Thorndike Press large print clean reads

1789 London When Emily Fanshawe, Marchioness of Polbrook, is found strangled in her bedchamber, suspicion immediately falls on those residing in the grand house in Hanover Square. Emily’s husband - Randal Fanshawe, Lord Polbrook - fled in the night and is chief suspect – much to the dismay of his family. Ottilia Draycott is brought in as the new lady’s companion to Sybilla, Dowager Marchioness and soon finds herself assisting younger son, Lord Francis Fanshawe in his investigations. Can Ottilia help clear the family name? Does the killer still reside in the house? Or could there be more to the mystery than meets the eye…? THE GILDED SHROUD is the first book in the Lady Fan Mystery series: historical romance murder mysteries with a courageous woman sleuth embarking on a traditional British, private investigation in eighteenth-century London.

She shared his life but not his love... What would she do? Sadie was suddenly alone in the world, and her cottage home would have to be sold. But luck was with her, for Oliver Trentham, the television screenwriter who had bought the cottage, required a housekeeper-and the job was hers! Unfortunately her heart was soon his--hopelessly so. Such a handsome man, with two small daughters, needed to remarry, but he certainly wouldn't choose his housekeeper!

When the redoubtable Sir Horace Stanton-Lacy is ordered to South America on business, he leaves his only daughter Sophia with his sister, Elizabeth Rivenhall, in Berkeley Square. Newly arrived from her tour of the Continent, Sophy invites herself into the circle of her relatives. When Lady Ombersley agrees to take in her young niece, no one expects Sophy, who sweeps in and immediately takes the ton by storm. Beautiful, gay, impulsive, shockingly direct, Sophy swept into elegant London society and scattered conventions and traditions before her like wisps in a windstorm. Resourceful, adventurous and utterly indefatigable, Sophy is hardly the mild-mannered girl that the Rivenhalls expect when they agree to take her in. Kind-hearted Aunt Lizzy is shocked, and her arrogant stern cousin Charles Rivenhall, the Ombersley heir, vows to rid his family of her meddlesome ways by marrying her off. But vibrant and irrepressible Sophy was no stranger to managing delicate situations. After all, she'd been keeping opportunistic females away from her widowed father for years. But staying with her relatives could be her biggest challenge yet. But Sophy discovers that her aunt's family is in desperate need of her talent for setting everything right: her aunt's husband is of no use at all, her ruthlessly handsome cousin Charles has tyrannical tendencies that are being aggravated by his pedantic bluestocking fiancee Eugenia Wraxton; her lovely cousin Cecelia was smitten with an utterly unsuitable suitor, a beautiful but feather-brained poet; her cousin Herbert was in dire financial straits and has fallen foul of a money-lender; and the younger children are in desperate need of some fun and freedom, and Sophy's arrived just in time to save them all. With her inimitable mixture of exuberance and grace Sophy became the mainstay of her hilariously bedeviled family, as a horsewoman, social leader and above all, as an ingenious match-maker. Using her signature unorthodox methods, Sophy set out to solve all of their problems. By the time she's done, Sophy has commandeered household and Charles's horses, but she finds herself increasingly drawn to her eldest cousin. Could it be that the Grand Sophy had finally met her match? Can she really be falling in love with him, and he with her? And what of his betrothal to grim Eugenia?

A young and lovely runaway alone on the road to London Miss Charity Steane is running away from the drudgery of her aunt's household to find her grandfather. Not expecting her visit, the old gentleman is not in London but is away in the country. The first time the young Viscount Desford saw the girl, he thought she was a child. A child in trouble, running away. But she was a girl nearly seventeen and when Viscount encounters her walking to London alone, he feels honor bound to assist her. But after Desford rescued her, everyone assumed that he had run off with her. A scandal broth in the making, and dashing about the countryside together, the Viscount must prevent his exasperating charge from bringing him ruin upon herself... and him. Now in disgrace, Desford had to find the truth behind Cherry's strange behavior--before his own life came apart.... Who else should he turn to in such a scrape but his childhood playmate, Henrietta Silverdale? And although they refused to oblige their parents by marrying, they have always been the best of friends. But as Desford pursues Cherry's grandfather and father around the seedier fringes of society, Hetta is forced to wonder if he might not, at last, have fallen in love. Without the timely intervention of his brother and Hetta's suitor Gary Nethercott, Desford is in danger of making a jumble of his affairs.

"Helen Schaefer can't stand to think she could love and lose again. And after the death of her husband, she let her daughter down terribly. Helen's not about to risk hurting Ginny again. Meeting widower Alec Fraser isn't enough to change her mind...at first. But after spending time with him, she finds they have much in common. Is it possible Alec might want to have a relationship without commitment? "

Has he found her? Life has never been easy for Tim. Abandoned and left to fend for himself, he's finally found a home with Dean Luchetti. But something's missing. Tim's convinced that what he needs is a mother and what Dean needs is a wife. And he thinks he's got the perfect candidate in Stella O'Connell, his school's principal. The last person Stella expects to encounter at her new school is Dean Luchetti, the man who broke her heart as a teenager. Dean and Stella may have a difficult past, but they feel the same strong attraction they always did and if they're not careful, history could repeat itself. Breaking each other's hearts is one thing, but breaking Tim's is an altogether different matter.

When Lord Marcus Drelincourt, Earl of Rule, the most eligible match of Georgian England, offers for the hand of the oldest and prettiest sister of the Winwood Family, he has no notion of the distress he causes his intended. Beauty Lizzie Winwood already is promised to Edward Heron, an also impoverished military, who she loves, but the wealthy Earl of Rule wants her as his wife. Lizzie's younger sister Horatia conceives a dazzling plan to avert a nuptial disaster, and offers herself, since he really wants to marry into this family. He has lots of money but they have an old family line. Everyone knows Horry isn't that beauty and has a stutter, but she'll do her best to keep out of the Earl's way and make him a good wife. He agree, and dazzling Horatia married the powerful Earl of Rule. Their was a convenient marriage, she was only saving her sister from a loveless match, rescuing her family fortune, and providing herself with a life of ease. Hers was a marriage made not in heaven but in the coolly logical mind of a very self-possessed young. As her new husband's attentions fall elsewhere, Horry begins to feel increasingly unhappy. Then she meets the attractive and dangerous Lord Robert Lethbridge and her days suddenly become more exciting. But there is bad blood between Horry's husband and her new acquaitnance, and as complications and deceptions mount, the social tangle grows ever trickier to unpick. She suddenly find -- to her own tremulous surprise -- she had fallen deeply in love with the man she had married for money. But was it too late, now that she was but a heartbeat away from betraying both him and herself? Her reputation was about to be ruined. But the Earl of Rule has found just the wife he wants, unbeknownst to Horatia, the Earl is enchanted by her. There's simply no way he's going to let her get into trouble. Overcoming some misguided help from Horatia's harebrained brother and a hired highwayman, the Earl plans to defeat his old enemy, and wins over his young wife, gifting her with a love that she never thought she could expect.

"Dr. Janice Thornton has been lonely for too long, especially at Christmas. But Angel Ridge, Tennessee, the one place that holds the key to what family should be, is offering her a chance at a new life. Could she find happiness by taking over her uncle's small town practice? Local contractor and carpenter Blake Ferguson comes from a big family. He'd like to fill his rambling old Victorian with one of his own. But there's one problem. He needs a wife! When Janice shows up at his house, Blake sets a course to win her, but soon finds she's built a wall around her heart this master carpenter finds difficult to dismantle. Can the magic of an Angel Ridge Christmas bring hearts home or will old hurts create an obstacle even the town's legendary angels can't overcome?"--Publisher's description.

A full-blooded romance of the eighteenth century, when the legend of the Headless Horseman and a proposed marriage de convenance both have their impact on the mystery of a golden talisman ring. The ravishing beauty, Eustacie de Vauban had been snatched from the excitement and the danger of the French Revolution to be sheltered in the dull safety of a manor house in England of Lord Lavenham, her grandfather. But, the worst of all, she was being compelled to marry her cousin Sir Tristram Shield, a boring gentleman thirteen years her senior. Neither Eustacie nor Tristram, share the slightest inclination to marry one another. Yet it is Lord Lavenham's dying wish. For there is no one else to provide for the old man's granddaughter while Ludovic Lavenham, his heir, remains a fugitive from justice, falsely accused of murder. Eustacie's impetuous spirit rebelled, and she fled. Setting out alone in the dark forest spirited she was terrified when stumbles into a band of smugglers, but their leader is a strangely familiar young man, he is her cousin Ludovic, who is in hiding and has disguised himself as a smuggler. She is delighted to be having an adventure at last, and he is a man whose irresistible charm swept her into a maelstrom of terror, deceit -- and passionate love. Pursued by the law, Eustacie and Ludovic find refuge at an unassuming country inn. And the delightfully sensible couple who try to keep them out of trouble... The resourceful Miss Sarah Thane and the clear-thinking Sir Tristram Shield gamely endeavor to prevent Ludovic's arrest and Eustacie's ruin as the four conspire to recover the missing talisman ring that will clear Ludovic's name.

BED, BREAKFAST AND MURDER The ramshackle old house, with its rambling charm is beloved of Peter, Margaret and Celia, who have inherited it from their uncle. But local wisdom says The Priory is haunted. It wasn't the lack of modern conveniences that made a summer spent at the ancient priory mansion such an unsettling experience. It was the ghost... or whatever was groaning in the cellars and roaming the countryside around Framley Village after dark. Then a murder is committed. But traditionally ghosts don't commit murder. And in this case, the things which go bump in the night are flesh and blood... and deadly. Does the key to the crime lie in the realm of the supernatural? Or is the explanation much more down to earth?

Sir Gareth Ludlow was a sought-after bachelor in London high society -- wealthy, noble, handsome... and brokenhearted since the death of his true love many years ago. Resigned to marry, Sir Gareth decides to request the hand of a woman he respects and admires -- Lady Hester Thealer. But fate takes an impish turn when, en route to propose to his sensible acquaintance Lady Hester, Ludlow finds a saucy young lady who identifies herself as "Amanda Smith." Pretty Amanda is alone and unchaperone, and wandering unattended, and Ludlow, whose interest in her was purely avuncular, knows it is his duty to bring her back to her family. But it is to prove no easy task for the Corinthian. This turns out to be a challenge as Amanda seems to possess an imagination as intriguing as it is dangerous. Finally, resigned Sir Gareth Ludlow arrives at the Theale estate with the runaway schoolgirl in tow. After his proposal, Lady Hester stuns both him and her family when she refuses him. At her age, no one would expect her to turn down such an eligible suitor. But rational Hester has met the beautiful indomitable Amanda. How can the quiet, shy Hester hope to compete with such a lively young lady? The headstrong Amanda is young--but old enough to know her own romantic mind--Amanda ran away from her doting grandfather, who objected to her proposed marriage to a youthful, impecunious officer. And the young Amanda will be who will show Hester how to win Ludlow's elusive heart.

Georgian England. Disgraced Jack Carstares, now rightful Earl of Wyncham, left England seven long years ago, sacrificing his honour for that of his eldest brother when he was accused of cheating at cards. But he is determined not to claim his title and instead turns highwayman. Now he is back, roaming his beloved South Country in the disguise of a highwayman. Not long after his return, he encounters the Black Moth, his old adversary, the notorious Lord Tracy Belmanoir, Duke of Andover, just in time to dispute at the point of his sword the attempted abduction of dark-haired lovely Diana Beauleigh. Once more Jack's noble impulse to save the day landed him in trouble, but not before sending the villainous duke scurrying. Diana took her gallant rescuer in and nursed his wounds, and soon truer emotions grew between them. But Jack couldn't stay, for a lady and an outlaw would make a scandalous pair. And the libertine Duke was foiled once, but the society beauty was under siege. The Duke of Andover meant to have her--if not with her assent, then by force. But Diana was not about to surrender her virtue. She had already lost her heart to the handsome mysterious highwayman who rescued her from the Duke. Torn between his tarnished past and the hope for Diana's hand, Jack had one dangerous chance to reclaim his honor -- by defeating the Black Moth for good!

The spirited and independent Miss Annis Wychwood is a beautiful heiress, and hopelessly single, has twenty-nine and well past the age for falling in love. When she sponsored young pretty Miss Lucilla Carleton's "coming out," the town's social elite were shocked. After all, how could Annis find Lucilla a husband when she could not choose one for herself? Then Lucilla's handsome and egotistical uncle and guardian, Mr. Oliver Carleton, arrived to approve the sponsorship. But when Annis embroils herself in the affairs of the runaway heiress, Lucilla, she is destined to see a great deal of her fugitive's uncivil and high-handed guardian, Oliver. Befriending the wayward girl brings unexpected consequences, among them the conflicting emotions aroused by her guardian, whose reputation as the rudest man in London precedes him. Chafing at the restrictions of Regency society in Bath, Annis has to admit that at least Carleton is never boring. And his brash and rakish manner quickly succumbed to the will of Annis, this remarkable heiress no man had yet subdued. Outrageous as he is, the charming Annis ends up finding him absolutely irresistible.

In 1650, dispossessed of Crown and kingdom, crushed and routed at the grim Battle of Worcester, the young Charles II is forced to flee for his life. Out of the heat of battle, the outlaw King and his tiny party must journey across Cromwell's England to a Channel port and a ship bound for France. For six weeks, Charles' life was in danger as he hid in the English countryside, disguised as a servant, unable to find a way across heavily guarded borders. His loyal courtiers were appalled by the ease and glee with which he adopted his new humble identity, insisting on chatting and even drinking with ostlers and houseboys. Two young women were instrumental in his eventual escape and one of them became a lifelong friend of the exiled king. Miss Juliana Coningsby was the most well brought-up of young ladies--a beautiful innocent sheltered from the wiles of men and the ways of the world. But a stranger had invaded the aristocratic household where Juliana was a guest--and he had turned her tranquil life upside-down. This man was Charles, the rightful king of England, hunted by vengeful enemies, protected by loyal followers, and desperately needing a disguise to make good his escape. But the King, with his love for adventure, his irrepressible humour and his unmistakable looks, is no easy man to hide. What better disguise than to play the part of a bridegroom on his wedding journey? But for that Charles needed a bride--a role only Juliana could fill... if she dared risk capture by men who knew no mercy. And then there was the even more pressing peril of being alone with this man who knew all too well how to capture a woman's heart...

Tired of running from her past, nurse Kate Callison intends to become Austin Grace Hospital's permanent ER director and make Texas her home. Then unthinkable tragedy wraps the ER in crime tape, bringing swarms of media, legal chaos-- and a search-and-rescue hero who seems determined to meddle in her life. For Wes Tanner, nothing beats finding someone who's lost: K9 tracking, swift water rescue, even horse-mounted searches. He's ready for anything-- except Austin Grace's prickly and dismissive ER director.

Day one in Paramatta's E.R. and surgical director Jennifer Thorngate's head is spinning-she's just met gorgeous surgeon Jasper Edwards! Simply being near him makes her sizzle. But Jennifer is determined not to allow her personal and professional worlds to collide. Her resolve is tested to the limit when she meets Jasper's little girls! Watching the loving single dad with his twins puts the smile back on Jennifer's face...a smile that brings Jasper's heart back to life. Jasper is left with only one option: he must convince Jennifer that together they can all have the most wonderful life.

In an 18th-Century England of wit, womanising and powdered wigs, provincial Philip Jettan runs the risk of irreproachability. When her childhood friend, the golden-haired Cleone Charteris returns from finishing school, her exquisite charms have made her the belle of the English countryside. Philip is determined to attract the attentions and launches an amorous campaign to win her hand in marriage.. But Cleone yearns for a husband who is refined, aristocratic and who is as skilled with his wit as he is with his dueling pistols.... Everything Philip Jettan is not. As much as she is attracted to the handsome squire, Cleone finds herself dismissing Philip and his rough mannerisms. With his father's encouragement, Philip departs for the courts of Paris, determined to acquire the social graces and the airs of the genteel — and convince Cleone that he is the man most suited for her hand, but with unforeseen consequences for them both ... He comes back as a fashionably attired man of the world, with powder, patches, and all the manners of a seasoned rake. Does Cleone now have exactly the kind of man she's always wanted, or was her insistence on Philip's remarkable transformation a terrible mistake? Soon, Cleone discovers that she has rivals.

At first glance, decorator Erin Gilbert fell in love with the charming little bungalow on a quiet street in Crestview, Colorado. Until she stepped inside. There, eccentric widow Helen Walker has created a maze of bric-a-brac, papers, and just plain junk that she won't throw out. Even worse: two bizarre deaths have convinced Helen she is being stalked by a serial killer--and that any one of her nosy friends and neighbors might be to blame.Erin has been hired to bring the home back to life--and she's not going to back down, even when her insufferable, irresistible competitor, Steve Sullivan, barges in. But it doesn't take long for Erin to realize that there is a method to her client's madness. A murderer does haunt this makeover. And somewhere in the clutter is at least one thing to die for.From the Paperback edition.