Reversal of Fortune

At eighteen, Emmeline Ballentine’s father splashed out on one London season to introduce his daughter to polite society. Sadly, for Emmeline, polite society was not terribly receptive to a city trader’s daughter. She only ever caught one gentleman’s fancy, the dishonorable Jeremy Vance who made her head spin as he singled her out for attention at the balls and assemblies. Her worldly chaperone warned her he was making a May game of her, but Emmeline had not heeded her warning. Consequently, her dreams were dashed, when at the close of the season, Jeremy announced his engagement to another.

Caroline Halperston is used to the residents of Penarth talking badly about her. How could they fail to, when her own mama spends her days endlessly telling tales of her daughter’s cruelty and wickedness? She has long since been resigned to her fate as neighborhood pariah until an unexpected incident sends her fleeing into arms of Gervaise Langdon, Earl of Atherton, who carries her off to London with him. Gervaise is very far from being a knight in shining armor, and Caroline absolutely should not trust him, however charming and affable he may appear.