Book Title: THE SECRET DAUGHTER
Character Name: Zoë Benoit
How would you describe your family or your childhood?
There was only me and my mother, and we were very poor. We lived in London, in the slums. Maman escaped from Revolutionary France when she was 11 — her parents and older brother went to the guillotine. She did whatever she could to survive — drawing chalk pictures on the footpath. She wanted to be an artist but instead became an artist’s model, where my father, a so-called gentleman found and seduced her. When she fell pregnant with me, he abandoned her. What a swine, eh? So I grew up in the backstreets of London, speaking English outside, and French with my mother. She died young, and I ended up in an orphan asylum, where they changed my name because they said it was too foreign. I hated it there. But that was where my half-sister, Clarissa found me — she came looking for an orphan to train up as a maid — and she found me instead.
What was your greatest talent?
I can draw and paint, like my mother, and because I grew up in the streets, I can look after myself.
Significant other?
No, just a significant mistake! I thought I had found the man from me — a fellow painter called Reynard (which means fox) — but he turned out to be a rogue and a cheat.
Biggest challenge in relationships?
Trusting other people. Life has taught me that the only person I can truly rely on is myself.
Where do you live?
I don’t really have a home—not one where I really belong— but in London, I live in Bellaire Gardens, in the home of Lady Scattergood, a rich old lady who collects stray dogs and never leaves the house. She says I am her “artist in residence” and she gets her friends in for me to paint. She’s a little bit crazy, but I like her very much. Also in Bellaire Gardens are two women who tell me I am their half-sister. I dunno about that. They’re rich and married and are proper ladies. Me, I just pretend to be a lady.
Do you have any enemies?
Not really an enemy, but in Bellaire Gardens lives this girl who drives me batty. She thinks she’s better than everyone because her mother is second cousin to a duke. Me, I say pfft! to that — and her.
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?
There are people who are kind to me and who tell me I belong with them, and that I can live a good life as a lady, but I dunno. I’m illegitimate — which would be a right old scandal if society snobs find out — and when I forget to speak properly, I sound like a right guttersnipe. But the garden at the back of the house is beautiful, and I like Lady Scattergood’s little flock of dogs. And they’re giving me a chance to paint, which I’m so grateful for.
Do you have children, pets, both, or neither?
Neither — I don’t have anything that’s really mine. But I often take Lady Scattergood’s dogs out with Jeremiah—he’s her footman. And another lady who lives across the garden has three little girls and I like them very much.
What do you do for a living?
I paint, but I can’t support myself on that yet. So I suppose you could say I live on charity — though the old lady whose house I live in says that’s rubbish. But it’s not very admirable of me, I reckon and I’ll make it up to her one day.
Greatest disappointment?
More than disappointment — the worst thing that ever happened to me was when my mother died. I loved her so much and I miss her all the time.
Greatest source of joy?
When a painting I do is right. It’s really satisfying.
What do you do to entertain yourself or have fun?
I’m not “out” in society yet—and to be honest, I’m a bit worried about doing that — so I don’t go out much. I’m kept pretty busy painting old ladies’ portraits and playing with the dogs and reading to old Lady Scattergood. Entertainment? When the annoying girl from the other side of the garden comes and bothers me—which she does all the time!— I speak French at her until she goes away. It can be pretty entertaining. (See I told you I’m not a proper lady!)
What is your greatest personal failing, in your view?
I dunno. I’m pretty stubborn — but that can also be a good thing, right? I have a temper too. And I’m stiff-necked — I don’t want to take charity from no-one. But again, I don’t reckon that’s a bad thing.
What keeps you awake at night?
I thought I’d found the man and the life for me, but he turned out to be an untrustworthy rat, and it drives me bonkers but I keep dreaming about him, and going over and over things that happened in my mind.
What is the most pressing problem you have at the moment?
I dunno how I’m going to manage when I finally have to go out into society as a proper lady. I don’t really want to do it. If I mess up, it will cause a scandal for my half-sisters and I don’t want to do that, they’ve been so good to me. But I just can’t see myself being a proper lady married to some proper society gentleman — which is what they all want for me. I hate letting people down.
Is there something that you need or want that you don’t have? For yourself or for someone important to you?
I dunno — it’s confusing. I want the freedom to live and do what I want, but poor people can’t have freedom — we just have to do what we can. I’d love to have a home of my own, but again, I don’t have the money for that. I would love to find a man I could love and trust and live with and have babies with — but I tried that, and it was a disaster.
Why don’t you have it? What is in the way?
Don’t you listen to nothing? I got no money — so I have to do what I can to survive. And I don’t like charity so I just gotta do the best I can.
Brides of Bellaire Gardens #4
When two strangers meet under false pretenses during an idyllic week in the French countryside, they’ll each need to face the truth to find one other again, in a dazzling new Regency romance from the national bestselling author of The Heiress’s Daughter.
Orphaned Zoë Benoît has spent the last three years in Paris learning how to be a lady. But Zoë is torn—as an independent spirit and a talented artist, she cannot help but want more than the tightly controlled life of a society lady.
On an impulsive visit to the château where her mother lived, Zoë, disguised as a maidservant named Vita, meets a handsome wandering artist, known simply as Reynard. One blissful week with the charming Reynard convinces Zoë that this is the man and the life for her—until she discovers what he’s been hiding from her, and she flees, heartbroken.
Longing for the chance to redeem himself, Reynard searches far and wide for the woman he knows as Vita, to no avail. Disheartened, he returns to England to reluctantly resume his role as Julian Fox, the Earl of Foxton. However, when he sees one of Zoë’s paintings, he realizes she’s in London, and becomes desperate to find her before it’s too late. But even if they reunite, can he convince Zoë he’s worthy of her trust and prove to her that, with him, she can be a free-spirited artist and a countess?
Romance Historical [Berkley, On Sale: December 2, 2024, Mass Market Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780593549704 / eISBN: 9780593549711]
Anne Gracie started her first novel while backpacking solo around the world. After four historical romances published by Harlequin, she moved to Berkley with The Perfect Rake, and never looked back. She's now writing her third series for Berkley. She also wrote the novelization of the first "The Tudors" TV series.
Anne is a former president of Romance Writers of Australia, a five time RITA finalist, has twice won the Romantic Book of the Year (Australia) and the National Reader's Choice Award (USA) and has been several times been listed in Library Journal (USA) best books of the year and NPR's best books listing.
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