The Stranger I Wed

Description

New to wealth and to London high society, American heiress Cora Dove discovers that with the right man, marriage might not be such an inconvenience after all. . . .

Cora Dove and her sisters’ questionable legitimacy has been the lifelong subject of New York’s gossipmongers and a continual stain on their father’s reputation. So when the girls each receive a generous, guilt-induced dowry from their dying grandmother, the sly Mr. Hathaway vows to release their funds only if Cora and her sisters can procure suitable husbands—far from New York. For Cora, England is a fresh start. She has no delusions of love, but a husband who will respect her independence? That’s an earl worth fighting for.

Enter: Leopold Brendon, Earl of Devonworth, a no-nonsense member of Parliament whose plan to pass a Public Health bill that would provide clean water to the working class requires the backing of a wealthy wife.  He just never expected to crave Cora’s touch or yearn to hear her thoughts on his campaign—or to discover that his seemingly perfect bride protects so many secrets…

But secrets have a way of bubbling to the surface, and Devonworth has a few of his own. With their pasts laid bare and Cora’s budding passion for women’s rights taking a dangerous turn, they’ll learn the true cost of losing their heart to a stranger—and that love is worth any price.Praise for The Stranger I Wed

“Prepare to be dazzled! Scintillating and deeply romantic, The Stranger I Wed is another winner from Harper St. George. Fans of historical romance will find themselves enchanted by the rich, sensual storytelling, and look forward to what comes next in this fabulous new series.”—India Holton, international bestselling author of The Secret Service of Tea and Treason

“From the moment I picked up The Stranger I Wed, I was glued to the pages. This swoony and tender marriage of convenience has all the wit, emotions, and chemistry I love about Harper St George’s writing, but it also felt new and I can’t wait to see where Harper will go next.”—Evie Dunmore, USA Today bestselling author

“Gilded Age New York meets Victorian London in Harper St. George’s dazzling new series. The Stranger I Wed is strong, feminist, and scorchingly sexy. This is historical marriage-of-convenience romance at its swooniest. I couldn’t put it down.”—Mimi Matthews, USA Today bestselling author

“Harper St. George never misses! The Stranger I Wed delivers everything I love about historical romance—a marriage of convenience that erupts into a red hot passion; two characters who grow to love and respect each other; and a thoughtful discussion of political and social issues that are still relevant to this day. In one word, The Stranger I Wed is magic!”—Liana De la Rosa, author of Ana María and the Fox

“The Stranger I Wed by Harper St. George is a delicious start to a new series, with all of my favorite things—a marriage of convenience, scandalous family secrets, and feisty American heroines who bring too-handsome aristocrats to their knees. A fantastic, fast-paced read by one of the best historical writers around!”
—Joanna Shupe, USA Today bestselling author
 
“The Stranger I Wed captured me from the first page with the tenacious Cora Dove and kept me enthralled with a deliciously simmering romance. There is nothing I love more than a strong female lead and Cora is a woman after my own heart. This story has all my favorite things in a marriage of convenience: snappy banter, palpable yearning, sizzling chemistry, and ultimately, a passion that cannot be denied. A fabulous start to an exciting new series. Harper St. George is one of my must-read historical romance authors.”—Adriana Herrera, USA Today bestselling author

“Engrossing and detailed…A delightful start to a new series”—Kirkus

“A well-crafted, slow-burn journey through a marriage of convenience that eventually erupts into a steamy love story.”—Library Journal

“St. George brilliantly plays to her literary strengths, delivering an expertly evoked historical setting that touches upon some of the social and political issues of the time, along with a superbly matched pair of protagonists whose simmering sexual chemistry blossoms to a romance that is sweet, steamy, and sublimely satisfying.”—Booklist

Praise for Harper St. George

“A glittering ballroom romance bursting with the industry and wealth that so define Gilded Age heiresses.”—Entertainment Weekly on The Heiress Gets a Duke

“A sparkling jewel of a love story, full to the brim with Victorian wit, romance, and heart-stopping heat. Road trips in a carriage and four don’t get much sexier than this.”—Mimi Matthews, USA Today bestselling author on The Devil and the Heiress

“With sizzling chemistry, brilliant banter, and an unapologetically strong, feminist heroine, Harper St. George sets the pages ablaze!”—Christi Caldwell, USA Today bestselling author on The Lady Tempts an Heir

“Harper St. George is a must-buy for me!”—Terri Brisbin, USA Today bestselling authorHarper St. George grew up in the rural backwoods of Alabama and the northwest Florida coast where her love of history began. She now makes her home in the Atlanta area writing historical fiction romance set in various time periods from the Viking Era to the Gilded Age. Her novels have been translated into ten languages.Reader’s Guide
The Stranger I Wed by Harper St. George
Discussion Questions:

1.   The Gilded Age was a time of social change and innovation, and we saw women’s rights and workers’ rights emerging into the forefront of public consciousness in the Western world. However, The Stranger I Wed is set in 1877 and 1878, near the beginning of this discourse, when women primarily existed in the workforce as menial labor and very few opportunities for advancement were available to them. Given the scope of Cora’s world, what do you think about her decision to marry to receive her inheritance? What other choices did she have and how do you see those working out for her and her sisters?

2.   Cora went from having the responsibility of her family on her shoulders to learning how to share responsibility with her husband. How do you think she changed from the beginning of the story to the end? How did your opinion of her change over the course of the story?

3.   Cora, Jenny, and Eliza all had different reactions to their inheritance and the condition to marry in order to receive it. Did you identify with one sister more than the others? How do you think you would have reacted to a similar condition?

4.   The Gilded Age ranged from the outright poverty of the working class to the opulent wealth of the upper crust of society. Cora and Leo represent those extremes and how volatile the era was in that fortunes could flip-flop in an instant. Discuss the effect of those extremes on their characters and how these might have shaped them.

5.   How would being illegitimate affect Cora’s sense of self-worth? Do you see any parts in the story when that aspect of her background affected her decisions?

6.   In many ways the women of this time period went into marriage with very little power. Their husbands were in control of their person—they became chattel upon their marriage—and in control of their money and property. Cora had to go into the marriage with a great deal of faith that Leo would have her well-being at heart. What did Leo risk by agreeing to the marriage?

7.   Did you suspect that the late Earl was not Leo’s real father? How do you think that knowledge affected Leo as he was growing up? How would he have been different had he been the biological son of his father?

8.   Cora felt a deep sense of betrayal when she learned that Leo had voted as he did. How did you feel about his vote? Could he have handled that situation better?

9.   Do you think that Cora overreacted in how she responded to Leo’s betrayal? Do you think Leo should have told her about his vote
sooner?

10. Did the history in this book surprise you? Did you learn anything new about this period that you wanted to do further research on?One

Oxfordshire, England

Spring 1878

Title-hunting was not for the faint of heart. The occupation required a great deal of analysis, focus, and attention to detail, three qualities Cora Dove had no choice but to perfect. One had to be strategic when choosing the ideal candidate for a husband. Everyone knew that the perfect groom for a title hunter was a fortune hunter. However, it simply wasn’t that easy. Too impoverished and the wealth gained from the marriage would drain away like water through a sieve.

Cora was determined that the man she married not be a gambler, at least not to excess. The likelihood of finding an aristocrat who did not gamble at all would be akin to finding a fish that did not swim. There were other considerations, too. In fact, she had made a list. Too young and he’d likely be brash and unruly. Too old and he could hold outdated ideas about a wife’s role. Too temperamental or too wicked in his pursuits and he would be difficult to manage. Too attractive and heartache would inevitably ensue-this one had been the last to go on the list. Cora quite liked good-looking men and wouldn’t have minded marrying one. Her sister Jenny, however, who knew more than she about the qualities of handsome men, had been insistent, so the condition had gone on the list. Only a fool would aim for the highest title and leave it at that when there were so many other considerations.

Cora was no fool. Not anymore. She had stepped off the steamer ship from New York with her mother and Eliza last week with her mission at the forefront of her mind. Find a titled husband and marry him by summer. Thankfully, she would not face the task alone. Camille, Dowager Duchess of Hereford, had agreed to act as a sort of agent to help the sisters find titled husbands.

“Camille, pardon my disbelief, but there can’t possibly be suitors here,” Eliza, Cora’s youngest sister, remarked, her brow furrowed in distinct displeasure.

The three of them descended the steps of the train depot, umbrellas in hand to combat the spring drizzle. The train stretched out behind them on the track, belching steam into the cool air. They were in a small village-Cora had already forgotten the name-not far from Camille’s country estate in Oxfordshire. The town was little more than a stop along the railroad, but it was quaint and picturesque, as Cora was finding most English villages to be. They possessed a charm lent to them by virtue of age that many of the industrial mill towns that had sprung up back home didn’t have. The buildings, made of either stone or wattle and daub, had been standing for centuries longer than their brownstone back in New York. There was a security in that permanence that she found comforting.

“I quite like it,” Cora said.

“As do I,” Camille voiced her agreement.

Cora and her sisters had met Camille many years ago when Mr. Hathaway and Fanny were still an item, though their relationship had been in its death throes. Camille’s father and Mr. Hathaway had finished some sort of business deal together, and they had been invited to spend a week with the Bridwells at their summer home. It had been an awkward week, and Cora now realized it was because Mrs. Bridwell hadn’t approved of their presence there, even though Mr. Bridwell hadn’t been above putting his company’s profits ahead of what was socially acceptable. Cora and Camille had spent most of the time together outdoors swimming and playing on the rope swings. Thankfully, Camille remembered her and had been a wonderful source of support when Cora had contacted her with the marriage plan.

The duchess wasn’t a proponent of the cash-for-class marriages that were becoming so popular between American heiresses and impoverished noblemen. Her own parents had all but auctioned her off to the highest title, and the marriage had been deeply unhappy until the much older duke had died and set her free. Now she was with Jacob Thorne, a man she loved. It had taken several letters and a few telegrams before Cora had convinced Camille that this marriage was what she wanted and that she was not being coerced by her mother. It was her negligent sire who had made this sort of marriage necessary, but Cora preferred not to dwell on that.

Instead, she devoted every waking moment to finding the perfect husband. She had a journal specifically for the task that she had diligently filled with notes about each man Camille proposed to her. She knew their ages, their immediate family members, and how they spent their days. Perhaps more importantly, she knew how their family had lost their own fortunes. That crucial bit of information could be the difference between a comfortable future and one spent scraping pennies.

Unlike the other American heiresses who came from new money families with industrial interests that kept their pockets deep, Cora and her sisters were illegitimate. They weren’t marrying for mere social status, though that would be a boon; they were marrying for the very survival of their small family.

“Then you can marry any gentleman who might reside here. I’ll choose one who lives in London.” Eliza nodded her head in finality and Cora hid her grin. If only it were that easy of a choice.

“I understand the conditions are not ideal,” Camille said, leading them around the muck and mud of the road to the higher-packed earth along the edge. They didn’t seem to be heading toward the center of town but in the other direction along a narrow lane that followed the tracks before turning away. “But being able to observe these men outside of normal social conditions will give you rare insight. Since they don’t know you yet and don’t know that you’re watching, they’ll be more inclined to be themselves. Once at the house party, they’ll all be on their best behavior, and you’ll only see what they allow you to see.”

That was certainly true. Of the ten men Camille had invited to the upcoming house party at Stonebridge Cottage, they had been able to observe five without them being aware. First, they had gone to the Lakes, where they had discreetly assessed two of their suitors who were participating in an angler tournament. They were two of the most boring individuals Cora had ever encountered. Since boredom hadn’t made it onto her list, they had passed the test. Then, they had gone to a lecture at the British Museum to locate a third who had been a bit argumentative with the lecturer. She had drawn a line through his name. She wouldn’t countenance a rude husband. From there, they had quietly observed two others at Hyde Park. Both were a bit snobbish in their bearing, so Cora had put a question mark by their names. Today was their last jaunt before the house party began early next week. They were here to watch a football game.

“I’m afraid the match has already begun, but we’ll be able to see enough to judge their sportsmanship. I know that’s not on your list, but you can learn a lot from how a man treats his teammates and adversaries,” Camille continued. “Perhaps we can pop over to the public house and watch them after, though that might be pushing things.”

It wouldn’t do to have anyone recognize the duchess. Once they heard the sisters’ American accents, their disguises of plain clothes would be quite useless to hide their identities from their prospective suitors. All objectivity would be gone, and they would lose their chance to observe them unaware.

“Perhaps we can watch for a time,” Cora said.

They rounded a corner after a row of tiny houses onto a narrow dirt lane that led to a field. It did appear the game was already in progress with roughly two dozen men on the pitch. Half wore green shirtsleeves while the other half wore yellow. Both wore trousers or pantaloons that would never be white again with all the mud, along with high socks and leather boots, and their heads were bare. They chased a round leather ball across the field in a match that was much more physical than she had anticipated.

“Careful of your step, dear,” Camille said, indicating a particularly deep puddle, and Cora lithely stepped around it. When she had righted herself, the duchess and Eliza were continuing on their way to the left where a robust crowd had gathered to cheer on the players.

Cora stood transfixed at the sheer physicality of the drama playing out on the field. One man hurried to kick the ball, grunting when another one ran into him, nearly sending him careening on the soaked ground. The ball had only been glanced, which sent it several yards toward the far side. Another man, his golden hair damp with sweat and rain and falling about his face, cursed and then let out a victorious yell as he ran through several opponents and managed to make good contact with the ball, kicking it in an arc, sending it farther downfield toward the goal. The players turned as one and hurried in that direction. If there was any sort of coordination among them, Cora couldn’t see it. They all seemed madcap in their zeal to obtain the ball.

For a moment, she was struck by the sheer size and athleticism of the men. Without a coat to hide them, their shoulders appeared extra wide, the muscles working under the thin material of their shirts as they ran, the rain melding the fabric to them. Their chests seemed thick and strapped with sinew. It suddenly became apparent why good Society insisted on a man wearing his coat at all times. It might prove too distracting otherwise. Although, most Society men she had met had a bit of soft about them. Not like these men.

She smiled to herself and began to make her way over to where Camille and Eliza had joined the spectators. However, she couldn’t stop herself from looking back at the one who had kicked the ball. He was tall and muscled, his jaw square and firm as his eyes narrowed, watching to see which way the ball would go when it finally broke free of the group. He loped easily toward his teammates, his long legs eating up the distance without making him seem out of breath. It was probably too much to hope that he would be one of her suitors, though the fact that he was so handsome meant he violated a rule on her list and she shouldn’t consider him anyway.

As she stared at him, the ball suddenly broke free of the chaos on the field, hurtling in her direction. A player roughly her own size came rushing toward her, his eyes crazed with ferocity as he screamed with the triumph of a predator about to seize its prey. She barely got a look at him before the man she had been admiring yelled, “Briggs!” drawing her attention back to him. He’d picked up speed, running full bore in their direction, ostensibly to intercept his teammate from flattening her.

She sidestepped the ball, somehow managing to miss Briggs but stepping into the path of the golden-haired man. He tried to stop, but the change in momentum sent him skidding over a patch of mud and directly into her. Her breath rushed out of her at the initial contact, flinging her umbrella and journal in the air, and her own feet caught the mud and they tumbled to the ground together. He twisted, catching the brunt of the fall, but they rolled several more times before coming to a stop in the soggy grass. The players were still following the ball, and as they lumbered closer, sounding like a herd of cattle, she closed her eyes, expecting them to fall over her and the man. The anticipated disaster never happened as they continued running down the field. She opened her eyes to see his staring down at her. They were green like emeralds and intense with concern. She had never seen a color like them on anything but a cat.

“Are you hurt?” he asked.

She took in a breath, surprised to find that nothing was sore. “I don’t think so.” Her voice came out sounding winded.

He leaned over her as he ran a hand over her rib cage and up over her breast. She gasped as he pressed, no doubt looking for injury, but her nipple tightened beneath his touch just the same, and her blood warmed in a way that was unseemly. She sucked in a hard breath. “Excuse me!”

“You are hurt.”

“No!” She wrenched his hand away.

His brow furrowed, flummoxed by her outrage. “No?”

Perhaps he hadn’t realized that he had all but fondled her breast with his pawing. She took in another breath and managed to speak in a calmer tone. “I am uninjured.” She attempted to sit up as embarrassment began to creep in, but she was stuck beneath the weight of his thigh over hers-his very large, very solid thigh. In fact, his entire body seemed very large and very solid above her. She ought to feel more put out, but suddenly, she didn’t quite mind lying here like this beneath him.

“Let me help you up,” he said just as she was becoming accustomed to his attentions. Removing himself from her, he offered her his hand.

She took it, still too aware of him in a physical sense. Her heart pounded as heat suffused her cheeks. At his full height, he stood nearly a head taller than her. His torso might well have been double the width of hers. Aside from a few dances, she had never been this close to a man before, and certainly not one so attractive.

“You might watch where you’re going next time.” She was struggling to catch her breath as if she were the one who had run across the field. Her hand shook when she took it back, so she wiped at the blades of grass stuck to her bodice to hide the tremble. His hands followed, helping her wipe the debris away and sending her nerve endings teetering wildly.

Before she could gather herself to protest-which may have taken a while, considering a very real part of her was enjoying the attention-he said, “You might have stayed off the pitch.”

His words cut through the havoc within her. “I wasn’t on the pitch. I was off to the side. Your friend, Briggs, was outside of the boundary.”

“You play association football, do you?” His gaze narrowed in obvious irritation.

“No, but every game has a boundary line. I was outside of yours.” She turned to indicate that fact, but there didn’t actually seem to be a line designating any boundary.US

Additional information

Weight	9 oz
Dimensions	0.8000 × 5.1000 × 7.9200 in
Series	The Doves of New York
Imprint	Berkley
Format	General Trade
ISBN-13	09780593441008
ISBN-10	0593441001
Author	Harper St. George
Audience	General / adult
BISAC	FIC027050, FIC027170
Subjects	regency, anthology, paranormal romance, love story, victorian, british history, historical romance, books for women, contemporary romance, historical mystery, FIC027170, revenge, FIC027050, Gilded Age, relationship books, fiction books, books fiction, romance novels, historical romance books, romantic suspense, regency romance, western romance, love, adventure, horses, historical, crime, marriage, relationship, relationships, family, classic, romance, england, fiction, suspense, mystery, paranormal, fantasy, romance books, romantic, murder, holiday, novels