Lady Catherine's Secret by Sheridan Jeane

 

Lady Catherine's Secret by Sheridan Jeane Secrets and Seduction #2 

Publication Date: December 1, 2014 

Also in this series: It Takes a Spy 

Genres: Historical, Romance 

 

London, 1853. Despite Lady Catherine's love of fencing, she needs to stop pretending to be a boy and fraternizing with men…but not until after the fencing tournament! Her mother plans to marry her off by the end of the season, so this will be her last chance to enjoy her freedom. When she impulsively puts her reputation at risk to save the life of a dashing competitor, all seems lost when he sees through her disguise, but he vows never to reveal her secret. Thank goodness for gentlemanly honor! Daniel, Marquess of Huntley, wants to overcome the rumors of his father's madness so that he can be embraced by London society. His plan is to marry the most proper woman who will have him, and then raise stable, respectable children.  He certainly isn't interested in some hoyden with a penchant for masquerading as a boy and flaunting society's rules. In fact, he'd prefer to keep his distance. When an obsessed suitor discovers Catherine's secret and threatens blackmail, the only path out of social ruin is marriage. But what kind of protection does matrimony provide when a vengeful suitor is plotting the ultimate revenge?

Daniel downed the glass of Glenfarclas in one swallow. “My plan isn’t progressing at all,” he said.

“Yes, of course. Your ridiculous plan.”

Daniel shifted under his friend’s amused gaze. “I’m having trouble finding a highly respected woman who is willing to align herself with someone as—as unusual as I am. I believe ‘colorful’ is the most polite word I’ve heard used to describe me. Although I’ve also heard the words ‘bourgeois’ and ‘unbalanced’ bandied about.”

“Stop it.” Wentworth scowled at him. “With your title, you outrank everyone except a duke and the members of the royal family. Nobody would dare snub you.”

“Perhaps not openly, but once they factor in my shipping business, my lack of polish, my mother’s low birth, and the rumors of my father’s madness, I’m beyond redemption in the eyes of most members of London society.” He downed the contents of his glass in a single swallow, savoring the burn that turned into a spreading warmth. “The thing that provides me with the most satisfaction is the very thing these people find the most damning. My shipping business.”

“Why do you care what they think?” Wentworth said as he gestured angrily toward Daniel. “Why place so much emphasis on propriety? After all, your primary goal in this is to find a woman who can provide you with an heir, isn’t it? Why complicate the issue by insisting that she and her family also be paragons of propriety? Don’t you see your own hypocrisy?”

Daniel thumped his glass down on the sideboard and pulled the stopper from the decanter, sloshing another inch of liquid into his tumbler. “I know I’m not a saint, but I refuse to put my children through the same hell I endured.” He turned and glared at his friend. “You, better than anyone, know how much I suffered at Eton. You were there with me. How can you ask me why?”

Daniel clenched the glass as he remembered those first few months at Eton. The loneliness and abuse he’d endured had nearly broken him. He’d begun to believe everyone’s taunts. They were right about him. He was no good. Especially after the horrible things he’d done. They were unforgivable. How could he ever redeem himself?

The dogs of melancholy had nipped at his heels as they tried to chase him to ground. His depression must have been only a faint echo of what his father experienced on a daily basis, and it explained why the man had escaped into a bottle, eventually descending into madness. What if Daniel was destined for the same path? What if his regrets drove him mad as well?

Rating:   ☆☆☆☆☆

Lady Catherine is an excellent historical intrigue that I found myself really immersed in. There is romance, mystery, thievery, and general spurn the society rules all rolled into one great read. The character development was excellent for everyone and the details were exquisite. I am not an expert in period pieces, so if there was anything incorrect I didn’t notice. What I did notice is that there seemed to be a lot of knowledge and research into making this a perfect story.

Lady Catherine is woman with desires of a freedom from the restraints of her position and the rules of society. Catherine has a secret from society, she fences. That’s right she has the audacity to do something that is only for men. She and her family would be ruined if her secret got out.

Daniel, the Marquess, is a man that needs to find a proper wife, one that will offset his business dealings. Catherine is not that proper wife material even if she is a puzzle for him to solve. Daniel and Catherine do their own dance between what society expects and what they need and want.

I really enjoyed Catherine and Daniel. There was also great interaction with others in the book, Elizabeth who is Catherine’s best friend, Wentworth, Daniel’s best friend, and with Charles, Catherine’s brother. I can easily see more stories around these people. While the book title says it is the second in the series, I believe it was a standalone complete book that did not need the first.

Sheridan Jeane writes exciting and emotion-packed historical romances set in the Victorian Era that confront issues of trust and conformity.

With the advent of the industrial age, life was changing. Many people tried to hold on to the old ways of life while others embraced the new opportunities open to them.

Join Sheridan as she explores the clash between the old and the new.

Sheridan has always loved books, history, and stories about amazing people who blaze new trails.

Despite naming their daughter Sheridan because they thought it might someday look great on the cover of a book, Sheridan's parents urged her in a more practical direction for college. Sheridan earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science with a minor in English.

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