Despite only being a young factory girl and exhausted from
work, Nell still had ideas about what was needed and she
was determined to set things right. Her best friend,
Hannah, tried to caution her, but when Nell made up her
mind, she was stubborn. Hannah even tried to distract Nell
by remarking on her likeness to a photograph of a socialite
in a shop window, but Nell just felt even more despondent
about the circumstances that were narrowing in on her in
Bethnal Green in the grubby and poverty filled east end of
London. Despite all her efforts, she tries everything within
her
grasp to save her sick mother, even writing to the Lord who
her dying mother said was her father and not the farmer she
had led her to believe. Crushed by the fact that her
father did not respond and angered by her powerlessness
against her selfish and cruel stepbrother, as Michael's
bullying turned even more nasty now their mother had died,
Nell decides to seek her revenge. Paying precious coin to
get an old pistol, she intends to kill Lord Rushden, her
father, as a few pounds from him could have saved her
mother and now in her grief, Nell no longer careS what
happens to her, if caught.
The athletic and handsome Simon St. Maur, the new Lord
Rushden, barely pays attention to the wild orgy going on
at his friend's party as he seeks out Dalziel, his source
for old manuscripts. Hearing that his cheque had not been
accepted for insufficient funds in front of his friend,
Simon is inwardly embarrassed while being very savoir faire
externally. Going home and pondering how to deal with his
bankers, Simon can only bemoan the perversity of the
previous Lord Rushden who left him titles and lands but no
funds as all his wealth was left to his twin daughters,
Katherine whom Simon despised and Cornelia, long missing
and presumed dead.
Brandishing her pistol at Lord Rushden, she is shocked to
find him not only nude, but also young and handsome as the
devil! As Simon attempts to disarm her, both physically and
with charm, he immediately notices that his assailant
bears an overwhelming resemblance to Lady Katherine and
quickly realizes a way to fill his empty coffers. Two small
problems: How can he convince Nell to marry him and how to
prove to London's society that Nell is really the long lost
heiress?
It is scandalous that I had not discovered Meredith Duran
before reading this fabulous character-centered romance, but
I am now a devoted fan and totally ready to finish
devouring all of her previous works! I just absolutely
could not put this book down as the story was just so
compelling and captivating! Simon is an intriguing hero
with an irresistible appeal, a smile to melt your heart,
with a straight forward interest in being a gentleman of
means, yet dangerously open to discovering the real Nell
caught between the gutter and the glam. With her mixed
education from her so called mother, her East End eating
habits, and her love of reading at the public lending
library, Nell is a fascinating heroine. Through her eyes,
thoughts and actions, the contrast between the world of the
rich and poor in London is cleverly and clearly revealed. A
totally fresh take on a Pygmalion transformation that is
not to be missed! Enjoy!
IN GRITTY, WORKING-CLASS LONDON, SHE DOES WHAT SHE MUST TO
SURVIVE . . .
When Nell Whitby breaks
into an earl’s house on a midnight quest for revenge, she
finds her pistol pointed at the wrong man—one handsome as
sin and naked as the day he was born. Pity he’s a lunatic.
He thinks her a missing heiress, but more to the point,
he’ll help her escape the slums and right a grave
injustice. Not a bad bargain. All she has to do is marry
him.
A NOTORIOUS LADIES’ MAN COULD
TAKE HER FROM POVERTY TO OPULENCE . . . BUT AT WHAT PRICE?
A rake of the first order, Simon St.
Maur spent his restless youth burning every bridge he
crossed. When he inherits an earldom without a single
penny attached to it, he sees a chance to start over—
provided he can find an heiress to fund his efforts. But
his wicked reputation means courtship will be difficult—
until fate sends him the most notorious missing heiress in
history. All he needs now is to make her into a lady and
keep himself from making the only mistake that could ruin
everything: falling in love. . . .