Brief

An affluent father, wishing to gain a title for his eldest daughter, marries her off to a poor aristocrat in need of her large dowry. What starts out as an arranged marriage turns into a love story as the newlyweds navigate the tricky waters of aristocratic society and family matters.

What We Liked

- There are strong characters who are empathetic and relatable. The costumed era of this drama/romance is well researched and executed.
- Film: A feature adaptation of the story would be compelling. Adding the stories of the other three sisters would add drama and conflict providing more of an epic feel to the project that would have a broader appeal.
- TV: Adapting this into a limited television series on a higher end subscription based network or a streaming platform would be well received. Building the story out to include the other sisters would lend itself nicely to the television format and would keep the audience interested.
- Key points: Strong female lead; Romantic; Historical accuracy; Franchise potential.

Synopsis

Rosalind is the oldest of four sisters. Her family is extremely wealthy but they are commoners. Rosalind’s father wants his daughters all to have titles so he decides to marry Rosalind off to Peter, a broke aristocrat who needs to marry an heiress in order to maintain his family estate.

She is unhappy at this prospect, but agrees when her father tells her that this is the only way that her sisters will stand a chance of marrying into a title. Rosalind vows to help ensure that her sisters will be able to marry for love. After Peter and Rosalind are married, he explains to her that he doesn’t intend to share a marriage bed with her and that he is not interested in producing children. Rosalind feels relief on one hand and disappointment on the other. When they arrive at Peter’s country estate, he introduces Rosalind to his sister, Annie, who suffers from Downs Syndrome. Rosalind and Annie soon become fast friends which makes Peter eternally grateful.

Rosalind is not treated well by some of the society ladies, but she does make friends with Annie’s godmother, Mrs. Adams. Peter and Rosalind begin to fall in love and have a traditional marriage. Rosalind sends for her sister Annabelle to visit. At a ball given in her honor, Annabelle is caught kissing, Lord Stannage, alone in a darkened room. They are caught by Peter and a society gossip. In order to save Annabelle’s reputation, the couple is forced to marry. Lord Stannage is taken with Annabelle and she finds him amenable enough to take as a husband. Rosalind is ultimately forced to accept this as her sister’s fate.

It is soon revealed that Peter’s deceased older brother, Robert, produced a legitimate heir before his death. This jeopardizes Peter’s arrangement with Rosalind’s father. Rosalind discovers that she is pregnant and is worried that Peter will reject her. When she confides in Mrs. Adams, she helps bring the news to Peter. After some contemplating, Peter realizes that he is delighted to become a father. He and Rosalind reconcile.

Since Rosalind never cared about having a title, she is content to leave the estate behind to live with Peter and Annie on a newly purchased farm as they await the arrival their first child.

About The Author

Audrey is writer of all things Regency. Having written stories from being young, the introduction of Kindle has given access to readers who devour Regency Romances. Now, an author of over twenty Romances, including standalone stories and a number of series', hoping to hit three quarters of a million sales (ongoing total) in 2020. Lord Livesey's Bluestocking was shortlisted for Amazon's Storytellers Award in 2018, adding to the evidence that readers love that trip back in time. With the authenticity of Jane Austen, the humour of Georgette Heyer and the appeal of Julia Quinn, there is now a worldwide following of every book released, many gaining those lovely orange Bestseller flags from Amazon.