Synopsis

Who is this lovely destitute girl Sir Edmond Linnington has rescued from entering a brothel?

His offer of employment to her sets their relationship as employer and employee, but that does not stifle his curiosity. Curiosity about Mrs. Olivia Williams grows to passion, returned by her only to meet obstacles they only overcome with the aid of friends, family, a London gossip and helpful servants.

Mrs. Olivia Williams realized she had reached a new low while stood outside the salacious establishment. Sir Edmond Linnington watched as she grappled with her indecision and made a split-second decision to help.

Olivia takes Edmonds offer to help renovate his London townhouse for sale. Both rather reserved and polite, they struggle to find a way to deal with their growing affection for each other while trying to maintain a professional relationship. Olivia’s past haunts her and Linnington has his own demons to bear. Overbearing family members, spiteful gossips and secrets strive to keep the two separated. But a gentle, endearing love like theirs will surely survive?

From the busy streets of London to the calm and beauty of the Oxford and Cornish countryside, Linnington and Olivia’s one night of passion changes the course of their lives – but will it be permanent?

A Note from Janet​

This book and its sequel are the direct result of the COVID19 pandemic.

After writing three novels, two collections of short stories, countless poems, and a memoir, at eighty-seven years old I thought I had hung up my spurs as a writer. Then along came the pandemic and I decided I could not knit or needlepoint enough to keep my sanity during the long days of isolation. The television was not an option and I decided if I had to fill the time with stories, instead of Netflix I would write my own.

The first chapters of a romance novel had been residing on my computer for years. Thus I took up those chapters, began to rewrite and write anew. The result is A Reasonable Lady. Growing up on Jane Austen, her works were my template but living in a much different era, I always wanted to follow Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth into the bedroom. This, Miss Austen left to our imagination. I plunged right in. After all, you don’t forget how.

Although my novels and short stories are Main Stream fiction and deal with serious subjects such as addiction, rape and abortion, I have always had a soft spot for romance fiction. To quote a friend of mine who published romance novels, when asked why she wrote them she said, “Honey, I’m married to an engineer. You have to do something!” This is my something.

I am grateful to Decadent Publishing for agreeing to give my work an airing. I call this “luck in the time of COVID.”

I hope you enjoy reading about Linnington and Olivia as I did in writing about them.