Ladies in Love

She was a bewitching young girl, that pretty Polly Marsh, and she knew it. She also knew that beauty could be her passport into the castles where she had always known she belonged. So she set her sights on a duke and joined the firm of Westerman's as a stenographer. Surely one of that noble family would notice her, and then all her dreams would come true! The trouble with pretty Polly Marsh was that she just didn't know her place. But others did-and were only too happy to remind her that dashing Lord Peter was merely playing at love when he appeared to be paying her court. The duchess was beside herself. Peter's brother, the starchy Marquis of Wollerton, was desperate to pry Peter from Polly's side. But Polly was determined to have Peter-and her dream. Peter wouldn't betray her, would he?In this whirlwind series, Marion Chesney brings us spirited, independent women who are at once bewitching, beguiling, and determined to have their say and make their mark on both their world and the world at large, be it within their social circle or extending beyond. With their arms wide open, these women are absolutely original and unforgettable, as are the tales in which they are featured. Here is life, in all of its folly and foibles, in a dizzying place where dreams are both shattered and made.

Poor Ginny Bloggs! She had inherited a fortune, a magnificent country estate, and her benefactor's disgruntled relatives, a quartet of querulous schemers horrified to find themselves at the mercy of a low, common girl, a total stranger-the coal merchant's daughter! The handsome Lord Gerald de Fremney had pledged to keep the more unruly relatives in line. He thought he understood thoroughly modern women. Her reluctant guardians thought they understood society. Such was Ginny Bloggs-as delicate as a china doll, as bold as brass. She understood them all, and now she was going to teach them all what it meant to be a lady!In this whirlwind series, Marion Chesney brings us spirited, independent women who are at once bewitching, beguiling, and determined to make their mark on the world, be it within their social circle or extending beyond. With their arms wide open, these women are absolutely original and unforgettable, as are the tales in which they are featured.

The Beast-that was what they called her. With her plump body and rough tomboy ways, she felt more like a clown. It was hopeless. Poor penniless Tilly could only sit among the chaperons as a paid companion to the spiteful Lady Aileen. The best she could do was sit … and dream. But suddenly Philip, Marquess of Heppleford, the most eligible bachelor of all, decided he wanted her for himself, to be his wife, and they were married. His intent was to keep his freedom, fulfill the conditions of his father's will, and shock his aunts. He never imagined he'd return from a scandalous adventure in Paris only to find a seductive beauty-a beauty who had learned that loving well is the best revenge.In this whirlwind series, Marion Chesney brings us spirited, independent women who are at once bewitching, beguiling, and determined to make their mark on the world, be it within their social circle or extending beyond. With their arms wide open, these women are absolutely original and unforgettable, as are the tales in which they are featured.

Susie dreamt of a rose-covered cottage, instead she ends up in a big, damp castle married to old Earl of Blackhall. Lucky for her, the lecherous old man dies on their wedding night leaving her a wealthy and young widow. Handsome Sir Giles enters the picture, determined to reveal the real Susie who he believes to be a sneaky minx. Luck brought Susie a fortune; could it also bring her true love?

Daisy Jenkins never expected to be anything more than a trespasser on the idyllic lawns of Marsden Castle. Then, suddenly, she was admitted into the magic circle of the Earl and Countess of Nottenstone, to await the arrival of the notorious Lord Chatterton, her father-a stranger whose very name was foreign to her. She was Daisy Chatterton now, adrift in a sea of aristocratic sharks who seemed both to court and mock her. And why did the elegant Duke of Oxenden offer his protection to this newcomer who made him laugh at the very word "love"? She was determined to prove there was such a thing as true love-no matter how hard or how far she had to search to find it.

Maggie Macleod was weary of life with a soul sickness that ate into every fiber of her being. In a mad way, it did not seem strange to her that she should be on her way to the high court to stand trial for the murder of her husband. Her marriage seemed to have been one long, dreary desert lit by flares of cruelty. But Maggie is innocent in the matter of her beastly husband's death, and she resolves to answer the question that plagues her: Who did murder the man?Marion Chesney brings Regency England vividly to life in this tale of murder and romance.

She was the flower of an East End slum who rose to become a star. But Poppy Duveen quit the stage to marry Freddie Plummett, the only real gentleman she had ever known-the bounder who died. When Freddie died, Poppy was left the castle, but she was also left in the clutches of Freddie's formidable uncle, Hugo, the dazzling Duke of Guildham. How could she admit, even to herself, this dangerous attraction? Instead, Poppy tried to turn her back on it-but it was no use. Clearly, Hugo thought her a mere waif, a common poor relation. Well, she'd show him and his snobbish family. She'd return to the stage as Poppy Plummett, conquer London, and make fools of them all!

One minute, Amaryllis Duvane is the belle of the London season-a "diamond of the first water," desired by every man and envied by every woman. Even better, she's about to marry the man of her dreams. But when her father dies, Amaryllis loses more than a parent-she loses her fortune. Left penniless, she's forced to depend on the generosity of her wealthy relations, who make her work as a servant to her own socially ambitious cousins. When her ex-fiancé, the devastatingly handsome Marquess of Merechester, courts one of her relatives, Amaryllis can't bear the thought of him seeing what's become of her-or how much she still desires him.