The Victorian Vices Series by Louise Taylor

The new governess at remote and forbidding Briarstone Manor is not who or what she claims to be. But prior to Elizabeth's arrival at the great, sad house, no one else had been able to get through to or control the lonely little girl, the supposed daughter of a peer of the realm, who is need of governing. Since Elizabeth speaks French, the girl's native tongue, they quickly bond... moreThe new governess at remote and forbidding Briarstone Manor is not who or what she claims to be. But prior to Elizabeth's arrival at the great, sad house, no one else had been able to get through to or control the lonely little girl, the supposed daughter of a peer of the realm, who is need of governing. Since Elizabeth speaks French, the girl's native tongue, they quickly bond. Being an inquisitive young woman, however, the new governess all too soon discovers a treasure trove of erotic literature, with an emphasis on spanking, hidden on the premises by the lord of the manor, Joseph, Marquess of Hamilton. Joseph is a man torn between his parental duty to a daughter of questionable origin, and his loathing for Briarstone; the least favorite of all his estates. He also is a man who takes a very dim view of a young, pretty woman snooping around to find books she has no business reading – and he also happens to know exactly what to do when such outrageous behavior does occur. When she is caught, though, and taken to task, Elizabeth has to wonder; is being spanked – however strictly – by the stern and handsome lord truly a punishment at all? And what will become of her when Joseph discovers the shameful secret of her true identity? Come join Louise Taylor as she takes us back more than a century and a half – to a time when a man was master of the house, and an employee's place was, very often, across his lap – to find the answers. less

The Duke of Dorset is having a very bad day. One moment he is enjoying life as a single man in possession of the most beautiful mistress in London, and the next he finds that he has inherited the guardianship of two orphaned cousins; daughters of his black sheep uncle, the Earl of Shrewsbury. These very young, very troublesome country cousins arrive as a package deal, along with their older half-sister, Miss Sophia Preston... moreThe Duke of Dorset is having a very bad day. One moment he is enjoying life as a single man in possession of the most beautiful mistress in London, and the next he finds that he has inherited the guardianship of two orphaned cousins; daughters of his black sheep uncle, the Earl of Shrewsbury. These very young, very troublesome country cousins arrive as a package deal, along with their older half-sister, Miss Sophia Preston. She is a feisty, opinionated young woman of marriageable age—a stepdaughter to the deceased earl, in fact, who is determined to return her family to the countryside where they belong. Sparks fly as Miss Sophia clashes not only with the duke, a thirty-year-old confirmed bachelor, but also with the duke’s mother, a grande dame in London society. The duchess has little patience with two small, difficult and noisy girls, and even less with their unrefined and yet outspoken country mouse of a half sister. Still, all the heat and friction produced between those three is nothing compared to the firestorm that ensues when the duke's mistress, a courtesan of the very highest rank and quite full of herself, discovers that the duke is beginning to see Miss Sophia in an entirely different and quite romantic light... less

Anthony Carstairs, Earl of Beaumont, has seven sisters and very little money to provide for their dowries, dresses, and dreams of good society marriages. An unexpected inheritance from a distant relative is an absolute godsend for the cash-strapped earl. The estate he will inherit, however, is located in far-off Cornwall... moreAnthony Carstairs, Earl of Beaumont, has seven sisters and very little money to provide for their dowries, dresses, and dreams of good society marriages. An unexpected inheritance from a distant relative is an absolute godsend for the cash-strapped earl. The estate he will inherit, however, is located in far-off Cornwall. There is a rather rundown manor house, as well as an uninhabitable castle overlooking the sea, along with some good farmland, so the earl’s first thought is to sell the place for much needed funds. For Jennifer Polperran, current occupant of the house and lands in question, the earl's inheritance means that she has lost her home. Her adopted father had little else to leave her, so she must either marry a neighbor she loathes, Sir Alec Salcombe, or live in extremely reduced circumstances. But for all her life, Jennifer’s father had told her of an ancient legend, of a fortune in gold and jewels stolen by two star-crossed lovers and hidden away somewhere on the estate just before their tragic and untimely deaths. Many had sought the treasure over the centuries, but Jennifer might just have found the key to its location, if only she can get the new owner’s consent, and perhaps even his cooperation in finding it. Convincing the Earl of Beaumont to give her leave to stay and search proves less difficult than she imagined. But their way is fraught with disappointment and peril, not the least of which is caused by the ruthless and rapacious Sir Alec. Regardless, romance quickly blossoms between the earl and the penniless Jennifer, and together they persevere in the hunt that is their best hope for a bright, golden future together. less