Lovers and Ladies Read online

  Praise for

  Jo Beverley

  The Fortune Hunter

  “Fans will be more than delighted with her sparkling new romp…just the kind of wonderful reading experience that every fan desires but all too infrequently gets.”

  —Romantic Times

  “Such novels are probably safer than an addiction to Valium.”

  —Ottawa Citizen

  Deirdre and Don Juan

  “Splendid Regency romance.”

  —Rendezvous

  “Brimming with scintillating wit and irresistible romantic sensibility, this outrageously delightful love story is a work of pure storytelling genius.”

  —Romantic Times

  Praise for Jo Beverley’s

  Other Novels

  “Lively characters…delicious.”

  —Ottawa Citizen

  “Beverley beautifully captures the flavor of Georgian England…. Her fast-paced, violent, and exquisitely sensual story is one that readers won’t soon forget.”

  —Library Journal

  “Jo [Beverley] has truly brought to life a fascinating, glittering, and sometimes dangerous world.”

  —Mary Jo Putney

  “Delightfully spicy…skillfully plotted and fast-paced…captivating.”

  —Booklist

  “Wickedly delicious. Jo Beverley weaves a spell of sensual delight with her usual grace and flair.”

  —Teresa Medeiros

  “A fast-paced adventure with strong, vividly portrayed characters…wickedly, wonderfully sensual and gloriously romantic.”

  —Mary Balogh

  “Romance at its best.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “A fantastic novel. Jo Beverley shows again why she is considered one of the genre’s brightest stars.”

  —Affaire de Coeur

  ALSO BY JO BEVERLEY

  Available from New American Library

  THE COMPANY OF ROGUES

  Lady Beware

  To Rescue a Rogue

  The Rogue’s Return

  Skylark

  St. Raven

  Hazard

  “The Demon’s Mistress” in

  In Praise of Younger Men

  The Devil’s Heiress

  The Dragon’s Bride

  Forbidden Magic

  Three Heroes (Omnibus Edition)

  Lovers and Ladies (Omnibus Edition)

  THE MALLOREN WORLD

  A Most Unsuitable Man

  Winter Fire

  Devilish

  Secrets of the Night

  Something Wicked

  My Lady Notorious

  MEDIEVAL ROMANCES

  Lord of Midnight

  Dark Champion

  Lord of My Heart

  ANTHOLOGIES

  “The Dragon and the Virgin Princess” in

  Dragon Lovers

  “The Trouble with Heroes” in

  Irresistible Forces

  Jo Beverley

  LOVERS AND LADIES

  THE FORTUNE HUNTER

  AND

  DEIRDRE AND DON JUAN

  A SIGNET ECLIPSE BOOK

  SIGNET ECLIPSE

  Published by New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

  Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi-110 017, India Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Shore 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

  Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:

  80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

  Published by Signet Eclipse, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  The Fortune Hunter and Deirdre and Don Juan were previously published in separate Avon Books editions.

  The Fortune Hunter copyright © Jo Beverley, 1991

  Deirdre and Don Juan copyright © Jo Beverley, 1993

  All rights reserved

  ISBN: 978-1-1011-9095-1

  SIGNET ECLIPSE and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  PUBLISHER’S NOTE

  These are works of fiction, Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  Dear Reader,

  Welcome to Lovers and Ladies, which brings back into print two of my favorite novels, The Fortune Hunter and Deirdre and Don Juan.

  Both are traditional Regencies that have long been out of print, and I know many of you are as glad to see them available again as I am. And for those of you to whom they are new, I hope you will enjoy discovering them!

  I have always loved writing fiction set in the English Regency (which is the period from 1811 to 1820, when the Prince of Wales was regent for his father, the mad King George III). It’s a short, complex, and rich period that’s become familiar as the setting for Jane Austen’s classic and wonderful romance novels.

  The period has style in its long Georgian windows letting in light to shine on bright woodwork and the delicate furniture of Sheraton and Heppelwhite. We all know of the high-waisted Empire dresses and the new, darker elegance of gentlemen’s evening wear. Roads had improved, so people could travel the country and even visit the stately homes of the rich. Cities were increasingly lit by gas lighting.

  However, the Regency could also be wild and wicked. In three of Jane Austen’s Bennet sisters, we see the dimensions of their time: Jane Bennet is modest and well-behaved; Elizabeth Bennet is passionate and rebellious; and Lydia Bennet is wild and wicked.

  My Regency fiction follows suit. Some novels are modest and discreet, some passionate and rebellious, and yes, some are wild and wicked. But as with the Bennet girls, there’s always a happy ending.

  The modest and discreet style of Regency romance is usually called the “traditional Regency.” The Fortune Hunter and Deirdre and Don Juan are examples of this.

  In a traditional romance, the stories stick closely to the social mores of the early nineteenth century. Certainly the aristocracy was wilder than the gentry, but even in the haut ton, there were rules, and consequences of breaking them, which make for interesting stories.

  The Fortune Hunter and Deirdre and Don Juan have always been particular favorites of mine, because they explore the idea of beauty from opposite angles. In my books, extreme beauty i
s more likely to be a challenge than a gift, which is true to life, I believe.

  In The Fortune Hunter, Amy de Lacy is a raving beauty, but all it brings her is the burden of being the one who has to try to snare a rich husband to support her brothers and sisters. In our times they could all have gone out and found jobs, but the options for Regency gentry were more limited; without money, their future is grim. In the end, of course, it’s not beauty that matters.

  In Deirdre and Don Juan, we have a young woman who lacks beauty. It was important to me that Deirdre not be an ugly duckling—a plain woman who would turn into a beauty with a minor makeover. Certainly her clothes are unfortunate, but she is what she is. When Everdon comes to value, desire, and love her, it is for Deirdre, the whole person, not for parts of her or despite her appearance.

  And he fights to win her, as does Amy’s Harry, passing a crucial test of love.

  If you’ve enjoyed these stories, I have written many other romances set in the Regency period, some of these in the traditional style and others of the more dramatic type. The most recent is Lady Beware, which was published in June 2007. A new novel set a couple of generations earlier, A Lady’s Secret, is on shelves now. You can find a complete list of my books, including free samples, at www.jobev.com.

  You’ll find lots of additional material there, including background details and pictures relevant to the novels. Come for a visit and enjoy. You can also sign up for my e-mail newsletter, which means you’ll receive the latest news about my books and promotional activities. You can contact me at [email protected].

  If you don’t have access to a computer, you can write through my agent. Address a letter to me c/o The Rotrosen Agency, 318 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022. I appreciate an SASE if you would like a reply.

  A good book is such a treasure. May you have many in your life.

  All best wishes,

  Jo Beverley

  Contents

  The Fortune Hunter

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Deirdre and Don Juan

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  THE FORTUNE HUNTER

  1

  IT WAS A MERRY PARTY IN THE KITCHEN of Stonycourt in Lincolnshire, seat of the de Lacy family. For once a generous fire was roaring in the grate, a chicken had been sacrificed to make a feast, and the precious store of medicinal spirits had been raided to make a fiery punch. The four young de Lacys and their aunt sat around the scrubbed deal table toasting their good fortune and making grand plans for the use of their newfound wealth.

  Stonycourt’s two remaining servants—aged specimens—hunched on a high-backed settle close to the fire like two black crows, nursing mugs of hot punch but casting a jaundiced eye on the jubilation.

  “A horse!” declared Sir Jasper de Lacy, youngest of the family and yet nominal head. “A hunter. A prime bit of blood and bone.”

  “New gowns,” put in his twin sister, Jacinth, with a blissful smile. “Bang up to the mark and not homemade.”

  At sixteen, the twins were still very alike, for Jasper was of a slender build, fine boned for a boy, and Jacinth had insisted in following fashion by having her curly brown hair cropped short. She had declared that it was the only fashionable gesture that came free.

  “A Season?” offered the eldest daughter, Beryl. She added, in the tone of one who speculates on fabulous wonders, “Almack’s?”

  Amy de Lacy, the middle daughter, smiled sadly. Beryl was one who dreamed of wonders, but always with a question mark after them. In truth, life had not served to raise Beryl’s expectations. Though she had a sweet nature and a great many useful skills, no one could deny that she was plain—the sort of lumpy, sallow homeliness which could not be disguised by discreet paint or a stylish haircut.

  As the daughter of Sir Digby de Lacy of Stonycourt and with a portion to match, Beryl could have expected to marry. That had all gone up in smoke two years ago when their father died and the tangle of bills and borrowings which had supported them in elegance had come crashing down.

  Amy had suffered on her own behalf, for it was not at all pleasant to be poor, but she grieved more for Beryl, who was the kind of woman who should marry and have a home and children and now, doubtless, would not. Beryl was kind, skillful, and endlessly patient. She would make an excellent mother and she deserved a good, prosperous man to make her dreams come true.

  “That’s right,” said the older lady seated at the head of the table, merrily tipsy beneath a tilted blue satin turban. “That’s what’s needed, Beryl pet. A Season. It’ll be grand to be back in London, especially now peace is in the air. We’ll soon have you married, then Amethyst, then Jacinth.”

  Amy winced. She had persuaded everyone else in the world to give up her ridiculous name in favor of Amy, but Aunt Lizzie would not be moved. “My dear sister chose your name with loving care, Amethyst,” she would protest, “and I will not betray her now she is in her grave.” Put like that it made a simple change of name sound like a heinous sin.

  But since Georgiana de Lacy had taken it into her head to call all her children after precious stones, why could Amy not have been Agate or Onyx? Or Sardonyx. Yes, she’d rather have liked being Sardonyx de Lacy.

  But she would much rather have been called Jane.

  She also wished Aunt Lizzie would not encourage the family tendency to flights of fancy. What else was to be expected, however? It seemed to be a trait which ran strong on both sides of the family tree.

  After all, Amy’s maternal grandparents—prosperous London wine merchants—had named their daughters Georgiana and Elizabeth after the famous Gunning sisters, clearly with social advancement in mind. In fact, they had achieved mild success. Lizzie had not married, but the beautiful Georgiana had married Sir Digby de Lacy of Stonycourt.

  It was a shame, thought Amy, that this had so dizzied the Toombs family that they had sunk into penury trying to live up to their daughter’s social heights. Some prosperous relatives would be very useful these days.

  The trait of impracticality was strong on the paternal side, too. Amy’s father had been a devout optimist and so delighted with his beautiful bride that he had been unable to deny her anything. He had extended his indulgence to each child without thought to his resources. They had been so happy, thought Amy wistfully, and the lovely house had frequently been full of guests and had rung with laughter.

  She would give anything to have those days back.

  “I don’t think I would care for a Season really,” Beryl demurred, coloring. “I’m a little old to be making my curtsy….”

  “Nonsense, pet,” said Lizzie. “What do you say, Amethyst?”

  Above all, Amy hated being faced with the choice of supporting these bubbles of fancy or exploding them. The truth was that Beryl was too old, and that, plain as she was, the chance of her making a match in London was slim indeed, but how could she say that? It wasn’t as if Jasper’s share in a winning lottery could support such an enterprise anyway, and she could still wring his neck for risking his hard-won book money on such an idiotic enterprise.

  Everyone was waiting for her answer and so she said carefully, “I fear there simply isn’t enough money. It’s a drop in the ocean.”

  Dismay wiped away joy. Lizzie opened her mouth but it was Jacinth who got in first. “Amethyst de Lacy,” she burst out, the use of the full name a protest in itself, “if you are going to be a wet blanket, I swear I will hate y
ou forever!”

  Amy pulled an apologetic face. “I’m sorry, Jassy, but we have to be sensible.”

  “Why?” demanded Jasper. “Look what sensible has achieved. We’ve been holed up here for two years like…like troglodytes, living from hand to mouth. No hunting. No dancing. No fun at all! It’s only when I go and do something unsensible that we get anywhere!”

  “Fine,” snapped Amy. “And how are you going to build on this? Spend it all on more lottery tickets? Or perhaps you’d rather take it to the races?”

  Jasper reddened. “I do seem to have a winning streak.” At his sister’s groan, he quickly added, “But there’s no need for that. We have five thousand pounds!”

  Jacinth cheered and offered another toast. Amy feared her little sister was on the go.

  “Jasper,” Amy said gently but firmly, “your masters say you are very good with figures. How many hunters will the income from the money buy and keep? How many fine outfits? How many Seasons will it provide at the same time as it keeps up Stonycourt?”

  “To hell with Stonycourt.”

  Aunt Lizzie gasped. “Jasper!”

  “Sorry,” he muttered. “But, Amy, the money will buy a lot.”

  “Not if you preserve the capital. If you can invest it to produce three hundred a year you will be doing well. That will provide a modicum of comfort but you should use some of it to pay down the encumbrances on the estate.” Amy sought for a more cheerful aspect. “Of course, if you apply it all to the debt, then it will mean less time until it is cleared. Once we have paid all the debts, you can use the rents for income. We can slowly build.”

  “Slowly!” Jacinth burst out. “Slowly. That’s what you always say. What about poor Beryl? She’s twenty-three! She can’t wait.”