School For Scandal Series by Sandy Hingston

"Society is a formidable foe. And a young lady needs the proper weapons if she is to be more than a mere bauble on a rich man's arm. I will provide the weapons. It is up to each student to find her passions. Tucked away in the countryside, away from prying eyes, Mrs. Treadwell's Academy for Young Ladies is a place like no other... more"Society is a formidable foe. And a young lady needs the proper weapons if she is to be more than a mere bauble on a rich man's arm. I will provide the weapons. It is up to each student to find her passions. Tucked away in the countryside, away from prying eyes, Mrs. Treadwell's Academy for Young Ladies is a place like no other. After all, only the most scandalous school would teach young ladies to trust their passions, to think for themselves, and to achieve their true potential--in life as well as in love. .. . Nichola Hainesworth's desperate mother enrolled her at the Academy to master the fine art of marrying well. But Nichola has other plans. At first, she intends to escape. But soon she is drawn to the school's scandalously unorthodox fencing lessons. .. and its irresistibly arrogant instructor. A wounded war hero, Lord Brian Boru makes Nichola's heart race as he guides each thrust and parry. His rakish reputation would make her mother swoon, but Nichola sees beyond the Scotsman's fierce facade to the guarded heart beneath. And while the cardinal rule of swordplay is never to let one's heart overrule one's head, Nichola Hainesworth is about to learn that most rules are made to be broken! less

He will court her. He will love her. He will break her heart. Beautiful, wealthy Katherine Devereaux doesn't just think she's better than everyone else -- she knows it. Her snobbish ways alienate everyone she meets -- and her parents fear her marriage prospects are ruined. Determined to uncover their hard-hearted daughter's soft side, they apply to Countess Christiane d'Oliveri for help... moreHe will court her. He will love her. He will break her heart. Beautiful, wealthy Katherine Devereaux doesn't just think she's better than everyone else -- she knows it. Her snobbish ways alienate everyone she meets -- and her parents fear her marriage prospects are ruined. Determined to uncover their hard-hearted daughter's soft side, they apply to Countess Christiane d'Oliveri for help. The countess has the perfect solution: She pays French ne'er-do-well Alain Montclair to court the duke's daughter and break her cold heart in two. But in the process of earning his pay, Alain discovers that Katherine, behind her haughty airs and petty pretensions, is a deeply lonely young woman who is desperate for love. But no one is more surprised than Katherine to learn how much she is willing to give up in the name of love, once she dares to let Alain into her heart. less

HE WAS ONLY A BOY. Gannon Finn was a brash Irish Lord on a tour of the Continent when he first met Christiane d'Oliveri, proprietress of the most exclusive gambling hell in Paris. He fell for her the way only an ardent youngster could--and vowed to rescue her from her life of wicked vice. But worldly, sophisticated Christiane just laughed at him. NOW HE IS A MAN... moreHE WAS ONLY A BOY. Gannon Finn was a brash Irish Lord on a tour of the Continent when he first met Christiane d'Oliveri, proprietress of the most exclusive gambling hell in Paris. He fell for her the way only an ardent youngster could--and vowed to rescue her from her life of wicked vice. But worldly, sophisticated Christiane just laughed at him. NOW HE IS A MAN. Years later, Christiane is the headmistress of a highly proper academy for young women when Gannon comes crashing back into her life, a redoubtable rake with his niece in tow. Is he still enamored of her? Or is he merely paying her back for her cruelty--or worse, using her to try to cover up a despicable crime? Christiane is about to learn a lesson that is harder than any her academy could teach. less