Download or read book The Other Countess written by Eve Edwards and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the court of Queen Elizabeth I in 1582, Eleanor Hutton, an alchemist's daughter, and William Lacy, the financially ruined Earl of Dorset, fall in love just as Will is supposed to be courting a rich and socially acceptable heiress.

Download or read book The Duchess Countess written by Catherine Ostler and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2022-02-22 with total page 440 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover the adventurous life of the stylish and scandalous Elizabeth Chudleigh, Duchess of Kingston—a woman whose infamous trial was bigger news in British society than the American War of Independence. “Bridgerton fans take note: For sheer incident and drama, Chudleigh’s story rivals any episode of the popular Regency-era Netflix series. And it’s all true” (The Washington Post). As maid of honor to the Princess of Wales, Elizabeth Chudleigh enjoyed a luxurious life in the inner circle of the Hanoverian court. With her extraordinary style and engaging wit, she both delighted and scandalized the press and public. She would later even inspire William Thackeray when he was writing his classic Vanity Fair, providing the inspiration for the alluring social climber Becky Sharp. But Elizabeth’s real story is more complex and surprising than anything out of fiction. A clandestine, candlelit wedding to the young heir to an earldom, a second marriage to a duke, a lust for diamonds, and an electrifying appearance at a masquerade ball in a gossamer dress—it’s no wonder that Elizabeth’s eventual trial was a sensation. Charged with bigamy, an accusation she vehemently fought against, Elizabeth refused to submit to public humiliation and retire quietly. “A superb, gripping, decadent, colorful biography that brings an extraordinary woman and a whole world blazingly to life” (Simon Sebag Montefiore, New York Times bestselling author), The Duchess Countess is perfect for fans of Bridgerton, Women of Means, and The Crown.

Download or read book The Countess written by Rebecca Johns and published by Crown. This book was released on 2011-09-27 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Was the “Blood Countess” history’s first and perhaps worst female serial killer? Or did her accusers create a violent fiction in order to remove this beautiful, intelligent, ambitious foe from the male-dominated world of Hungarian politics? In 1611, Countess Erzsébet Báthory, a powerful Hungarian noblewoman, stood helpless as masons walled her inside her castle tower, dooming her to spend her final years in solitary confinement. Her crime: the gruesome murders of dozens of female servants, mostly young girls tortured to death for displeasing their ruthless mistress. Her opponents painted her as a bloodthirsty škrata—a witch—a portrayal that would expand to grotesque proportions through the centuries. In this riveting dramatization of Erzsébet Báthory’s life, the countess tells her story in her own words, writing to her only son—a final reckoning from his mother in an attempt to reveal the truth behind her downfall. Countess Báthory describes her upbringing in one of the most powerful noble houses in Hungary, recounting in loving detail her devotion to her parents and siblings as well as the heartbreak of losing her father at a young age. She soon discovers the price of being a woman in sixteenth-century Hungary as her mother arranges her marriage to Ferenc Nádasdy, a union made with the cold calculation of a financial transaction. Young Erzsébet knows she has no choice but to accept this marriage even as she laments its loveless nature and ultimately turns to the illicit affections of another man. Seemingly resigned to a marriage of convenience and a life of surreptitious pleasure, the countess surprises even herself as she ignites a marital spark with Ferenc through the most unromantic of acts: the violent punishment of an insolent female servant. The event shows Ferenc that his wife is no trophy but a strong, determined woman more than capable of managing their vast estates during Ferenc’s extensive military campaigns against the Turks. Her naked assertion of power accomplishes what her famed beauty could not: capturing the love of her husband. The countess embraces this new role of loving wife and mother, doing everything she can to expand her husband’s power and secure her family’s future. But a darker side surfaces as Countess Báthory’s demand for virtue, obedience, and, above all, respect from her servants takes a sinister turn. What emerges is not only a disturbing, unflinching portrait of the deeds that gave Báthory the moniker “Blood Countess,” but an intimate look at the woman who became a monster.

Download or read book A Scandalous Countess written by Jo Beverley and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2012-02-07 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lady May is back. And so is the scandal that sent her tumbling from her position as the toast of London, when her husband, the Earl of Maybury, was killed in a duel. Even a year of mourning hasn't quieted the rumors of her infidelity. Georgia Maybury is determined to regain her position in the beau monde, but a scarred ex-naval officer threatens her plans...

Download or read book The Black Reckoning written by John Stephens and published by Knopf Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 2015-04-07 with total page 434 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The final book in the bestselling Books of Beginning trilogy that began with The Emerald Atlas, which the New York Times called “a new Narnia for the tween set.” The adventures of siblings Kate, Michael, and Emma come to a stunning conclusion when they must find the last Book of Beginning—the Book of Death—before the Dire Magnus does, for when all three books are united, their combined power will be unstoppable. Soon Emma is on a journey to places both worldly and otherworldly, confronting terrifying monsters and ghosts, and what is darkest within herself. As the fabric of time begins to fray, she becomes the final piece of an extraordinary puzzle. Only if she can master the powers of this most dangerous book will she, Kate, and Michael be able to save the world from the dramatic, deadly final confrontation between magical and ordinary people that the Dire Magnus has in store.

Download or read book A Countess Below Stairs written by Eva Ibbotson and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After the Russian Revolution turns her world upside down, Anna, a young Russian countess, has no choice but to flee to England. Penniless, Anna hides her aristocratic background and takes a job as a servant in the household of the esteemed Westerholme family. Anna is overwhelmed by her new duties, and her instant attraction to Rupert, the handsome Earl of Westerholme. To make matters worse, Rupert appears to be falling for her, too. Anna finds it increasingly difficult to keep her secrets from unraveling; and then there's the small matter of Rupert's fiancée.

Download or read book Class with the Countess written by Luann De Lesseps and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2009 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Provides advice on etiquette and modern social graces, covering the art of being oneself in any situation, ways to make other people comfortable, and the art of seduction.

Download or read book Blood Countess written by Lana Popovic and published by Abrams. This book was released on 2020-01-28 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A lush and bloody historical thriller” based on the infamous real-life inspiration for Countess Dracula, a Hungarian noblewoman turned serial killer.(Kirkus Reviews) In sixteenth-century Hungary, Anna Darvulia has just begun working as a scullery maid for the young and glamorous Countess Elizabeth Báthory. When Elizabeth takes a liking to Anna, she’s vaulted to the dream role of chambermaid, a far cry from the filthy servants’ quarters below. She receives wages generous enough to provide for her family, and the Countess begins to groom Anna as her friend, confident and lover. It’s not long before Anna falls completely under the Countess’s spell—and the Countess t”akes full advantage. Isolated from her former friends, family, and fiancé, Anna realizes she’s not a friend but a prisoner of the increasingly cruel Elizabeth. Then come the murders, and Anna knows it’s only a matter of time before the Blood Countess turns on her, too. “Popovic balances lush, romantic language with gruesome imagery in this tale of innocence lost. Readers will likely be inspired to do actual research into Lady Bathory’s murderous misdeeds.” —Booklist “Popovic also touches on how a patriarchal society can drive women to extremes without letting the truly terrifying Bathory, or Anna, off the hook for their own actions.” —Kirkus Reviews “Hand to fans of dark historical fiction and powerful female characters.” —School Library Journal

Download or read book The Countess written by Lynsay Sands and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2011-01-25 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “You can’t help but fall in love with Lynsay Sands!” —Christina Dodd New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lynsay Sands trades in highland kilts for lush ballrooms and high-waisted gowns in The Countess, the first in a brand new, sexy, laugh-out-loud funny Regency romance series. Fans of Julie Garwood, Jill Barnett, and Teresa Medeiros will adore The Countess, and sympathize with her hilarious attempts to cover up the untimely demise of her despicable husband, even as the late earl’s twin brother sets her heart aflutter. The much adored creator of the popular Argeneau vampire family paranormal romance novels, the incomparable Lynsay is equally adept at historical romance—as this wonderful Regency romp so emphatically demonstrates!

Download or read book Margaret Pole written by Susan Higginbotham and published by Amberley Publishing Limited. This book was released on 2016-08-15 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The true story of 'The King's Curse'; the extraordinary life of Margaret Pole, niece of Richard III, loyal servant of the Tudors.

Download or read book A Lady s Guide to Etiquette and Murder written by Dianne Freeman and published by Countess Of Harleigh Mystery. This book was released on 2019-05-28 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Frances Wynn, the American-born Countess of Harleigh, enjoys more freedom as a widow than she did as a wife. With her young daughter in tow, Frances rents a home in Belgravia and prepares to welcome her sister, Lily, arriving from New York for her first London season. But no sooner has Frances begun her new life than the Metropolitan police receive an anonymous letter implicating Frances in her husband's death. Frances assures Inspector Delaney of her innocence, but she's also keen to keep him from learning the scandalous circumstances of Reggie's demise. As fate would have it, her dashing new neighbor, George Hazelton, is one of only two other people aware of the full story. While busy with social engagements on Lily's behalf, and worrying if Reggie really was murdered, Frances rallies her wits, a circle of gossips, and the ever-chivalrous Mr. Hazelton to uncover the truth. A killer is in their midst and Frances must unmask the villain before Lily's season, and their lives, come to a most unseemly end.

Download or read book Her Countess to Cherish written by Jane Walsh and published by Bold Strokes Books Inc. This book was released on 2021-08-10 with total page 259 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Miss Beatrice Everson has managed to marry the Earl of Sinclair, solving her family’s disastrous financial problems for good. She should be the happiest woman in London, but a less than satisfactory wedding night has Beatrice fleeing her husband and planning an affair with the dashing Mr. George Smith. Lady Georgina Smith has a secret she must keep at all costs: she divides her time running a bluestocking salon as Gina, and carousing across London as George. Captivated by Beatrice’s wit and charm, Georgina realizes that her secret is in danger—along with her heart. When Beatrice discovers that her wedding night has resulted in an unexpected pregnancy, she sees an opportunity to have it all by divorcing Sinclair and marrying George. However, Georgina isn’t sure that a lifetime spent as a man is staying true to herself. Beatrice and Georgina must risk giving up their secrets to finally have their heart’s desire. But is the risk too great to take?

Download or read book How to Capture a Countess written by Karen Hawkins and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-09-18 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New York Times bestselling author Karen Hawkins sets Scottish hearts afire in this delightfully witty and sexy Regency romance, the first in her Duchess Diaries series. Urged by her favorite nephew, the intimidating Duchess of Roxburghe agrees to transform a thorny Scottish rose into a lovely bloom. But even she isn’t prepared for fiery Rose Balfour. At seventeen, Rose fell wildly in love with Lord Alton Sinclair, known as Lord Sin for his wicked ways. Stung by his indifference, the starry-eyed girl tried to win an illicit kiss, but then panicked and pushed the notorious rakehell into a fountain. Leaving Lord Sin floating among the lily pads to the mocking laughter of his peers, Rose escaped back to the obscurity of the Scottish countryside. Six years later, Sin convinces his aunt, the Duchess of Roxburghe, to invite Rose to her annual house party, where he plans to get revenge by making Rose the laughingstock of polite society. To his astonishment, he finds she has become an alluring woman who threatens to turn the tables on his nefarious plans. Thus Sin and Rose begin an epic battle of the sexes that becomes more passionate at every turn. Eventually, one will have to surrender…but to vengeance? Or to love’s deepest passion?

Download or read book The Queen s Lady written by Eve Edwards and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2011-02-03 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After the death of her aged husband, Lady Jane Rievaulx begins service to Queen Elizabeth at Richmond Palace - There she renews a relationship with a man she truly loves - Will he be able to save from the treacherous plots of her own family?

Download or read book Courting the Countess written by Donna Hatch and published by The Wild Rose Press Inc. This book was released on 2016-10-05 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When charming rake Tristan Barrett sweeps Lady Elizabeth off her feet, stealing both her heart and a kiss in a secluded garden, her brother challenges Tristan to a duel. The only way to save her brother and Tristan from harm—not to mention preserve her reputation—is to get married. But her father, the Duke of Pemberton, refuses to allow his daughter to marry anyone but a titled lord. The duke demands that Elizabeth marry Tristan’s older brother, Richard, the Earl of Averston. Now Elizabeth must give up Tristan to marry a man who despises her, a man who loves another, a man she’ll never love. Richard fears Elizabeth is as untrustworthy as his mother, who ran off with another man. However, to protect his brother from a duel and their family name from further scandal, he agrees to the wedding, certain his new bride will betray him. Yet when Elizabeth turns his house upside down and worms her way into his reluctant heart, Richard suspects he can’t live without his new countess. Will she stay with him or is it too little, too late?

Download or read book Counterfeit Countess written by Cheryl Bolen and published by Harper & Appleton. This book was released on 2015-09-01 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Daphne du Maurier award finalist for Best Historical Mystery “This story is full of romance and suspense. . . No one can resist a novel written by Cheryl Bolen. Her writing talents charm all readers. Highly recommended reading! 5 stars!” – Huntress Reviews “Bolen pens a sparkling tale, and readers will adore her feisty heroine, the arrogant, honorable Warwick and a wonderful cast of supporting characters.” – RT Book Reviews * * * Maggie thought she was married to an earl . . . but it seems that her late and unlamented husband lied to her from the day they met. Now—penniless and stranded in London—she has thrown herself on the mercy of the real Lord Warwick. What's a counterfeit countess to do? Edward, the Earl of Warwick, desires only to get rid of the beautiful woman who arrived at his house with no less than fourteen trunks, a younger sister, a maid, and a very large cat. Her preposterous explanation is of no importance—but her late husband held the clue to the identity of England's greatest traitor, a clue the Foreign Service must get at any cost. Edward will have to guard her night and day—but he cannot guard his heart.

Download or read book Courting His Countess Historical Romance Novella written by C.J. Archer and published by C.J. Archer. This book was released on 2013-05-05 with total page 77 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is also available with 3 other stories in THE 4 SCOUNDRELS BOX SET: A PIRATE, A SPY, A MERCENARY AND A ROGUE. Each book in the boxed set is available separately, but by buying them in a bundle, you're getting a better deal! Contains SURRENDER, REDEMPTION, THE MERCENARY'S PRICE, COURTING HIS COUNTESS. Get the set here: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/C_J_Archer_The_4_Scoundrels_Box_Set?id=wJLiCgAAQBAJ&hl=en DESCRIPTION The last woman Thomas, Lord Avondale, expected to fall in love with was the wife he betrayed and abandoned six years ago. When Rose doesn't accept his apology, however, he loses all hope of a happy future together. Yet he's thankful she has agreed to come to his bed to beget an heir. Known as the Ice Maiden at Queen Elizabeth I's court, Rose has been trying to forget the man she once loved—a love she thought destroyed after he spent their wedding night with his mistress. Withstanding Thomas's charms, however, is proving more difficult than she expected. Can she forgive the ultimate betrayal? Can he ever atone for what he did? Note: Courting His Countess is a novella of approximately 20,000 words, about one-quarter the size of a full-length novel. A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR COURTING HIS COUNTESS may be shorter than most of my other books, but it was one of the most difficult stories I've ever written. What Thomas did to his wife is despicable and when I began to write, I didn't think I could make you, the reader, believe he was hero material. Yet the characters and their tale wouldn't leave my head, nor would the opening lines, so I wrote the story anyway. As I progressed, and especially when I switched to Thomas's viewpoint, I realized how very male he was being, and part of me started to feel sorry for him. Being a nobleman of his time, he just didn't get it. Not until he finally saw how his actions had affected a wonderful, strong woman. COURTING HIS COUNTESS breaks one of the "rules" of the romance genre, and I know some of you will find Thomas's actions unforgiveable. I certainly don't blame you for that! But I've never been very good at sticking to the rules, and I hope you don't blame ME for listening to the voices in my head. If you like books about redemption, second chances, Christmas, hope, and history, featuring strong female characters, and men who've matured and want to make up for past mistakes, then you might like this book. Happy reading! ~CJ