And How It All Began . . .
After heiress Charlotte elopes with a dashing soldier named Jimmy Harris, who runs through her entire inheritance before having the good sense to get himself killed in a duel, she vows to keep other young women from making her mistake. So, with the help of a mysterious and anonymous benefactor whom she knows only as Cousin Michael, she establishes Mrs. Harris’s School for Young Ladies that caters to . . . you guessed it . . .heiresses! Not blatantly, of course. That would be gauche. But her private Lessons for Heiresses are quite informative, and before long wealthy parents are scrambling to have their daughters admitted to what the gossips deem "Mrs. Harris’s School for Heiresses." The only trouble is, they probably wouldn’t approve of everything their daughters are learning!
March 06
Lady Amelia Plume has many admirers; too bad they’re all fortune hunters and fops who can’t provide the exotic adventures she seeks. The ballrooms of Mayfair have become more appealing since the arrival of Major Lucas Winter—an American marine with a dangerous past and a brooding air. Lucas is brash, arrogant . . . and scandalously tempting. Every thrilling kiss sparks deeper desire, yet Amelia suspects that Lucas has a hidden motive in wooing her and she means to discover it, by any means necessary…
Lucas came to London to find the cad who embezzled money from a naval contractor. The captivating Lady Amelia could be the key to his quest, but what started as simple flirtation has become a delicious dance of seduction. And when a rival jeopardizes Amelia’s reputation, Lucas must choose what he wants most—the chance to avenge his past, or a future filled with fiery passion…
September 06
Marry? Never! It would end Louisa North’s work with her ladies reform group—and truth be told, she likes her independence very much, despite her royal father’s protests. So when Simon Tremaine, the dashing Duke of Foxmoor whom she’d once loved—and had exiled from England—returns bent on marrying her, she’s skeptical. Does he truly care for her, or does he simply want revenge? It is difficult for Louisa to resist Simon’s dangerous charms, because the fire between them still burns as hot as ever. But when his ulterior motive for marriage is exposed, along with the deeply buried secrets of his past, Louisa vows to make him pay . . . and the price will be his heart.
January 07
From Sabrina Jeffries…“Ten Reasons to Stay”
Sabrina Jeffries joins forces with fellow romance authors Liz Carlyle, Julia London, and Renee Bernard in this holiday multi-author anthology set in the School for Heiresses series. Each author tackles what happens when Mrs. Charlotte Harris, the school’s owner, sends her young ladies home for the holidays with personally tailored lessons. In Sabrina's tale, Eliza Crenshawe's lesson is to look before she leaps. But when she discovers her new guardian's plans to marry her off without so much as a Season, she forgets all that. She attempts to flee – on a horse she unwittingly steals (oops!) from Colin Hunt, a newly minted earl who wants nothing more than for her to go home…or stay forever.
June 2007
Lady Venetia Campbell’s visit to her childhood home of Scotland takes a dramatic turn when she’s kidnapped at pistol-point by her father’s sworn enemy. Sir Lachlan Ross is widely feared in his guise as The Scottish Scourge, but Venetia remembers her former neighbor as a handsome youth whose attentions she craved. Now a wickedly sexy man, Lachlan’s appeal is even more intoxicating…and much more dangerous. Though Lachlan tries to treat her as his foe, his scorching kisses tell another story. And despite his plan is to use her as a weapon against her father, Venetia is determined that Lachlan’s lust for revenge will be trumped by an even more powerful desire…
March 2008
When Madeline Prescott took a teaching position at Mrs. Harris’s School for Young Ladies, it was to help restore her father’s reputation. Instead, she’s in danger of ruining her own. The devilishly handsome Anthony Dalton, Viscount Norcourt, has agreed to provide “rake lessons” to Mrs. Harris’s pupils so they can learn how to avoid unscrupulous gentlemen, and Madeline is to oversee his classes. She has always believed that attraction is a scientific matter, easily classified and controlled—until she’s swept into the passionate desire that fiercely burns between her and Anthony. Nothing could be more illogical than risking everything for a dalliance with a rake—even one who’s trying to behave himself. Yet nothing could be more tempting…
November 2008
Thanks to a carriage accident, shy Elinor Bancroft, the richest heiress in North England, ends up stranded at Lord Thorncliff’s manor on her way home for Christmas, along with her wounded aunt, three young and boisterous cousins, and their friend, Charlie Dickens. Tired of being courted only for her fortune, she is ready to forego the marriage mart entirely. And their grumpy host Martin Thorncliff, otherwise known as the Black Baron, only strengthens that decision.
Lord Thorncliff is none too happy to play host to four children, their mother and a famous heiress. Bad enough that it’s Christmas, his least favorite time of year. He would rather hide in his barn doing his munition experiments than be tortured by the allure of a sweet young woman who makes him want to forget he’s a pariah in good society. Fortunately, neither Elinor nor Martin can hold firm against the sizzling attraction that engulfs them whenever they come near each other, and they soon discover that Christmas takes on a whole new meaning when you share it with one you love.
June 2009
The future of Charlotte Harris’s finishing school is in jeopardy when a charming Spaniard, world-famous magician Diego Montalvo, arrives to turn the bordering estate into a scandalous pleasure garden. Valiantly ignoring his wicked flirtations, outspoken Lucinda Seton intends to derail his plans and save the school—unaware that Diego’s true mission is to spirit the long-lost heiress away to Spain for a handsome reward!
But before long Diego’s heart is playing tricks on him, and Lucy is falling under the conjurer’s spell. How can the Master of Mystery go through with his devilish scheme when all he wants is to make the lovely heiress his own?
July 2009
At eighteen, Charlotte Page made a life-altering mistake. She wronged a man in an impulsive act that she came to deeply regret, though it led her to her present life as Mrs. Charlotte Harris, owner of her School for Young Ladies.
Unbeknownst to her, that man is now her anonymous benefactor, the mysterious “Cousin Michael.” His masquerade began as preparation for a devastating revenge, but soon became a labor of love. Now Charlotte desperately needs his help. Can he save her from disaster as his real self without revealing the ugly secret behind his charade? Or will the mistakes of their pasts tear them apart forever?
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 Dear Readers,
Welcome to my School for Young Ladies! My name is Charlotte Harris, and I founded this institution to help impressionable girls make wise decisions about their marital prospects. As a widow who traveled a rather rocky road in that area myself, I would like them to learn from my mistakes. My late husband, Jimmy Harris, wasn’t a bad man, mind you—he just had a way of spending all my inheritance that was rather annoying. And when he left me destitute after fighting some silly duel, I was forced to fend for myself. I would not want to see my girls suffer the same misfortune.
That is why my curriculum now emphasizes lessons for avoiding fortune-hunters. And yes, I know the more vulgar in society call my academy “The School for Heiresses” as a result of my success in that area of education, but we do offer other courses for young women. My ladies can dance, play the pianoforte, and sing with the best of them (just ask Lady Venetia--she once softened up a kidnapper by singing him ballads).
Fortunately, I’m not alone in my endeavor. I have a wonderful benefactor who ferrets out gossip about potential husbands for my girls and who advises me in matters concerning the school. Since he wishes to keep his anonymity, he will only say that he’s a distant cousin of my late husband. He goes by the name Michael, but between you and me, I doubt that he’s Jimmy’s cousin. No one in Jimmy’s family ever showed an ounce of the wit “Cousin Michael” shows in his letters.
Truth be told, I’d very much like to know who Cousin Michael is, but he’s not saying, and in exchange for his help I agreed not to pursue it. That grows more difficult by the day, however. Especially since I think I have a bit of crush on him (shhh, don’t tell my pupils).
Nonetheless, thanks to him, several of my young ladies have navigated the treacherous waters of society successfully to find husbands who not only suit them—but love them. I hope you’ll enjoy their stories!
Best,
Charlotte Harris
Owner and Headmistress
Mrs. Harris’s School for Young Ladies
You can read all of the letters sent between Charlotte and Cousin Michael HERE.
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