The Counterfeit Lady
A Regency Romance
A 2018 I Heart Indie Contest Finalist
Freedom!
Vowing she’ll never submit to an arranged marriage, an earl’s daughter bolts for the remote seaside cottage that should be hers upon marriage.
But instead of a quiet respite from her controlling family, she finds her refuge occupied by the last man she ever wants to see again—an American artist, who’s also a thief.
And quite possibly one of her father’s spies.
Perry stood at the mullioned French doors looking out over a narrow-tiled terrace. In the distance, a boat, as tiny as a beetle on the top of a pond, bobbed on a sea that roiled like her heart. Next to her, Jenny’s mouth had dropped open.
“Are you wondering what you’ve got yourself into?” Perry whispered.
“You did promise an adventure, miss.” She put the tip of one gloved finger on the pristine window. “But I’ll not go out there on any boat, no matter.”
Perry grinned through trembling lips. Nor would she, if she could help it.
“No? In for a penny, in for a pound.” She took a breath and another fragrance came to her, the scent of her mother’s preserved rooms at Cransdall. Her father had not bothered looking for a new countess to occupy them, thank God.
“It’s spotless. They must have a girl come up from the village to clean,” Jenny whispered and pointed. “Except for the mess over there.”
READ MOREEmpty dishes and a glass rested on a pretty oval table. Nearby, a dark shawl, much like the ones her mother had favored, draped over the back of a sofa.
Perry stood taller. “The house is not let. No one should be here but me. I have a right.”
“But no key, miss?” Jenny arched a brow.
The sound of a footstep drew their gaze to the drawing room door. A man stood in the shadow, tall, with dark hair longer than what was fashionable. Dim light caught the white of his linens. He was naked of coats.
The clacking in her chest beat all the way to her ears. Inside her pocket was a pistol, not primed, not cocked, and no doubt far too wet to fire.
He stepped through the door, into the gray light from the windows, and her heart all but stopped.
Fox was here. Fox, the artist. Fox, the scoundrel. Fox, the thief.
COLLAPSEFour Stars for Excellence!
Lady Perpetua, Perry to her friends, and the daughter and of the infamous spy lord, Earl Shaldon, has bolted. Unwilling to be forced into marriage, she flees to the rugged Yorkshire coast to Gorse Cottage hoping to hide away there. Unfortunately, the cottage is already inhabited by the handsome and utterly annoying American painter, Mr. Fox. He and Perry have history. She has had a crush on him since she was a girl, and he has teased her and shunned her mercilessly. Now, it appears that the annoying Mr. Fox is more than he seems. Could he be one of her father’s spies? Moreover, what is he doing at Gorse Cottage, an estate she will inherit upon her marriage? As bodies pile up and layers of secrets are peeled back only to reveal more secrets, Perry and Fox are drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse. The prize: learning the truth behind the tragic death of Perry’s mother, but will they live long enough to tell the tale?
“The Counterfeit Lady” takes readers on a rollercoaster ride of adventure, action and intrigue. Lovers of spy and Regency novels will love Ms. Field’s skillful weaving of the two genres. Wonderfully drawn characters abound, from the many lively minor characters to the stiffly handsome and honorable Fox, always fighting his feelings, to Perry’s headstrong, slightly naïve runaway determined to live on her own terms. Along with the bright characters, the action is well plotted and will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Readers may be confused at first because, being the fourth book in the series, much of the backstory is only briefly alluded to, but that flaw is overbalanced as the story and characters draw readers into this rollicking tale of intrigue and love.