Harriette — Caroline Ashton

Lady Harriette Foulkes is in love. She fell for Mr Hadley Somerton as soon as he walked into the room. The delightful girl smiling at him so shyly was his ideal woman and he returns her regard. They know their romance will face a problem. They think it will be Harriette's autocratic mother, the Marchioness of Tiverton. She is bound to decry their unequal status in society. They are wrong. The stumbling block is Harriette's brother, Tristan, the Earl of Broxborough. He has lost so much money playing cards that, unable to pay, he has fled the country, leaving his father, the Marquess, to cope… Gambling debts are debts of honour and must be settled immediately. His lordship draws on his Funds but the sum produced is not enough. Refusing to sell any part of the estate, the only solution left is to marry Harriette to someone rich and ambitious enough to pay handsomely. The twice-widowed and unappealing Sir Lancelot Gorsley has three young daughters and is desperate for a son. He is willing to sacrifice a considerable portion of his wealth and the Earl has no qualms about sacrificing his daughter. Harriette is bullied into acceptance by Lady Tiverton, who says it is her duty to save the family from ruin and disgrace… but can the unhappy Harriette be saved? This charming novel is the third in the Regency Belles series