The Hapgoods of Bramleigh Series by Christina Dudley

Joseph Tierney, a naturalist commissioned by the Royal Society, stumbles upon the perfect assistant: an eager lad who knows the lay of the landscape and his flora from his fauna. But Joseph finds their fruitful partnership compromised when this so-called Arthur Baddely turns out to be one Miss Alice Hapgood, daughter of the neighboring squire.

In this anticipated follow-up to THE NATURALIST, A VERY PLAIN YOUNG MAN takes up the story of Elfrida, the most beautiful of the Hapgood sisters, as well as the most practical. If she must marry eventually, she intends to choose a husband not with her eyes, nor even with her heart, but with her common sense. He must be respectable and steady--not given to gambling or wenching or idling like her scapegrace uncles... moreIn this anticipated follow-up to THE NATURALIST, A VERY PLAIN YOUNG MAN takes up the story of Elfrida, the most beautiful of the Hapgood sisters, as well as the most practical. If she must marry eventually, she intends to choose a husband not with her eyes, nor even with her heart, but with her common sense. He must be respectable and steady--not given to gambling or wenching or idling like her scapegrace uncles. So naturally, Frederick Tierney, the rakish brother of her new brother-in-law, will never do. Not only is his chequered past not entirely in the past, but he is too handsome for his own good and takes delight in unsettling her. But when another offer comes her way which meets all of her supposed requirements, Elfrida finds choosing duty over desire not as simple as she imagined. less

Hugh Hapgood, cousin to Squire Richard Hapgood of Bramleigh, finds himself alone after the death of his first wife and scrambling to care for his three motherless children. He must see to their care and education, and yet he feels he hardly knows them. Those around him believe he should choose a second wife to assist him with the burdens of life, and, it seems, nearly everyone has just the person in mind for him! But will the fates allow Hugh to have the woman his own heart chooses?

With her two older sisters married, managing family affairs has fallen to capable Miss Margaret Hapgood, leaving little time for thoughts of marriage. But a trip to Bath to find her uncle a wealthy bride throws her in the path of a handsome recuperating soldier, who is equally determined to keep his mother’s fortune out of grasping hands.

She lives for her art. He has adored her as long as he’s known her. When her masterpiece goes missing, can love take its place? England, 1814. Edith Hapgood only has eyes for art. As the darling pride of her family, she has been encouraged in her passion for painting, making it easy for her to overlook other objects of affection. But her distant cousin, one of her chief friends and companions from the age of eleven, has no intention of being forgotten as the creative world opens to her... moreShe lives for her art. He has adored her as long as he’s known her. When her masterpiece goes missing, can love take its place? England, 1814. Edith Hapgood only has eyes for art. As the darling pride of her family, she has been encouraged in her passion for painting, making it easy for her to overlook other objects of affection. But her distant cousin, one of her chief friends and companions from the age of eleven, has no intention of being forgotten as the creative world opens to her. Lionel Hapgood has long struggled to keep his feelings for Edith secret and his head down while he finishes his degree and she pursues her artistic studies. But an ardent young man can only stand so much, and when he impulsively declares himself, he loses what he has so carefully built. As Edith grows as an artist, her own brush has something to teach her as well. Her portrait of Lionel, captured on the fateful day he spoke his love, not only attracts admiration and danger, but reveals to her the true state of her feelings. When it goes missing, so does a piece of her heart. Will the loss of her celebrated portrait lead to the loss of the one she learns to hold even dearer? The Purloined Portrait is the endearing fifth book in The Hapgoods of Bramleigh clean Regency romance series. If you like talented heroines, devoted heroes determined to save the day, and adventures in Bath and London, you’ll adore Christina Dudley’s delightful tale. less

Scandal makes its own rules...Harriet Hapgood has always delighted in arranging the lives of others, while generally doing as she pleased. And after having thwarted her cousin Caroline’s engagement the previous summer, what better way to pass a dull winter than in helping Caroline to a new husband? Her cousin sets her sights on the glittering Mr. St. John Rotherwood, so Hetty cheerfully puts her shoulder to the matchmaking wheel.St. John Rotherwood didn’t always glitter... moreScandal makes its own rules...Harriet Hapgood has always delighted in arranging the lives of others, while generally doing as she pleased. And after having thwarted her cousin Caroline’s engagement the previous summer, what better way to pass a dull winter than in helping Caroline to a new husband? Her cousin sets her sights on the glittering Mr. St. John Rotherwood, so Hetty cheerfully puts her shoulder to the matchmaking wheel.St. John Rotherwood didn’t always glitter.A magnificent inheritance has catapulted the erstwhile impoverished Oxford mathematics tutor to the top of London society, where he finds himself eagerly pursued as a matrimonial prize. This apotheosis has not been an unqualified blessing, however. The attention is wearisome, and his formerly humble mother has been transformed by ambition. Is it nostalgia for his university days that draws St. John to Miss Hapgood, sister of his former pupil?Hetty feels the lure of the season’s most eligible bachelor, but when an evening’s lark leads to scandal, she discovers society has laws as rigorous as any found in mathematics.She could let Mr. Rotherwood rescue her, but if the world breaks her will, will it also break her heart? less