Born of Persuasion

Praise for Jessica Dotta

“With a voice you’ll love, Jessica Dotta paints a vivid portrait in words, drawing her readers through an unexpected maze of plot twists.
Born of Persuasion
is a story of betrayal and perseverance, rich with unforgettable characters.”

CINDY WOODSMALL

New York Times
bestselling author of
The Winnowing Season

“A fascinating cast of characters and breathless twists and turns make this story anything but predictable. Mystery and romance, sins of the past and fears of the future all combine for a page-turning experience.”

LIZ CURTIS HIGGS

New York Times
bestselling author of
Mine Is the Night

“
Born of Persuasion
is the sort of book in which readers of historical fiction long to lose themselves: rich with period detail and full of intrigue and deception. Jessica Dotta skillfully paints a vivid, moving portrait of a young woman who finds herself trapped in a perilous situation, facing surprises at every turn. Fans of Philippa Gregory and Sarah Dunant will fall in love with this arresting story.”

TASHA ALEXANDER

bestselling author of
And Only to Deceive

“Filled with romantic twists, social intrigue, and beautiful writing, Dotta’s
Born of Persuasion
is an alluring debut that will leave fans of Victorian fiction clamoring for more.”

TOSCA LEE

New York Times
bestselling author

“
Born of Persuasion
is among the best novels I’ve ever read. This allegory is beautifully developed and the story descriptive, suspenseful, and absolutely captivating. Her heroine is flawed and vulnerable and as unsure as the reader of what to believe. Not since
Jane Eyre
have I wanted to reread a story again and again. I fully expect Ms. Dotta to be a bestseller and her work to be counted among the classics of our time.”

GINA HOLMES

bestselling author of
Crossing Oceans

“Jessica Dotta is this generation’s Jane Austen but with a twenty-first-century voice, and
Born of Persuasion
is a riveting saga that will keep you turning page after page.”

ANE MULLIGAN

senior editor,
Novel Rocket

“Absolutely entertaining and brilliantly written! Lovable, flawed characters and witty dialogue open windows into a world of intriguing mystery as Jessica Dotta explores love, faith, and honor. Jane Austen fans will love this instant classic that dropped me into all the richness of the Regency/Victorian era. This author is one to watch.”

THE BOOK CLUB NETWORK INC.
(
BOOKFUN.ORG
)

Visit Tyndale online at
www.tyndale.com
.

Visit Jessica Dotta’s website at
www.jessicadotta.com
.

TYNDALE
and Tyndale’s quill logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Born of Persuasion

Copyright © 2013 by Jessica Dotta. All rights reserved.

Cover photograph taken by Steve Gardner, Pixelworks Studio. Copyright © by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

Cover photograph of mansion copyright © ETIENjones/Shutterstock. All rights reserved.

Cover pattern copyright © Nataliia Litovchenko/Shutterstock. All rights reserved.

Author photo taken by Joshua MacLeod, copyright © 2013. All rights reserved.

Cover designed by Faceout Studio, Jeff Miller

Interior designed by Dean H. Renninger

Edited by Kathryn S. Olson

The author is represented by Chip MacGregor of MacGregor Literary Inc., 2373 NW 185th Avenue, Suite 165, Hillsboro, OR 97124.

Scripture quotations are taken from the
Holy Bible
, King James Version.

Born of Persuasion
is a work of fiction. Where real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locales appear, they are used fictitiously. All other elements of the novel are drawn from the author’s imagination.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Dotta, Jessica.

  Born of persuasion / Jessica Dotta.

       pages cm

  ISBN 978-1-4143-7555-7 (sc)

1. Orphans—Fiction. 2. Guardian and ward—Fiction. 3. Great Britain—History—19th century—Fiction. I. Title.

  PS3604.O87B67 2013

  813'.6—dc23 2013010592

ISBN 978-1-4143-8844-1 (ePub); ISBN 978-1-4143-8409-2 (Kindle); ISBN 978-1-4143-8845-8 (Apple)

Build: 2013-08-08 14:12:51

To Mrs. Hall, my eleventh- and twelfth-grade English teacher. Thank you for being the first person to speak my dream aloud by pulling me aside before class to tell me that I had the makings of a writer.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter One from Mark of Distinction

A Note from the Author

Acknowledgments

Discussion Questions

About the Author