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There was no man alive she wanted to take as her husband, in fact, no man at all, and finding one asap wouldn't work, so she opted for the second condition. She was on her way to Harstairs House. The will did not mention having a companion so she asked Constance to accompany her. The elderly woman, who had enough snarkyness to last her a lifetime and then some, gladly accepted the offer.
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The moment the coach pulled up the drive, Susannah suddenly thought her choice was a poor one. But since the deal was made and the coach long gone, she was stuck there for the night. How bad could it be really? Certainly she withstood untamed children, a few nights in an old draft-ridden ghost inhibited house wouldn't do her in, or she hoped.
Each day she stayed the sum of money grew and if she withheld her end of the deal, the whole fortune would be turned over to her trust. She didn't count on house guests who wanted nothing but her and Constance gone, the militia knocking on her door tossing accusations around, and the house needing more care than she herself could fulfill. Add to it, a nosy neighbor and strange dreams that awoke her more times than she cared to admit, the whole deal almost had her ruffled.
The house guests, Susannah at first wanted them gone, but Oliver had a lease until the end of the month and she could not ask him to leave. The house wasn't hers yet. So they compromised, splitting the house in half was reasonable. Too bad neither of them had any intention of keeping the compromise.
Oliver was a rake who she did not like and at the moment, didn't trust fully, and to a certain point, seemed to be a bully when he didn't get is way. Susannah was a woman who declared she inherited the house, through never met the man who gave it to her, and could not actually prove any of it at the moment.
Can Susannah hold her ground and do what she must to save herself from being homeless again? This time though, she would be taking innocent Constance down with her. Or could she keep a straight face, stiffen her backbone and do what has to be done to protect her and Constance's interests? And if so, at what cost? But all of this, not even the militia, were no match compared to how she was feeling for Oliver. Are Susannah and Oliver able to work together to keep what each holds dear, without losing their hearts and lives in the process?
HARSTAIRS HOUSE is the best historical I have read in a long time. It's definitely a keeper and one I'll read again and again. This is the first of Ms. Grange's books I've read and I'm hooked. She's an auto buy starting with LORD DEVIRILL'S SECRET, and then on to as many tales as Ms. Grange can pen!
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