The Rake and The Redhead

THE RAKE AND THE REDHEAD

BY

EMILY JOHNSON

PUBLISHED BY ROBERT HALE LONDON.

ISBN 978-0-7090-8629-1.





Dashing to a village near Oxford, to try and help her dearest cousin Jane, the beautiful Miss Hyacinthe Dancy still held Jane’s letter in her hand.

She felt Tom the coachman slowing down, and peeping from the carriage window she saw they were about to go into the yard of The Black Lion Inn where they were to spend the night. It looked a superior inn and she was pleased to get out of the coach, tomorrow they would reach Jane’s cottage and then the battle would begin. Hyacinthe had no intention of letting the Lord of the Manor, whoever he was; tear down a whole village just to improve the view from his house.

Hyacinthe was travelling with her companion and maid Forsdick who was the most respectable person one would ever wish to meet mused Hyacinthe and without whom, her Aunt Bel would not have allowed Hyacinthe to speed to Jane, and try to rescue her cottage, and indeed the whole village.

While in the Inn yard a gentleman lazily strode across to speak to the Inn Keeper, who at first thought that Miss Dancy was not quite the type of person he wished to stay at his Inn. But as she was soon joined by Forsdick and Her coachman he quickly saw that he had been mistaken. The Gentleman turned to speak to Hyacinthe and she recognized the heartbreakingly handsome, but scandalous rake, Lord Norwood, who she had met previously in London and who had almost ignored her, then. She still smarted from his obvious lack of interest in her, and the greeting she gave him was very cool. Hyacinthe hoped that she would not have to meet him again for a very long time.

When she finally reached Jane’s Cottage, she decided it was as beautiful as she remembered and it strengthened her determination to save it from the heartless Lord of the Manor. It was not only Jane who would be forced to leave her home, but all of the other people who lived in the pretty village of Worthington would also so have to leave. True the lord was building a new village just a short way from Worthington, but it could not be the same, as a home you had loved and lived in for most of your life, as almost all of the villagers had.

Jane was delighted to welcome Hyacinthe to her home, but doubted that she would be able to alter the Lord’s mind. When Hyacinthe learned that it was indeed Lord Norwood who was riding rough shod over her dear Jane’s wishes and the villager’s too, she was ready for battle.

This is a delightful Regency tale with twists and turns and told in a charming way. It is full of fun and Lord Norwood finds that he has met his match in Miss Hyacinthe Dancy. Will Hyacinthe lose the battle to save Worthington and also lose her heart or will Lord Norwood be triumphant and move the village and break her heart also. Read this charming Regency Novel, and enjoy the adventures which unfold throughout its pages, it is fun. I give this book 5+ Red Roses and hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. AS.