So that you know, these books should be read in order (see below). The thread running through these stories is the Fortune Employment Agency and Miss Thorn. Readers met Patience Ramsey in the first book; she was the much-put-upon companion to the sickly Lady Carrolton. Jane Kimball offered to help Patience get a new position if Patience got tired of tending to a hypochondriac. Miss Thorn finds a satisfying role for Patience as Miss Augusta "Gussie" Orwell's assistant. Gussie is an enthusiastic woman who is developing salves for skin conditions.
As Patience and Miss Thorn arrive, they meet Miss Lydia Villers and her brother, Beauford. They are a pair of grifters who invite themselves to others' homes. They have established themselves as guests until after Easter. Gussie immediately introduces Patience as her brother's fiancee'. He is Sir Harold "Harry" Orwell. Gussie does this because she knows Lydia is roosting in the Orwell estate, hoping to trap Harry into marriage. Patience doesn't know what to do but remains silent until she can get the whole story.
Harry breaks into his home; he is slightly wounded and doesn't want to explain his actions. When he learns he is engaged, he agrees to play along to get rid of Lydia. Harry leads a double life as a spy for the War Dept. He finds it challenging to convince Patience to play along with the ruse. It gets sticky when Lydia starts asking questions about the 'happy couple.'
Another character from Book One arrives; Julian Mayes, a solicitor of some standing. He helps Harry find Harry's important informant, Miss Yvette de Maupassant. When they bring Yvette to Harry's home, Harry introduces her as his cousin. There's humor in this tale because so many lies are flying. However, toward the end, the dialogue got maudlin and sentimental with the danger of French spies in England.
Fortune's Brides
1. NeverDoubt a Duke (2018)
** 2. Never Borrow a Baronet (2018)
As Patience and Miss Thorn arrive, they meet Miss Lydia Villers and her brother, Beauford. They are a pair of grifters who invite themselves to others' homes. They have established themselves as guests until after Easter. Gussie immediately introduces Patience as her brother's fiancee'. He is Sir Harold "Harry" Orwell. Gussie does this because she knows Lydia is roosting in the Orwell estate, hoping to trap Harry into marriage. Patience doesn't know what to do but remains silent until she can get the whole story.
Harry breaks into his home; he is slightly wounded and doesn't want to explain his actions. When he learns he is engaged, he agrees to play along to get rid of Lydia. Harry leads a double life as a spy for the War Dept. He finds it challenging to convince Patience to play along with the ruse. It gets sticky when Lydia starts asking questions about the 'happy couple.'
Another character from Book One arrives; Julian Mayes, a solicitor of some standing. He helps Harry find Harry's important informant, Miss Yvette de Maupassant. When they bring Yvette to Harry's home, Harry introduces her as his cousin. There's humor in this tale because so many lies are flying. However, toward the end, the dialogue got maudlin and sentimental with the danger of French spies in England.
Fortune's Brides
1. NeverDoubt a Duke (2018)
** 2. Never Borrow a Baronet (2018)
