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Felicity York

Only the boldest of ladies risks her heart and her reputation . . .
THE FIRST BOOK IN THE STATELY SCANDALS SERIES

1826. At first sight, Ellen Turner does not seem the type to elope with a stranger. So when the young heriess vanishes from her boarding school in the arms of the rugged scoundrel Edward Wakefield, and the pair are sighted in a carriage racing from Gretna Green to the Port of Dover, her virtue becomes the subject of hot public debate.

In the ensuing court case, Ellen keeps a cool head. Until she discovers who is judging the trial – her mortifyingly handsome and charming neighbour, Thomas Legh of Lyme Park.

Ellen faces a choice. To pursue the husband of her dreams would mean risking everything. But when a lady’s reputation already lies in tatters, what has she to lose?

Inspired by the incredible true story of romance, subterfuge and intrigue, The Runaway Bride will whisk you away on the escapade that was Lyme Park’s greatest scandal.

* * *

The Stately Scandals series is a brand new selection of incredible true stories, never before told in fiction, by Felicity York. Each novel follows one of the most rebellious women to have lived in the stately homes of 19th-century northern England. The next novel in the series, The Quiet Wife: A Speke Hall Scandal, will be published in June 2024.

Laura Brydon

HarperNorth

Stately Scandals

The Runaway Bride: A Lyme Park Scandal

All he wants is a quiet wife. But she wants something more . . . 
1867, Liverpool. Wife to an errant husband, the art patron Frederick Leyland, Frances is losing her sense of self. So when Frederick announces they are moving into the crumbling Speke Hall, she throws herself into the all-consuming task of renovating their once-magnificent new home.

But when one of Frederick’s protegés – the handsome, brooding American artist James Whistler – offers to help Frances decorate, she and the painter form an instant connection. And under the painter’s gaze, Frances begins to see that like the house, there is neglected splendour within her, too. Inspired by the possibilities the artist arouses in her, she begins to wonder if love might still be in the picture for her, after all…

 Based on a true story, this is the heady, slow-burn tale of a woman reinventing herself, while embarking on a daring, forbidden love affair with James Whistler.

The Quiet Wife: A Speke Hall Scandal