Emma Heatherstone overhears her uncle offering her to an
old man in exchange for some debt relief. Emma forges a
reference for herself and goes to Yorkshire as Mrs. Brimley
to teach at a school for young ladies. When she arrives,
she learns that she will not only be teaching literature.
Emma is expected to instruction the young ladies in all
they need to know to prepare them for marriage and keeping
their husbands happy in the bedroom.
Lord Nicholas Chambers, commonly referred to as Lord
Bedchamber is in Yorkshire attempting to paint something
that will be accepted by the Royal Academy. He first meets
Mrs. Brimley when his carriage picks her up at the train
station to carry her to the school.
When she shows up at his home unexpectedly, Emma is
mistaken for the bar maid he hired to pose for a painting.
Emma is shocked but makes a deal that for every question
Nicholas answers to help her teach her class, Emma will
remove an article of clothing. Eventually, she agrees to
pose for Nicholas.
When the painting is finished, Nicholas has learned
something about Emma. He knows that she is hiding from her
uncle and he decides that he can't expose Emma to the
scandal that her modeling would cause.
Through a series of events, Nicholas' painting is
proclaimed the hit of the summer show and Emma's hiding
place is exposed. When Nicholas learns the truth of what
happened, he realizes that he must protect Emma from her
uncle's nefarious plans. Nicholas has learned that because
of Emma he is a better man and artist than he had ever been
before. The love they share will lead him to alter his
previously selfish lifestyle.
This is the authors first book. The growth of the hero and
heroine more than compensated for the annoyance I sometimes
felt with Emma for her wishy-washy attitude towards
Nicholas when she first sought his help. As we learn more
about her life prior to coming to Yorkshire, she becomes a
much more sympathetic character. Her gradual awareness
that the reputation Nicholas has built is really a result
of his unhappiness with his family and their insistence
that he give up his art, helps her see past the facade and
into the vulnerable man who doubts his abilities and
talents. As their relationship progresses and changes, I
found myself caught up in the story and rooting for both of
them.
The excerpt of her second book left me wanting even more.
I look forward to Ms. MacMeans second endeavor with
anticipation.
Emma Brimley made one small fib in her application to the
Pettibone School for Young Ladies: she claimed to be a
widow. But when she arrives in Yorkshire, she is dismayed to
learn that she’s expected to prepare her students for the
intimacies of marriage—of which she knows nothing! Her only
hope of maintaining her place lies with the alluring Lord
Nicholas Chambers, a neighboring artist whose behavior is
scarcely consistent with that of a gentleman.
True to his reputation, “Lord Bedchambers” offers Emma a
scandalous bargain: he will answer her questions about
anatomy and bedroom etiquette, if she will pose for him…in
the Grecian fashion. Though keenly aware of the dangers of
such a scenario, Emma determines to best this noble
roué—never thinking she may be risking her heart as well…
© 2003-2025 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy