The Perfect Lady (The Valiant Love Regency Romance) (A Historical Romance Book)

As happened to so may family members when the father squandered their money and resources , Lady Beatrix Gillingham found herself at the mercy of her brother. His desire to repay the debts of his late father, the Earl of Dalewell, caused him to offer his sister in marriage to a man of great wealth. Beatrix was not a weak woman and she disappeared rather than marry under these circumstances. Life had been hard but she maintained her dignity and safety as Mrs. Betty Gillet. As the wife of an English souldier fighting the French, she was able to find work in a bar near the docks. She and the general meet one night when he staggers into the bar having been accosted in his search for Hatcher. "Betty" saves his life and in the confusion he claims to be her husband. Though not in uniform, he speaks of being a soldier returned for his wife. He leaves Betty a purse of coins for her kindness that helps her leave the bar and find better lodgings. It isn't long before the rouse is exposed and Betty is forced to leave the job at the bar. Hero finds her and upon learning who she really is, offers to help her find a husband in the upcoming season through sponsorship by his sister Lady Beaumont. This is just the first couple of chapters in this very entertaining book. It is action packed and all the character's personalities are colorful, intense and so typical of the ton at the end of the war with France. At the core of the story is the relationship between Hero and Beatrix. Her nickname for him is Aristocrat and he calls her Bea. It is love at first sight but they keep their feelings very well hidden. Society's rules, fallen families, ill parents, and fear of unrequited love puts up such barriers for our dear couple that getting to their HEA is a trek and a half. Loved this story because Hero and Beatrix are great characters. I hope this is a series because there are many people in this book that deserve more investigation. Enjoy Thanks Deborah for sharing this with us. Write on lady.

Humm, not sure what, but something was missing. The author has a good idea on subject matter but it lacked depth and action. No mystery, no resolve, no point. Just missing something, like reading a teenage novel, no adult enacting. Silly stufff.

Lady Beatrix Gillingham, daughter of an earl but now a barmaid known as Betty Gillett, was standing in the semi-darkness when the tavern door flew open, shattering on the brick wall it encountered. An apparently drunken man staggered in. As she told him the tavern was closed, he moved his hand and she saw he was seriously injured. It looked as though he had lost much blood already. She called John from the kitchen to help her get him to her own room since the tavern was fully occupied. Then she sent John for the doctor while she assessed the wound. The man told her it was not as bad as it looked, and she told him to remain quiet so he didn’t make it worse. But he was right. He had bled because he kept moving rather than stay still and call for help. She was irritated with him for being so foolish.General Hero Curbain, second son to a dukedom, watched as she cared for his wound. He had noticed that she didn’t move or speak like a working class woman but more like a duchess. She called him “Aristocrat” and scolded him for being out on the docks alone at this hour. He liked her bravery in speaking like that to him. He asked if she wanted to know his name, but she refused since once they were introduced, then she would have to put down the cloth she used to clean him and curtsy. She preferred to remain as she was instead. He laughed at that, enjoying their game of wit. But when he asked about her, she became serious.Her boss, Mr. Thump, was furious when he, the doctor, and John entered her room. He told her she knew the rules about men unless he was her husband . . . Hero immediately said he was! Betty regained her composure and introduced him as her husband who would be heading out to Asia as soon as he left the next morning – so Betty could keep working at the tavern. Hero gave her coins to take a hack and get a comfortable room for the night since he still needed to rest in her bed. When she returned to her room, he had gone but left a large purse behind for her troubles. He wanted to see her again, but they were from different worlds and he knew he couldn’t. When he went to the theatre that evening to join his family, he hardly noticed when a footman greeted him as Mr. Gillett – because that is the name John had met him under when Betty introduced them at the tavern.Unknown to Betty, John had excitedly told his tavern friends that Mr. Gillett was actually General Hero Curbain, the second son of a duke! And Mr. Trump heard him. He was in a rage when Betty came to work and he called her a liar. She was stunned that a general, a duke’s son, had been in her bed! She couldn’t stay here now, but Mr. Trump looked at her in a way that frightened her. It was why she had told him she was married, so he would not try anything. Now he knew that was not true. He demanded she sleep in his bed that night or she did not have a job. She would have to start her life all over again. Could she? Would she ever see Hero again? She hadn’t had a chance to thank him, and his coin was the only thing that made a new life possible for her.This was such a great story! Having the female character stand up for herself and find the strength to get out of a bad situation was so refreshing. The book was well written and the story line moves at a good pace. There is so much more to this book! I highly recommend it and you need to see how it all plays out in the end!