The Blackcastle Trilogy Series by Judith A. Lansdowne

A LONG-LOST FRIENDSHIP... The Reverend Richard Dempsey accepts the comfortable living in the hinterlands offered him by the Duke of Berinwick. But when Dempsey arrives at St. Milburga's of the Wood, he discovers the church in ruins, his patron dead, and Berinwick's family threatened by a madman. Thirty years ago and more, Richard Dempsey would have risked everything for Veronica Longwood... moreA LONG-LOST FRIENDSHIP... The Reverend Richard Dempsey accepts the comfortable living in the hinterlands offered him by the Duke of Berinwick. But when Dempsey arrives at St. Milburga's of the Wood, he discovers the church in ruins, his patron dead, and Berinwick's family threatened by a madman. Thirty years ago and more, Richard Dempsey would have risked everything for Veronica Longwood. Now that she is the widowed Duchess of Berinwick, will he still risk all to protect her and her children from the consequences of an ancient rivalry? BECOMES A NEWFOUND LOVE Behind a calm and commanding facade, Veronica Longwood Thorne hides a heart filled with grief and guilt. Haunted by memories of her one great sin and appalled by the multitude of sins that flowed from it, the Duchess of Berinwick wishes nothing more than to hide herself away from everyone. Until Richard Dempsey reappears in her life. Until this long-lost friend provides her with a solid arm to lean upon, a pair of practical eyes through which to see herself, and all the balm and strength she requires to overcome her own inadequacies, foil a villain, and seize a second chance at love... less

Good manners may have demanded that the unattached Marquis of Kearny and Mallory undertake a trip to the country at his cousin's request, but something far more compelling requires him to remain. A wrong turn leads him directly into danger - and into the most unsettling conviction that his stalwart rescuer, Lady Hannah Thorne, is destined to be the one an only woman he will ever love... moreGood manners may have demanded that the unattached Marquis of Kearny and Mallory undertake a trip to the country at his cousin's request, but something far more compelling requires him to remain. A wrong turn leads him directly into danger - and into the most unsettling conviction that his stalwart rescuer, Lady Hannah Thorne, is destined to be the one an only woman he will ever love. That is, if he survives long enough to get to know her, of course, which hardly seems likely with wild dogs on his heels and news of a recent murder that has rocked the peaceful village...Quite content without a husband, Hannah is taken aback when she discovers that the stranger she rescued from Little Mynd moor is the very paragon of manly virtues her best friend, Anne, has been extolling. Something about this Mallory id disturbing - or is that desirable? As their mutual friends insist on throwing them together, Hannah is surprised to realise that her feelings for Mal just may be the romantic sort. But before she can decide if this perfect gentleman will make the perfect husband, she must deduce who is trying to kill him... less

A Notorious Nobleman The Duke of Berinwick is the last of his line, though he yearns for the warmth of a wife and family. But no lady will set foot in Blackcastle, his vast country house, and the solitude of a long winter has become a prison for his lonely soul. And now that Shropshire is shrouded in snow, the glittering social whirl of London has become no more than a memory and its exquisite women like figures in a dream--until Julia Delacroix ventures into his solitary lair... moreA Notorious Nobleman The Duke of Berinwick is the last of his line, though he yearns for the warmth of a wife and family. But no lady will set foot in Blackcastle, his vast country house, and the solitude of a long winter has become a prison for his lonely soul. And now that Shropshire is shrouded in snow, the glittering social whirl of London has become no more than a memory and its exquisite women like figures in a dream--until Julia Delacroix ventures into his solitary lair. A Scandalous Secret The proud beauty hopes to sell her sole remaining treasure, a silver lion of mysterious provenance. Knowing that the Duke would part with a small fortune to possess the heirloom has brought Julia to his door--and compelled Berinwick to find out her secret: she intends to find and destroy the dastard who ruined her beloved elder sister. As bold as she is brave, Julia forges an unlikely alliance with the powerful Duke. Only he can help her carry out her cunning plan for revenge, though their unusual relationship may prove to be the scandal of the Season... less