Lady Vengeance

England in 1753 is a dangerous place. King George II sits uneasily upon the throne, fearful of another Jacobite uprising and many noblemen play on these fears in their quest for power. Among them is Guy Morellon, Marquis of Thurleigh, hated and feared and almost unassailable. But when Madame Elinor de Sange returns to England, bent on revenge, Morellon finds himself pitted against a dangerous adversary. For Elinor has a fiery ruby that holds the key to his destruction and that of other men who ruined her life eight years earlier. Revenge, though, carries a high price and Elinor finds she is no longer the Lady of Stone. She must learn to trust - and to forgive - if bitterness does not destroy her first.

Melinda Hammond currently lives in a Pennine farmhouse with her husband, three children, one dog and a dozen chickens. She has written Fortune's Lady, Summer Charade, Maid of Honour and her most recent novel, The Bargain, all published by Robert Hale.