 16, 2024, Trade Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780593337189 / eISBN: 9780593337196]
USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and award-winning proper Victorian romances. Her novels have received starred reviews in Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and Booklist, and her articles have been featured on the Victorian Web, the Journal of Victorian Culture, and in syndication at BUST Magazine. In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes a retired Andalusian dressage horse, a Sheltie, and two Siamese cats.
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