The Famous Heroine/The Plumed Bonnet Read online

  PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF

  MARY BALOGH

  THE SECRET MISTRESS

  “Regency romance doyenne Balogh … pairs a staid young nobleman with a vivacious debutante in this top-notch tale.… An unusually accurate portrayal of Regency society, laden with colorful period detail, makes a sparkling backdrop, and the supporting characters are delightful.… The charming mixture of sensual passion and hilarious confusion makes Balogh’s delightful tale a must-read for Regency fans.”

  —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

  “A treasure … No one tells ‘secrets’ better than Balogh.”

  —Library Journal (editor’s pick)

  A SECRET AFFAIR

  “This neatly choreographed romance … will fascinate readers as Balogh gradually peels away the layers of [the] complex, secrets-laden story with tantalizing skill and sympathetic care.… Poignant, thought-provoking, deliciously sensual, and completely enthralling, this polished gem is the last in the Huxtable quintet and one that Balogh’s fans have been anxiously awaiting.”

  —Library Journal

  “Balogh has saved the best for last; Constantine—dark, wicked, and cryptic—has a perfect foil in Hannah, and their encounters are steamy, their romance believable. Though series fans will be disappointed to see it come to a close, they couldn’t ask for a better way to go out.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Mary Balogh has masterfully woven a romantic tale of the importance of family, of compassion, and of love and forgiveness in this fifth book in her series about the Huxtable family. A Secret Affair will not disappoint, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the ‘secrets.’ ”

  —Fresh Fiction

  SEDUCING AN ANGEL

  “With her inimitable, brilliantly nuanced sense of characterization, elegantly sensual style, and droll wit, best-seller Balogh continues to set the standard to which all other Regency historical writers aspire while delivering another addictively readable addition to her Huxtable family series.”

  —Booklist

  “One of [Balogh’s] best books to date.”

  —A Romance Review

  AT LAST COMES LOVE

  “Sparkling with sharp wit, lively repartee, and delicious sensuality, the emotionally rewarding At Last Comes Love metes out both justice and compassion; totally satisfying.”

  —Library Journal

  “At Last Comes Love is the epitome of what any great romance should be.… This novel will leave you crying, laughing, cheering, and ready to fight for two characters that any reader will most definitely fall in love with!”

  —Coffee Time Romance

  THEN COMES SEDUCTION

  “Exquisite sexual chemistry permeates this charmingly complex story.”

  —Library Journal

  “Balogh delivers another smartly fashioned love story that will dazzle readers with its captivating combination of nuanced characters, exquisitely sensual romance, and elegant wit.”

  —Booklist

  “Mary Balogh succeeds shockingly well.”

  —Rock Hill Herald

  FIRST COMES MARRIAGE

  “Intriguing and romantic … Readers are rewarded with passages they’ll be tempted to dog-ear so they can read them over and over.”

  —McAllen Monitor

  “Wonderful characterization [and a] riveting plot … I highly recommend you read First Comes Marriage.”

  —Romance Reviews Today

  “Peppered with brilliant banter, laced with laughter … and tingling with sexual tension, this story of two seemingly mismatched people struggling to make their marriage work tugs at a few heartstrings and skillfully paves the way for the stories to come.”

  —Library Journal

  “The incomparable Balogh delivers a masterful first in a new trilogy.… Always fresh, intelligent, emotional and sensual, Balogh’s stories reach out to readers, touching heart and mind with their warmth and wit. Prepare for a joyous read.”

  —Romantic Times

  SIMPLY PERFECT

  “A warm-hearted and feel-good story … Readers will want to add this wonderful story to their collection. Simply Perfect is another must-read from this talented author, and a Perfect Ten.”

  —Romance Reviews Today

  “With her signature exquisite sense of characterization and subtle wit, Balogh brings her sweetly sensual, thoroughly romantic Simply quartet to a truly triumphant conclusion.”

  —Booklist

  SIMPLY MAGIC

  “Absorbing and appealing. This is an unusually subtle approach in a romance, and it works to great effect.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Balogh has once again crafted a sensuous tale of two very real people finding love and making each other’s lives whole and beautiful. Readers will be delighted.”

  —Booklist

  SIMPLY UNFORGETTABLE

  “When an author has created a series as beloved to readers as Balogh’s Bedwyn saga, it is hard to believe that she can surpass the delights with the first installment in a new quartet. But Balogh has done just that.”

  —Booklist

  “A memorable cast … refresh[es] a classic Regency plot with humor, wit, and the sizzling romantic chemistry that one expects from Balogh. Well-written and emotionally complex.”

  —Library Journal

  SIMPLY LOVE

  “One of the things that make Ms. Balogh’s books so memorable is the emotion she pours into her stories. The writing is superb, with realistic dialogue, sexual tension, and a wonderful heart-wrenching story. Simply Love is a book to savor, and to read again. It is a Perfect Ten. Romance doesn’t get any better than this.”

  —Romance Reviews Today

  “With more than her usual panache, Balogh returns to Regency England for a satisfying adult love story.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  SLIGHTLY DANGEROUS

  “Slightly Dangerous is the culmination of Balogh’s wonderfully entertaining Bedwyn series.… Balogh, famous for her believable characters and finely crafted Regency-era settings, forges a relationship that leaps off the page and into the hearts of her readers.”

  —Booklist

  “With this series, Balogh has created a wonderfully romantic world of Regency culture and society. Readers will miss the honorable Bedwyns and their mates; ending the series with Wulfric’s story is icing on the cake. Highly recommended.”

  —Library Journal

  SLIGHTLY SINFUL

  “Smart, playful, and deliciously satisfying … Balogh once again delivers a clean, sprightly tale rich in both plot and character.… With its irrepressible characters and deft plotting, this polished romance is an ideal summer read.”

  —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

  SLIGHTLY TEMPTED

  “Once again, Balogh has penned an entrancing, unconventional yarn that should expand her following.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Balogh is a gifted writer.… Slightly Tempted invites reflection, a fine quality in romance, and Morgan and Gervase are memorable characters.”

  —Contra Costa Times

  SLIGHTLY SCANDALOUS

  “With its impeccable plotting and memorable characters, Balogh’s book raises the bar for Regency romances.”

  —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

  “The sexual tension fairly crackles between this pair of beautifully matched protagonists.… This delightful and exceptionally well-done title nicely demonstrates [Balogh’s] matchless style.”

  —Library Journal

  “This third book in the Bedwyn series is … highly enjoyable as part of the series or on its own merits.”

  —Old
Book Barn Gazette

  SLIGHTLY WICKED

  “Sympathetic characters and scalding sexual tension make the second installment [in the Slightly series] a truly engrossing read.… Balogh’s sure-footed story possesses an abundance of character and class.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  SLIGHTLY MARRIED

  “Slightly Married is a masterpiece! Mary Balogh has an unparalleled gift for creating complex, compelling characters who come alive on the pages.… A Perfect Ten.”

  —Romance Reviews Today

  The Famous Heroine and The Plumed Bonnet are works of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  2011 Dell eBook Edition

  The Famous Heroine copyright © 1996 by Mary Balogh

  The Plumed Bonnet copyright © 1996 by Mary Balogh

  Excerpt from The Proposal by Mary Balogh copyright © 2011 by Mary Balogh

  All rights reserved.

  Published in the United States by Dell, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

  DELL is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc., and the colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.

  The Famous Heroine was originally published in paperback in the United States by Signet, an imprint of Dutton Signet, a division of Penguin Books USA Inc., New York, in 1996.

  The Plumed Bonnet was originally published in paperback in the United States by Signet, an imprint of Dutton Signet, a division of Penguin Books USA Inc., New York, in 1996.

  This book contains an excerpt of the forthcoming title The Proposal by Mary Balogh. The excerpt has been set for this edition only and may not reflect the final content of the published book.

  eISBN: 978-0-440-33992-2

  Cover design: Lynn Andreozzi

  Cover photograph: © Herman Estevez

  www.bantamdell.com

  v3.1

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  The Famous Heroine

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  The Plumed Bonnet

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Excerpt from The Proposal

  Other Books by This Author

  The Famous Heroine

  1

  HE DUCHESS OF BRIDGWATER, FORMIDABLY ELEGANT in her purple satin evening gown with matching turban and tall plumes, bedecked and sparkling with the family jewels, looked Miss Cora Downes over with slow and methodical care, beginning at the top of her elaborate coiffure, and ending at her slippers, which were already cramping her toes.

  The slippers were cramping her toes because she had unwisely taken the advice of Lady Elizabeth Munro, the duchess’s elder daughter, to buy the smaller of two sizes in footwear when in doubt, as gentlemen did not admire large feet. Cora’s feet were not extraordinarily large, she had decided, holding them out in front of her, unshod, as she sat on the edge of her bed soon after the advice had been given. And really she did not care much for gentlemen’s strange preferences in such matters. Did they crawl around on hands and knees examining a lady’s feet before going to any other lengths to discover if she was someone with whom they would not mind dreadfully spending the rest of their days on this earth? But there was no escaping the fact that her feet were somewhat larger than Elizabeth’s and decidedly larger than those of Jane, Elizabeth’s younger sister. But then Jane was more than usually small and dainty.

  And so Cora had bought the slippers in a size smaller than she ought because she had persuaded herself that she was in doubt. She now meekly bore the consequences of her own folly, though she knew she had not really begun to bear them yet. There was a whole ball to live through, a whole evening of dancing—if any gentleman could be coerced into dancing with her, that was. Cora would have squirmed with discomfort at the very real danger that none would if her grace had not been still examining her appearance.

  Do not let her use her lorgnette, she instructed some unseen power without moving her lips. I shall die of mortification. At the horridly advanced age of one-and-twenty she was decked out in virginal white and blushes and was about to make her debut into the beau monde. Jane, who was a mere eighteen years of age, had already made her curtsy to the Queen the year before, though she was still dressed this year in what Cora thought of as “the uniform.” When one added to the age difference the fact that Cora was larger than Jane—in every way, not just in the matter of feet—the result was depressing.

  Elizabeth, who was nineteen, was dressed in pink and had put on, with her gown, a look of ennui that bespoke the seasoned lady of the ton. She, of course, was already nicely settled indeed, being betrothed to a marquess of enormous wealth and consequence and alarmingly advanced years—he was three-and-thirty—who happened to be in Vienna this year with the result that the wedding had been postponed indefinitely.

  The duchess handed down her judgment at last. She inclined her head once and set her plumes to nodding a dozen times. “You will do, my dear Cora,” she said.

  That was all she said, but it set Elizabeth to smiling graciously in almost comic imitation of her mama’s regal manner and Jane to squealing and squeezing her arm and exclaiming in glee.

  “I told you you looked beautiful, Cora,” she said. Which was a very loose paraphrase indeed of what her mother had said.

  Cora tried not to look sheepish and giggled instead. It was strange how laughter, which she had always indulged in with unself-conscious spontaneity, had become giggling as soon as the Duchess of Bridgwater had taken her so determinedly under the ducal wing. Giggling, it seemed, was not a ladylike attribute and must be curbed at all costs. The most a lady could allow herself in company by way of displaying amusement was a well-bred titter. On the few occasions when Cora had practiced tittering, she had ended up with her head beneath a cushion, smothering the bellows of unholy mirth it had given rise to.

  “We will be on our way, then,” the duchess said, smiling at all three young ladies who had joined her in the drawing room.

  She really looked remarkably beautiful when she smiled—and even when she did not, Cora conceded in something like envy. It must be wonderful to have that kind of poise and grace and self-assurance. It was hard to believe that her grace could be the mother of Elizabeth and Jane and of Lord George Munro. It was almost impossible to believe that she was also the mother of the present duke, to whom Cora had been presented for the first time but yesterday. His grace was all elegance and formality and ducal hauteur.

  Cora had had the uncomfortable feeling that his grace did not approve of her, even though he had bowed over her hand and even raised it to his lips—she had stood rooted to the morning-room floor, stupidly awed by the knowledge that he was a duke, a real live duke—and assured her of his pleasure in meeting her. He had even thanked her over the little Henry incident. Little Henry was his nephew, of course, and heir to his grace’s heir. But even so it had startled her to find that the Duke of Bridgwater had heard about the little Henry incident. He had even called her a heroine and she ha
d resisted only just in time the urge to look over her shoulder to see to whom he was speaking.

  But then, of course, he must have wondered why his mother had brought to town a mere Miss Cora Downes, daughter of a Bristol merchant—a prosperous merchant, it was true, and one who had recently purchased a considerable property and renovated a grand old abbey that had been falling to ruins on it—with the intention of taking her about in society with her own daughters, his own sisters. He would have thought it very strange indeed. And so, of course, the explanation of what had happened with little Henry would have been given.

  The truth was—at least, it was not quite the truth but what was perceived to be the truth—that Cora had saved little Henry from drowning in the shadow of the Pulteney Bridge in Bath and that out of gratitude the duchess, little Henry’s grandmama, had taken Cora into her own home to mingle with her daughters and to be elevated to the ranks of gentlewomanhood long enough to be found an eligible gentleman.

  The Duchess of Bridgwater was going to find Cora a husband. Not from the ranks of eligible dukes and marquesses and earls, of course, amongst whom she had already plucked a mate for Elizabeth and planned to pluck one for Jane. But nevertheless, a gentleman. A man of fortune and rank and property. A man who had never soiled his hands or enriched his coffers with trade or business. Despite all the wealth of her father, Cora could never have aspired so high if she had not saved little Henry—well, sort of saved him, anyway—and so been catapulted into the benevolent good graces of the Duchess of Bridgwater.