Pleasure Garden

Two years ago, the charismatic young Earl of Wenning abandoned his bride on their wedding night, leaving her to face the humiliation and inevitable suspicion of guilt alone, while he pursued his diplomatic ambitions abroad. But the resilient Grace refused to crumble. Setting aside her bewildered grief, she has become a fashionable socialite living on the edge of scandal, surrounded by male admirers. Now, she awaits her husband’s return with a little revenge in mind.

Escaping to Maida Pleasure Gardens for an evening of anonymous moonlight waltzing is bliss for Viola Dove, compared to the strained formality of her first London Season. But the excitement reaches fever pitch when an escaped convict is pursued through the gardens – wounded and in desperate need of help. So, of course, Viola hides him in her family’s cellar. Lord Dominic Gorse, the rakehell son of a marquis, is ill-suited to confinement, whether in Newgate or a surprisingly comfortable cellar, cared for by the beautiful, intriguing Viola, a parcel of lively children, and a very large puppy.

Rebecca, Lady Cornish, is lonely. She comes to Maida Pleasure Gardens, masked and alone, just to feel part of a world that still dances and laughs. But she repels all company – until the mysterious Ludovic Dunne refuses to be dismissed. Intrigued and unwillingly attracted, Rebecca begins to wonder if he might become a friend.

Love at first smile… Charmingly wicked, Johnny Winter has spent his adulthood drifting from scandal to scandal. However, inheriting the dukedom of Dearham has him considering his responsibilities, one of which is to right the wrong done to a distant cousin twenty years ago. His search takes him to Maida Pleasure Gardens, where he is distracted by an unusual and intriguing beauty.

Thief or gentleman, he is uniquely dangerous! Governess Matty Mather has grown to love her pupils of the Dove family. When a borrowed ring is stolen from Catherine Dove and her friend, now in their first London Season, the redoubtable Matty goes alone to Maida Pleasure Gardens to confront the thief – who turns out to be outrageous, charming and utterly mysterious.