Cirrus@Austlit

'A Duke, promised to marry from childhood, who has no wish to hold to that promise, a Lady who has no desire to do as her father requires, a Christmas House Party, an intense instant attraction, an unconventional solution which leads to love.

'Alexander Fortescue, the Duke of Southolton, is trapped – before he reached his majority, whilst he was on the continent, his father signed a contract, binding him to marry Lady Phyllida, who was then a child. Now she is grown, and Alex is Duke – but despite his disinterest in her, the contract seems unbreakable.

'Lady Selina Brancourt has yet to meet a man she finds truly appealing – although she has been keen to look. Her father, unhappy that she is yet unwed, pushes her towards a match with an older man, for business reasons. A man she finds utterly distasteful.

'When they meet at a houseparty arranged by the Duke’s mother, their common plight draws them together – but soon their attraction leads to stolen kisses, and more. When faced with a future apart, there seems only one solution – the gift of a Christmas scandal.

'Can the Duke bring himself to take the dishonourable path, to free himself? Will Selina cast all propriety to the winds, and do what is necessary to wed the only man she has ever wanted?

'Or will the demands of duty steal their chance at love?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A Marquess with a scandalous collection, a Lady with a fascination for everything improprietous, a book in need of translation, an unexpected enemy, a scandal designed to destroy, a love stronger than any threat.

'Lady Mariel Angleton has a talent for languages, and has always been fascinated by the sensual and sexual side of things, especially since she helped her friend Selina marry the man she loved, through 'discovering' Selina in a compromise... But young ladies of the ton are not supposed to know about such things. She goes to visit the now married Selina for a month or so, before the next London Season, and hopes to discover interesting books in Selina and Alex's library. What she finds is far more than she had ever expected...

'Dashiell Hardstone, the Marquess of Longwood, has spent the last eight years overseas, in Italy and beyond. Along the way, he has amassed a large collection of books and objects related to the history of eroticism - a fascinating topic, but not one that the ton approve of, at all. Now, back in England, he must decide what to do with that collection, before his father, the Duke of Cockleigh, finds out about it, or the gossip gets out of control. But he also, desperately, wants one of those books translated, for it is in a language he does not speak.

'When Dash visits Alex, his old friend, who has married Selina, and discusses that book, he sets in motion a chain of events with an ending he would never have expected - events which bring him into close contact with Mariel, and expose her to his collection... As they spend more and more time together, the attraction between them is undeniable.

'Will the knowledge of that collection reach the ears of the ton, before Dash is ready? Will Mariel find herself in the midst of scandal? Will they admit their feelings for each other, or will an unexpected enemy drive them apart?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Widowed Violetta Tytherton, Countess of Caldicot, will be perfectly happy if she never sees the man who betrayed her, ten years before, again. She has moved on from that, and is enjoying her independence. And, perhaps, by going to her favourite cousin’s Christmas House Party, she might also enjoy Christmas for the first time in her life.

'Christophe Bourdain, Duke of Lustering, is still attempting to deal with everything he inherited, and to reinsert himself into London society. Duty says that he should marry, and beget an heir – but he cannot face the thought of letting a woman into his life that closely – he has been betrayed once, and he will not allow that to happen again. He will attend his old friends Christmas House Party, and attempt to relax, to forget all about duty at least for a short while.

'When a blizzard strands them both at the same already overcrowded Inn, everything changes. Old secrets drive them, as regret, revenge and desire tangle inextricably, until a truth ten years hidden is revealed by the force of an undeniable love.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.