The Golden Season

Table of Contents

 

 

“Exceptionally entertaining characters, a wildly original
plot that cleverly spoofs the spiritualist craze of the late
Victorian era, and deliciously humorous writing give
So
Enchanting
its bewitchingly irresistible charm.”

“Although her contemporary romances are delightful, Brockway here delivers a historical that will make her fans rejoice.”

“Two perfectly matched protagonists engage in a sexy and entertaining battle of wits and wiles as RITA Award-winning Brockway triumphantly returns to historical romance. With its expertly detailed Victorian setting, deliciously clever writing, and captivating plot, this wicked romance will cast a bewitching spell.”

 

“Realistically quirky characters, delightfully clever writing, and a warmly nourishing story about family, friendship, and love come together brilliantly in
Skinny Dipping
, Connie Brockway’s latest beguiling tale of a woman who discovers life is all about commitment.”

“Spiked with her addictively acerbic wit, Brockway’s latest beguiling blend of women’s fiction and romance . . . unfolds into a richly nourishing tale of family, friendship, love, and laughter.”

“Bittersweet and touching . . . [a] most satisfying tale.”

“Just right for a long winter day.”

“A witty, warmhearted novel that will keep the reader laughing. This hilarious, mysterious, and romantic book is a keeper.”

—Romance Junkies

“An exquisitely rendered setting, an abundance of complex family dynamics, a story that explores what it means to belong, and a beautifully developed romantic relationship guarantee the appeal of this well-crafted tale for both romance and women’s fiction fans alike.”

 

“Rapier wit and dazzling prose. . . . Brockway writes sheer magic.”

—Elizabeth Bevarly

“A dazzling contemporary debut!”

—Christina Dodd

“A hilarious, bittersweet look at going home.”

—Eloisa James

“Wry, witty, and wonderful! This cast of unforgettable characters will tickle your funny bone and your heart-strings.”

—Teresa Medeiros

“This combination caper and comedy-of-errors story is just wacky enough to keep you giggling. Brava!”

“A smart and funny page-turner.”

—All About Romance

“Splendidly satisfying. With its surfeit of realistically quirky characters and sharp wit,
Hot Dish
is simply superb.”

ALSO BY CONNIE BROCKWAY

ONYX

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First published by Onyx, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

 

First Printing, February

Copyright © Connie Brockway, 2010

Excerpt from
So Enchanting
copyright © Connie Brockway, 2009 All rights reserved

REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA

eISBN : 978-1-101-18478-3

 

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“You had best look over these papers, Lady Lydia,” said Robert Terwilliger, senior partner of the Royal Bank of London, to the exquisitely beautiful woman sitting across the desk from him. The beauty reluctantly accepted the sheaf of papers he held out and began reading, allowing Terwilliger the opportunity to study her.

At twenty-four, when most young ladies would have been considered on the shelf, Lady Lydia Eastlake showed no signs of relinquishing her place not only as one of the
ton
’s most notable nonpareil but
the
nonpareil.

Even Terwilliger, no follower of fashion—his three grown daughters’ attempts to educate him notwitstanding—could appreciate Lydia Eastlake’s dash. Ecru- fluted silk trimmed the emerald green pelisse covering her elegant and well-curved figure, while her shimmering burnt-caramel-colored curls peeked out from beneath a spring bonnet bedecked with feathers, fronds, and flowers. The glossy locks framed a face noted for the perfect proportion of her small, angular jaw, straight nose, arched dark brows, and high cheekbones.

And then there were the eyes: long, dark lashed, and exotically tilted, they were a color so vividly, deeply blue that they appeared purple. Strong men, it was said, could lose themselves in the thrall of her eyes.

Robert Terwilliger was not a strong man. And it would take a very strong man indeed to rein in the likes of Lady Lydia Eastlake. She was a headstrong, self-indulgent voluptuary, but also absolutely captivating, utterly charming, and infectiously merry. But worse, she was completely independent.

Since she’d come of age three years ago, Lady Lydia had not been under any single man’s supervision as daughter, sister, niece, wife, widow, or ward.

Terwilliger hadn’t known her parents personally, having inherited the position as her personal banker, but he’d heard of them. Their affair had been for a short while notorious.

His older brother’s death had left Ronald Eastlake heir to an enormous fortune that had its basis in the noble family’s many ancestral land holdings and had been expanded by his brother’s willingness to invest in trade—literally. The Eastlakes owned a shipping empire. It had also left his brother’s widow, Julia, free to marry.

That the pair had been in love for some time was obvious, for no sooner was the mourning period ended than Eastlake convinced Julia to elope with him to France because no clergy in the country had been willing to marry them. They’d cited “affinity”—the old biblical edict against marrying one’s brother’s widow—as a reason.

Luckily, the French clergy was not so traditional.

Once wed, because of the enormous fortune involved, and because anyone might bring a suit to have the marriage annulled on the grounds of affinity against them, they decided never to return to England and put their marriage at risk. Their resolve to uphold this decision was strengthened by the birth of their daughter less than a year later.

By all reports—and there were many—exile suited them very well. The Eastlakes were renowned in international circles for their glamorous, globe-trotting lifestyle, their recklessness and their laissez-faire attitudes. They’d taken Lydia with them everywhere they went. The courts of Europe had been her playgrounds, the far reaches of the English empire her backyard.

Famous, sought after, rich, and in love they might have been, but to Terwilliger’s mind none of that excused their neglect of their child’s future. The notion that they might not always be young and vibrant and alive apparently never occurred to them, for they’d neglected to make provisions for the care of their only child should something happen to them. Which it had, in the form of a fatal carriage accident.