An Impetuous Debutante: When Veronica slips out of London hidden in a carriage seat, she believes she is escaping the expectations of society, of marriage to a man who does not interest her, and of a future chosen for her rather than one she has chosen for herself. She does not expect to find herself entangled in secret work for the Home Office, nor does she expect Geoffrey Meyers—the dependable and seemingly unremarkable friend of her brother, who has never once drawn her notice—to be part of it. Perhaps she has underestimated everyone, herself included, and might yet find a way to chart her own course within the margins of her place in the world—and build a life she never dreamed possible.
Til’ All the Seas Gang Dry: It has been six years since Dina left London and David and whatever fantasy she had allowed to grow in the months of flirtation that had nearly overtaken them both. Now, David is getting married, and he and his fiancée are guests at the home where Dina works as a governess. Convinced the connection they felt was nothing more than a childhood fancy, Dina is taken by surprise to find that her feelings have not changed, and she fears David’s have not either. Still, she is determined not to interfere with the life he has worked so hard to build … until she realizes that his fiancé is not nearly as committed to him as he is to her. No one will trust her motivations for revealing the truth, not even David, and she could ruin everything she had built here, but if it spares David heartbreak, is it worth the sacrifice?
A Merry Dance: When Lila overhears her uncle talking about a man coming to look for property in the county, she doesn’t think twice, until her uncle says he hopes Lila will find enough interest to marry the man. How can she marry someone named Mortimer Luthford, not to mention that he is of advanced age, thirty-three, and especially since she’s already in love with her absent cousin Neville? But when Mortimer arrives, Lila has to try every trick known to women to appear uninterested in the rather fascinating man, which proves a very difficult façade to maintain.
Begin Again: Regina Weathers gives up on marrying for love the day that Ross Martin walks out of her life. Now, fifteen years later, Ross shows up at a ball and thinks he can woo Regina. But she is set on her lonely path and stitched-up heart, no matter the excuse Ross gives for his years of silence and neglect. When Ross insists he wrote many letters during his military years, Regina discovers a secret her father buried long ago, and the revelation might be enough to thaw the coldness in her heart.