Courting Miss Laancaster - Sarah M. Eden

Jul 30, 2026

A novel set in London in August 1806, where Harry Windover and Adam Boyce, Duke of Kielder, navigate high-society courtship rules and private motives. Adam’s blunt warning about throwing a debutante into the Thames sparks concern and exposes a darkly comic tension around “Seasons,” guardianship, and marriage prospects. As Athena Lancaster’s situation comes into focus, social pressure collides with personal character, testing loyalty, sanity, and the fragile armor beneath refined manners.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages169

Reading Time4 h 20 min

AccessFree to download

Chapter 1

London

August 1806

[OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) Cover photography by McKenzie Deakins, [photographybymckenzie.com. Cover](photographybymckenzie.com. Cover) image: Colorful Cottage Gardens © fotoVoyager, courtesy iStockphoto. Author photo © Claire Waite. Cover design © 2010 by Covenant Communications, Inc. Published by Covenant Communications, Inc. American Fork, Utah Copyright © 2010 by Sarah M. Eden All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any format or in any medium without the written permission of the publisher, Covenant Communications, Inc., P.O. Box 416, American Fork, UT 84003. This work is not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The views expressed within this work are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Covenant Communications, Inc., or any other entity. This is a work of fiction. The characters, names, incidents, places, and dialogue are either products of the author ’s imagination, and are not to be construed as real, or are used fictitiously. First Printing: March 2010 978-1-60861-618-3 [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) To Annette, who knows talent when she sees it and, in a moment of delirium, lumped me into that group. [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) Chapter 1 London August 1806 “First thing in the morning, I am throwing her in the Thames.” Harry Windover grinned, though he was certain the dire pronouncement from the Duke of Kielder was meant to inspire anxious concern. While the rest of England trembled at the slightest hint of a threat from the infamous duke, Harry’s friendship with the notorious nobleman was of long-enough standing to allow him greater insight into the gentleman’s character. Adam Boyce, Duke of Kielder, was more than capable of and, if truth be told, entirely willing to follow through with the most drastic of threats. But, though he growled regularly, he acted rationally. “And what has this doomed female done to deserve such an unenviable fate?” Harry asked, smiling still. “She requires a Season,” Adam declared, his tone clearly communicating his utter disapproval as well as his complete disbelief. “Most young ladies do,” Harry answered.“How else are the poor dears’ parents to see them married to the highest bidder, er, most suitable gentleman?” He almost laughed at the black look Adam gave him. Adam had redefined “highest bidder” in his courtship. If one were being picky, courtship would not be the word to describe Adam’s successful acquiring of a bride. He’d written a letter, offered the equivalent of several small fortunes, and had been married—all within a few short weeks. Those gentlemen, like Harry, who did not possess one small fortune, let alone several entirely disposable ones, found themselves perpetually unsoughtafter, ineligible, and very, very single. “Dare I ask why this particular young lady’s very commonplace requirement has warranted the ending of her no-doubt short life?” “If she is dead, she will not need a Season.” “True, but she would need a wake and a funeral. Those, too, can be tedious.” “But far shorter in duration.” A young gentleman, probably having no more than twenty years in his dish, passed near the chairs in the back of White’s, where Harry and Adam were spending the afternoon. With one look, Adam sent the young cubscurrying in the opposite direction, a look of pale-faced fear crossing his features. Harry chuckled.“Must you torture the infantry?” Adam ignored him. Which made Harry laugh more. It was their pattern, had been since their days at Harrow. Adam put on his “Fearsome Duke” façade. Harry laughed at the absurdity of it—he knowing that Adam was a good-hearted person beneath it—and that made Adam grumpy. Adam, Harry knew very well, realized he was a different person beneath his ironclad mask, and it unsettled him to think th

FAQs

Who are the main characters introduced at the start of Chapter 1?

Chapter 1 centers on Harry Windover and Adam Boyce, Duke of Kielder, with Athena Lancaster referenced as the prospective target of Adam’s situation.

What does the Duke of Kielder mean by requiring a “Season”?

Adam says the young lady “requires a Season,” linking the idea to social debut and marriage prospects under the period’s courtship expectations.

Why is Athena Lancaster significant in the chapter?

Harry realizes Athena Lancaster is likely the young lady involved, and the chapter frames her situation through guardianship, social ritual, and the Duke’s threats.

Jul 30, 2026

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