Somerville Series

FRANCE, ENGLAND, 1793. War has been declared between the revolutonary authorities in France and Great Britain. Rebecca's clandestine trips on behalf of the British Admiralty become ever more hazardous.    Revolution threatens. London simmers with unease as events in France unleash turmoil in Europe. And Rebecca Somerville, reluctant heiress of a bankrupt estate, is drawn ever deeper into a clandestine world. Her freedom - even her life - are in danger. Challenged from all sides, she relies once more on her unconventional behaviour and the friends and allies who can offer support and succour. And piece-by-piece begins to unravel the mystery of the Somerville treasure. If it exists... Saved from the French spymaster. Leclerc, by an unlikely rescuer, Rebecca is immediately caught in another deadly trap - with, initially, little prospect of escape. Though her freedom is curtailed, events conspire to allow her the capacity to break out of her restrictions and behave in her usual unconventional manner.

ENGLAND, 1780s   Rebecca Miller's idyllic childhood ends abruptly. Death, inheritance and a sudden, startling betrothal transform her future. Brought up to be independent, she is thrust into a world where she has no say in what may befall her. What can be the secret of the bankrupt Somerville estate? Why does the Earl of Marshwood, a rich, ageing rake, want to marry her in such a rush?   'Heiress of Somerville' introduces the feisty, active girl who will grow into the determined, daring young woman she is to become.   Rebecca would have gone to sea with her father but at 14 her aunty feels it's better she stays - Rebecca now part of her aunt's family since the death of her own mother when she was little. And her aunty's shock announcement that she's expecting a baby is further reason to stay. But one night tragedy occurs and once more Rebecca's life changes. Brought up by a radical uncle who believes girls have just as much right to learning as boys, she is an unusual young woman in this age. Another shock awaits: Rebecca's father is heir to the bankrupt Somerville estate. But fearing for his children's future in a society where his radical views create suspicion, her uncle takes them to the new United States where 'free men may be free', leaving Rebecca in the care of a local worthy to await her father's return. Life changes again. Then the news arrives that her father has died at sea, and Rebecca inherits. And an estate - even a bankrupt one - makes her highly eligible for marriage. News of the Somerville heiress alerts none other than the Earl of Marshwood, a wealthy rake three times her age. Why is this cold, arrogant man in such an obsessed rush to marry a penniless orphan? Then her betrothed casually mentions she's the winnings of a bet. How can that be? Whatever might be the appeal of the Somerville estate for a man such as Marshwood? Rebecca faces a hopeless and terrifying future. Somehow and from somewhere she must garner the resolve and means to fight her fate and become the woman she is determined to become.   This is a prequel to the Somerville Trilogy, which tells the rest of Rebecca's story.

ENGLAND, 1790   At 18 years old, Rebecca Miller has lost everything: her family, her future, her freedom - even her name is changed.   All because a mysterious legacy is suddenly thrust upon her by force of circumstance, the bankrupt Somerville estate.   Penniless and low-born though she is, the name of Somerville is enough to ignite the courtship of the Earl of Marshwood, a wealthy rake three times her age, a man notorious for taking any woman he wishes - however unwilling. Why at this stage of his life is he so desperate to wed a girl way below his station with only a derelict estate to her name? And she is left in no doubt of the disdain in which he holds her, even as he arranges marriage.   From the freedom and lust for learning she has known through childhood, Rebecca's world closes in about her. Now she has no say in what may become of her, condemned to be the plaything of a decadent, cruel man whose power and influence know no bounds.   First she must survive. Then she must strive to seize her independence, and all this in a world where a woman – particularly a young one – is little more than a chattel, a toy to be enjoyed before being cast aside or abandoned to endless childbearing. Rebecca lacks resources and power; time is running out to avoid her imminent marriage. She must flee but has nowhere to go, every law and the expectations of the whole of society stand against her.   In the depths of her despair, unlikely allies appear: Sarah, her stalwart maid; Marie, the exotic and mysterious housekeeper of the Reverend Dean, the churchman who learns of the earl's obsessive search for the legendary Somerville treasure; and Adam Dean, his grandson.   In the end escape involves an undertaking of impossible danger and daring. A coded letter alerts her to the plight of Robert, a childhood friend who is being held by the revolutionary authorities in France. Rebecca sets out to rescue him but is caught in a trap.   Saved by an unlikely rescuer, she must return to England to face her fate, including marriage to a man she hates, fears and despises; a man who wants only this mythical treasure.   If the Somerville treasure even exists. And if it can be found...

'The Queen's Man' is a prequel to the Somerville Trilogy, whch is set some two hundred years later when the myth of the Somerville Treasure has become legend.    This quick read relates the origin of the myth.   Beneath the haze of smoke, battle rages. It's the opportunity Hugo Somerville and his crew have prayed for since leaving under orders from Queen Elizabeth herself: find the Spanish treasure ships and take them. And here is the greatest prize of them all: 'Santa Maria de la Asunción'. If Somerville wins her, he and his crew will be wealthy beyond their dreams.   But the 'Santa Maria' is under attack from one of the deadliest pirates in the Caribbean. Only cunning, stealth and bravery can hope to overcome their superior numbers. Then other dangers lurk on these lawless seas. Survive them - but what will be the welcome back home?    The old queen is sickly, and if Parliament puts James of Scotland on the throne, Somerville knows his fortune, and maybe his life, will be in grave danger.   If Somerville wins the treasure, his problems are only just beginning...

ENGLAND, 1790.   Revolution in France threatens all of Europe. London smoulders with suspicion and resentment, stirred up by those whose interests lie in fomenting trouble.  Rebecca Somerville, reluctant heiress of a bankrupt estate, is drawn ever deeper into a clandestine world. Her freedom - even her life - come under threat. Challenged from all sides, relying once more on her unconventional behaviour, she discovers friends and allies to back her up as she seeks to uncover more of the secrets of Somerville.   Rebecca's life has transformed in less than a year. Now she should be more hopeless, more helpless, than ever as circumstances drive her into threatening corners. Yet newly transported to London, she acquires a growing band of allies to add to the few left behind at Marshwood, including her hitherto unknown benefactor, Jeremiah Pendleton.   It transpires the latter has been in a long-running feud with the Earl of Marshwood, and has sought to inconvenience his search for the elusive Somerville treasure, inheritance of which has so thrown Rebecca's life on end. So Pendleton is only to ready to offer his assistance. Together they painstakingly begin to unravel the mystery.   First, Rebecca has to try to save the life of her childhood friend, Robert, who is under threat. But this brings her into a clandestine world and deeper into other dangers in these turbulent days. Behaving unconventionally with a courage and daring beyond her years, Rebecca battles her enemies as they seek to bring her down. A street attack on the earl leaves him in dire peril and offers her a means to freedom, which she takes as far as she can.   But in the end, once again she is forced to flee. And the loss of a beloved friend and support actually serves to ease that flight as Rebecca undertakes the next part of her story in her customary unconventional manner.   Yet still she must find a way to extricate herself from the clutches of the Earl of Marshwood, and to uncover the secrets of the Somerville legacy.